Forest Hills, Rego Park, Middle Village, Glendale, Maspeth and Kew Gardens.
Name: Aleksander Powietrzynski
Age: 26
Party Affiliation: Republican
Occupation: Law School Graduate awaiting NY State Bar results
Decision To Run: I decided to run because of the dysfunction in Albany. I would like to say that my representative was trying to be part of the solution, but instead he is part of the problem. He votes almost exclusively as Sheldon Silver dictates and is financed almost exclusively by special interests. The residents on New York and of the 28th Assembly District deserve better – they deserve a representative who will represent the people. I will act in the best interest of the community and will not worry about any re-elections.
Major Issues: Just like most places in the country, high taxes and high unemployment are the major issues. Between increasing federal taxes and fees and new and increased New York State taxes and fees, the middle class is being driven out of New York. I’ve spoken to homeowners and business owners who say that they cannot afford paying the property taxes with all the other increased taxes they are faced with. As a result, the middle class is moving out and businesses are shuttering throughout Queens.
Top Priorities: If elected, I would start by passing government reform. I would begin by introducing a bill that imposes term limits on legislators and a bill that would restructure the budgeting process. We need term limits to allow legislators to focus on their responsibilities to their constituents and not special interests. We need a new budget process because three people should not be in charge of the entire budget process in New York. Every citizens’ voice should be heard in the budget process.
Name: Andrew Hevesi
Age: 36
Party Affiliation: Democrat, Working Families Party
Occupation: I have been the Assemblymember for the 28th District since 2005.
Decision To Run: New York faces real problems. Our economy has not recovered, taxes are too high and the voters have lost faith in government. We need to elect legislators with a proven track record. I’m proud to have been a sponsor of critical reform legislation and to have delivered real results for our community. I have worked with constituents to solve health care, housing and unemployment crises, as well as larger issues like job creation and education funding. But more needs to be done, and I will work every day as your Assemblymember to keep driving the changes we need.
Major Issues: Residents of this district have been unfairly impacted by the transfer of waste by rail in our community. This waste causes a multitude of environmental and health concerns. Addressing this issue immediately is of great concern to me, and I have introduced four bills to address this major problem. The economy is still in recession, and we need to create new, high tech jobs to turn things around.
Top Priorities: New York faces a multitude of problems, and next year’s legislature will not have the luxury of cherry-picking one or two. We still need to address the state’s budget, which is likely to face another deficit next year. We need to continue to create solutions to stimulate our state’s economy and create new jobs. And we need to restore the people’s faith in government by passing critical reforms on ethics, redistricting and campaign finance. I have been named a Hero of Reform by Mayor Ed Koch, and I’ve sponsored and voted for legislation to clean up Albany.
