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New York Senator Mike Nozzolio has been the 54th district's State Senator for 18 years.  This year he is running for his tenth term against challenger SUNY educator Ed O'Shea.  He is currently the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and is a member of the Senate Finance Committee.  He earned his Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Cornell University, and a Juris Doctor degree from the Syracuse University College of Law.  He and his wife Rosemary live in Seneca Falls, where he was born.

Nozzolio took time this week to talk about his candidacy with the Lansing Star this week, and to talk about his priorities for repairing New York's economic disaster and protecting the lakes and the upstate region.

Lansing Star: You have served in the Senate for 18 years.  Why run again this time?

Michael Nozzolio: Never before have we faced tremendous economic uncertainty for our state.  I am very concerned for our state's future, whether or not your children and your children's children will be able to find jobs in New York State.  Whether or we will be able to continue the quality of life that made New York the Empire State for over 200 years. 

We have very difficult policies that have strangled businesses and opportunity in our state.  I have fought against those policies.  I have fought against the wasteful spending, the destructive tax policies in Albany.  I've battled against New York City special interests that are killing jobs, especially upstate.  I'm very concerned about our future, because New York is becoming extremely uncompetitive to grow jobs and provide opportunities.

That's what's motivating me to continue the fight because I believe it's a fight we not only can win, but we must win in order to have a future for our state.

LS: A lot of challengers, including your challenger in this race, say that Albany is broken and the only way to fix it is to get rid of incumbents and replace them with new people who will fix it.  Is that fair?

MN: I believe it's a slanted part of the story.  The Democrats who control all of state government -- the Senate, the Assembly, the Governor's office -- every statewide elected official is a Democrat.  Just yesterday the New York Post said that the extreme dysfunction created by the Legislature is, in large part, because Senate Democrats are now in the majority and are taking our taxpayers down a road of economic ruin.

I'm fighting very hard to reinstate a more efficient, effective state government that will provide a competitive environment for growth and opportunity in New York.  Over the last two years we have seen enormously destructive policies occur under the watch of the Senate Democrats.  It's the first time in our state's history, by the way, that we've had a Democrat Senate leader, a Democrat Assembly leader, and a Democratic Governor, all from New York City at the same time.  It's a prescription for destruction for upstate New York, and that's exactly what is occurring.

We now need to continue the fight harder than ever.  I believe we have the policies.  We have the positions.  We have the record of supporting items that make New York competitive, to reduce our spending, to make state government more user-friendly to business and development in New York, as well as ensure that employers that bring jobs to the United States keep them in the United States and keep them in New York as opposed to going to some other state that has a less oppressive tax structure.

So that's our challenge.  Frankly I think the dysfunction that is so often characterized (as a Republican problem) is extremely exhibited by the Senate Democrats who run and control the agenda of the Senate.

LS: Currently a lot of our top state officials are appointed, not elected, including Governor Patterson.  Are you optimistic that after the coming election that it will be possible to credibly reform state government and curb a deficit that threatens to reach almost $40 billion next year?

MN: There is no other choice.  We must work together to pull the state out of its economic abyss.  New York is going to be the last state to recover.  If the nation recovers from this recession -- unfortunately right now there is some doubt -- New York will be the last state to climb out of the recession under the policies and practices it has exhibited.

We only need to turn to our southeast to New Jersey.  New Jersey is righting its course.  New Jersey has an aggressive Republican governor, one who is taking tough, difficult stands and putting New Jersey into much better economic condition because it is accepting those policies. 

New York has no other choice.  We will not be able to afford the good things that occur in New York State in the future if our tax base is eroded.  The good things that occur will not be able to continue if we have no jobs or opportunities.  I believe a showdown will take place over the next year.  We need to have people in office who are committed to the correct policies, who look to manage to manage the state government in a way that has been too often ignored over the last two years.

LS: You have come up with a 'Commitment to New York Taxpayers' that lays out nine action items for lowering taxes and restoring economic renewal of the state.  In an overwhelmingly Democratic state government, are you optimistic that you can get them passed?

MN: Yes.  I'm extremely optimistic.  I'm also ready to fight aggressively to achieve these objectives.  I have fought aggressively in the past, and will continue to fight to insure no new taxes, a state spending cap, a property tax cap...  we're also looking to repeal those taxes that directly impact family budgets.  Over the past 48 months the Democrats have cost each family in New York State $5,000 because of additional taxes that affect family budgets.  Those are clothing taxes, utility taxes, health insurance taxes, more fees for child care, college tuition increases, drivers license fees, registration increases... all those have collectively added a $5,000 burden to the average family in New York State.

Those need to be repealed.  We need to unshackle our taxpayers who are already over burdened.

There are other ways, too, that we can change policies to create more jobs, to create an environment so that more jobs will be created by the private sector.  They include mandate relief for state and local governments and a serious directed focus on Medicaid reform.


