Scarsdale's Cohen Calls for Term Limits, Tax Cuts in Senate Bid

Bob Cohen moved to Scarsdale 20 years ago for the quality schools, safe neighborhoods, and "green grass" that he felt his fledgling family deserved.

Over two decades, Cohen joined the village's volunteer fire department and, more recently, the Scarsdale Forum, and has been involved in a host of other civic activities – all, he said, out of a desire to help the community.

But during the same period property taxes have skyrocketed, firms like Texaco and Starwood have fled the labyrinthine regulatory codes handed down by the county and state, and government in Albany has devolved into scandal-ridden dysfunction.

Now the 55-year-old Cohen, who runs a small Manhattan-based property management firm, is trying to address these woes as the GOP's pick to unseat State Senator Suzi Oppenheimer, D-Port Chester, who has represented large swaths of the county for 26 years.

Cohen has been knocking on doors and introducing himself to voters in the district – most of whom, he said, have very similar complaints about state government.

"Whether Republican or Democrat, everyone is saying that taxes are too high, businesses and jobs are being chased out of New York, Albany is dysfunctional, and it's time we make changes, it's time we get some new people in elected office," he said.

Cohen's platform is close to the party line on most issues, including capping annual property tax growth at 2.5 percent, addressing the loopholes that allow ethics scandals to proliferate in Albany, and rolling back taxes and other regulations on local businesses. He also wants to reinstate the STAR property tax rebate program axed by the state last year.

But he has also put forth a few novel ideas that are often overlooked by state legislators, including instituting eight- or 10-year term limits for lawmakers.

"We have a ruling class in New York, an incumbency party," he said, nodding to his opponent's three decades in the Senate.

"I believe in the citizen-legislator approach. You do the work of the people and then you go back to the farm. When you're implanted in the same job for decades, you begin to feel entitled and maybe you forget why you were there in the first place."

Cohen also wants to banish member items – commonly known as "pork" – from the state budget. Each year lawmakers divvy up about $170 million to dole out to pet projects in their districts – everything from little league baseball and public health clinics to more questionable spending on mountain lion cages and Irish rowboats.  

"Member items allow for spending by an individual legislator, and create this huge area of abuse," Cohen said.

He pointed to recent allegations that Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada, D-Bronx, siphoned $14 million of taxpayer money from a Bronx health clinic to which he had helped steer funding, often in the form of member items.

Espada was also at the center of a Senate coup last summer in which he and a few other New York City Democrats threatened to switch parties. The legislature's work was brought to a halt during the episode, which ultimately saw the Dems elevate Espada to majority leader. Cohen called the power-grab "disgusting, disappointing, and embarrassing."

The GOP has claimed a majority in the Senate for about 70 of the last 75 years, but currently faces a two-seat deficit. Republican officials this year have their eyes on both of Westchester's Senate districts. Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins, D-Yonkers, won the 2006 election by a handful of votes, and is seen by GOP leaders as vulnerable.

But Cohen said he's not interested in partisan politics.

"Reaching across party lines is the key to success. You have to learn to negotiate, compromise, and meet the other guy halfway," he said.

"I will meet the Democrats halfway if I have to, because I'm representing all of the people of this district, whether they're Democrats or Republicans or in some other party. They give me my marching orders, not a party or a machine."

Cohen's measured approach to the issues plaguing the state was backed up by comments made by those who know him.

"He's a nice guy, very personable and very thoughtful. He doesn't seem like the kind of person who's prone to snap judgments," said Scarsdale Fire Department Captain Jeff Gaskin, who has known Cohen for about 15 years and used to work in the same volunteer company as the candidate, who is affectionately known as "Skip" around the fire house.

Oppenheimer, like most incumbents, won't start campaigning until the summer, but she said in an e-mail that she's been an advocate for reform throughout her career in the Senate.

"I have achieved results on property tax relief, protecting education funding for school districts, and pushing for change to allow school districts to lower costs through reorganization, reducing state mandates, shared services, and cutting red-tape from Albany," she said.

"I've sponsored bills, many of which have passed the Senate, that address all of these issues, and which it appears [Cohen] would support."

Oppenheimer spokeswoman Debra Lagapa further pointed out that from 1984, when the senator won her first election, until 2009, the Republicans held a majority in the chamber, meaning the passage of legislation was largely up to them.

"She has a concrete record of action, outside of just sound bites," Lagapa said. "In terms of government spending, it's very easy to cut spending without regard to the consequences, but Sen. Oppenheimer has worked to minimize cuts to important programs."

Cohen faces an uphill battle, by all measures. In addition to Democrats outnumbering Republicans in the district by more than two to one, Oppenheimer will likely bring more money to her campaign. The former mayor of Mamaroneck also has history on her side – legislators have enjoyed a 98 percent incumbency rate over the last few decades.

But Cohen said he brings experience to the table that few career politicians can boast.

"In business, you're dealing with employees, regulatory agencies, and government agencies and you learn a lot from those experiences," he said.

"Too many legislators have only seen the government side, and they have this belief that the average worker is an ATM for the state. They do not understand how difficult it is to be in the private sector in New York."

The county GOP nominated Cohen for the Senate bid earlier this month, allowing him to skip a primary battle and focus on the general election. Voters hit the polls November 5.