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ImageNext Tuesday Lansing voters will be asked to elect a U.S. President and Vice President, a U.S. Congressman, a state Senator, and a State Assembly member. You have probably heard more about the top presidential and vice presidential candidates in the mainstream media than you can stand, so we won't add to that.

But if you have been wondering how you really want to vote on the other positions, here is a brief guide to the candidates. The first item on the ballot is a proposition about veterans who want to qualify for disability payments:

The proposed amendment would eliminate the requirement that veterans who were disabled in the actual performance of duty in any war be receiving disability payments from the United States Veterans Administration in order to qualify for additional points on a civil service examination for appointment or promotion. Under the proposed amendment, the disability must only be certified to exist by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. The proposed amendment would also update the reference to the "United States Veterans Administration" to instead refer to the "United States Department of Veterans Affairs" to reflect current federal government structure. Shall the proposed amendment be approved?



24th Us Congretional District
ImageRepublicanlogo50.jpgRepublicanlogo50.jpgRichard Hanna
Website

Richard Hanna (R) is a Utica area businessman and philanthropist who is challenging Michael Arcuri.

His television ads say his issues are creating more, better paying jobs, stopping wasteful spending in Washington, and remaining independent of party bosses.  His Web site doesn't say much about the issues, something he has been criticized for by the Arcuri camp.  His press releases focussed on attacking Arcuri, but again did not detail his own stances on issues.
 		ImageDemocraticlogo50.jpgDemocraticlogo50.jpgMichael Arcuri
Website

check.jpgMichael Arcuri (D) is running for a second term as US Congressman.  A former Utica District Attorney, he has focused on promoting economic growth in the district, worked to raise the minimum wage, help small businesses, and middle class families by fixing the alternative minimum tax.  Local Democratic Party Chair Irene Stein says Arcuri has fulfilled every promise he made in his first campaign.

Arcuri has visited Lansing frequently, holding an energy symposium at the Town Hall a few years ago, visiting Kionix to research how he can best help local businesses succeed in the world marketplace, and most recently cutting the ribbon to celebrate a third airline servicing the Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport.
 54th New York State Senate District
ImageRepublicanlogo50.jpgRepublicanlogo50.jpgMike Nozzolio
Website

check.jpgMike Nozzolio (R) is running for his ninth term in the New york State Senate.  Probably best known in Lansing for bringing giant checks to help Lansing schools, businesses, and the public library, Nozzolio is stressing property tax reform, controlling state spending, improving the local economy, and creating new jobs in his campaign.  On the latter front he secured $250,000 in state funding to help insure that Kionix would locate its new microfluidics business unit in the Cornell Business and Technology Park in Lansing in 2006.  That was estimated to create more than 150 new local jobs and more than $5 million of new investment.

Nozzolio has been consistently strong on tax relief, particularly property tax relief.

Legislation

Locally, he serves as a member of the Cornell University Council and on the Board of the Cornell Agriculture and Food Technology Park. Senator Nozzolio has previously served on the Board of Directors of the Martin P. Catherwood Library of the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University.  His committee assignments this year include Crime Victims, Crime and Correction (Chair); Finance; Energy; Investigations and Government Operations; Judiciary; Transportation; Racing, Gaming and Wagering; and Tourism, Recreation and Sports Development.

 		ImageDemocraticlogo50.jpgDemocraticlogo50.jpgPaloma Capanna
Website

Paloma Capanna (D) is running on a platform of creating public funding for state elections, universal health insurance, a Kennedy-style center for renewable energy research, development, and deployment, and a return to progressive income taxes with an easing of other taxes that resulted from unfunded mandates.  She has visited Lansing a number of times to meet people here and talk about her campaign.

Capanna has run a grass roots campaign, getting small contributions from individual donors, and holding events at coffee shops across the district to meet people and talk about their concerns.
 125th New York State Assembly District
ImageRepublicanlogo50.jpgRepublicanlogo50.jpgNone

 		ImageDemocraticlogo50.jpgDemocraticlogo50.jpgBarbara Lifton
Website

check.jpgBarbara Lifton's (D) favorite word is 'fight,' and that's what she says she does -- for education, for seniors, for lowering prescription costs, and to make sure that when New York gets its new mandated voting machines they will be of a high quality that can be certified and guarantee secure voting for New Yorkers. 

And fighting against just about anything Republican.

Her fight has been particularly sucessfull on the voting machines front, saving New Yorkers much money by refusing to buy voting machines that can't meet the mandated standard as almost every other state has done.

Lifton served as Chief of Staff to her predecessor, Marty Luster, before winning the position herself.  She is running unopposed in this year's election.
   
 
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