LS: Your opponent told me he wants to eliminate member item spending.  Locally you have been generous, especially to the Lansing school district and library with help for worthy projects.  In this economic environment, how do you stand on member items?

MN: I fought hard to get funding for my district and I will continue to fight hard to get funding for my district.  But it's very clear that spending all across the board needs to be cut.  Until the economic climate is improved in New York State the taxpayers can not afford this type -- any type of expenditure, frankly.  We need to continue to press all areas of state government and reform those areas of state spending where we are so far out of line with other states.

For instance, on Medicaid the question is simply this: why is New York spending twice as much on Medicaid as the entire State of California?  Or to put it another way, why is New York's Medicaid bill larger than the sum of two larger states, Texas and Florida?  If you add up the Medicaid budgets of Texas and Florida, and throw in North Carolina, we still see a New York excess in costs.

Those costs need to be curtailed.  A growth rate of 9% per year on a $52 billion annual expenditure is unsustainable.  That, to me, needs to be curtailed prior to any discussion of further expenditures in any other area of state government.

LS: From what you have said so far I'm getting that your top priority is getting the state's finances in order. 

MN: Absolutely.  The economy, taxes, and jobs are the number one priority for New York at this juncture.

LS: What will be some of the other important priorities after that one?

MN: That's a great question, because every other priority depends on the first one being successful.  Additional funding for projects, changing issues relative to education, the environment, and health care... all those questions depend on an economic climate that is conducive to doing those things.  Having a destructive economic climate where you can't go from one week to the next freezes growth and opportunity and stifles every other endeavor for the state.  So the priority needs to be a focus on the economy.

That's why I am best suited to continue to represent our area.  I've been educated at Cornell University.  I received a Bachelor's Industrial and Labor Relations, a Master's degree in Public Administration and Agricultural Economics from Cornell.  I have also had private sector business experience.  I believe that together those make me most qualified to continue to represent our area, especially in these difficult economic times.

LS: Everyone here is worried about it, talking about it... local politicians are making much of it... that's the hydrofracking issue.  Where do you stand on that?

MN: I supported a moratorium on hydrofracking.  When the policy first came forward I asked the Finger Lakes Institute, which I helped create, to study it.  It's on the campuses of Hobart and William Smith Colleges  It's designed to protect and promote the Finger Lakes.  There are scientists at Hobart and William Smith, as well as members of the institute who have looked into the issue.  They have raised a number of concerns.

I have concerns.  Hydrofracking may be acceptable in some regions of the state, but there are a number of questions that need to be answered before the issue can move forward.  I'm particularly concerned with issues of the water that's utilized in hydrofracking, the water that is both put into the ground and the water that is taken out of the ground, and where that water will be treated.

The municipal treatment plants across the Finger lakes region discharge directly into the lake, so we need to know whether the municipal treatment plants are able to adequately, effectively treat the wastewater, and know how that wastewater will be disposed of.

To me those questions need to be answered.  When they are answered I think policy decisions can be made.  Those questions need to be answered before hydrofracking can move forward.  The water issue is paramount in my mind.

LS: In 2008 you were re-elected with 72% of the district's vote, but the one place your opponent did well was here in Tompkins County, in fact Lansing, which is the only Tompkins County township in your district.  This is a very small part of the district, so strategically I guess that means you don't have to focus your campaign here, but I know you have a connection to this part of the district.  How are you targeting your message to Lansing voters?

MN: In the last election my opponent ran a very aggressive campaign.  In spite of that I was able to win the support of 72% of the electorate, which was, I think, the second highest vote total of any senator in a contested election the state.  This was in the wake of the Obama surge.  Particularly in areas where Obama was getting 75%, 85% of the vote I certainly had great support.  I was very honored to have that support.

I look at this as a wonderful region.  I am honored to represent this region.  I have no real specific tactics.  I'm just saying that the best government is the best politics and I'm trying to change policies that exist.

I've been an aggressive advocate for my region.  I must tell you, I'm uniquely qualified to represent the Tompkins County region.  I believe I'm one of the few state legislators ever to graduate from Cornell University.  I serve on the Cornell Council.  I also have the honor of representing the Cornell Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva.

I was very disappointed at how the Democrats devastated the budget for Cornell University.  As a land grant college our statutory division of the University, I believe, has been unfairly treated by the downstate Democrats who put forward these last two state budgets.  Particularly the Geneva Experiment Station and the attack on agriculture, our number one industry.  Important research that leads directly to job production and applied research that leads directly to enhancing the economy...  Cornell University certainly did not receive its fair share financially.  I believe it showed that when the Republicans held the majority in the Senate they had another attitude toward these programs and policies that impact Cornell.

So I would hope that those who care about the university would say, 'who has done more for the university in terms of those statutory divisions?'

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