Lazio Outlines Long Island Job Plan

Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Lazio says he'd like to improve Long Island's infrastructure as a way to bring jobs to the region.

Speaking to a group of reporters at the Massapequa Diner Wednesday, Lazio, who hopes to secure the GOP nomination, in the September 14 primary, said he wished more federal stimulus money had been used for infrastructure.

"I think this is a shortcoming of the stimulus spending," Lazio said.

"It was one shot money, and it should have been spent on one shot spending. and we've got significant infrastructure needs."

The former Long Island Congressman who staged an unsuccessful Senate campaign against Hillary Clinton in 2000, address said improving infrastructure would put people to work immediately.

"In an area like Long Island, where we have congestion issues and we've got environmental issues, including sewage disposal, infrastructure is going to be a priority with me."

Lazio did not get into specifics about how he would fund potential infrastructure projects.

He also said he'd like to bring more development into the area if elected,  saying Kings Park in Suffolk County would make a good site for a green research park that would combine the academic world with the private sector.

"I think that those are the kind of jobs we ought to be looking for, partnering with some universities and centers of higher learning, getting them  on site so we can see more collaboration between schools and businesses."

The former Congressman, also touted the academic world as a place where ideas can be developed that will bring cutting edge industry to the state.

"At one time time New York had companies like Corning, Kodak, Xerox and GE, and we let that lapse," he said adding that universities "can be a catalyst for economic development, and we urge them to partner with the private sector."

Lazio also mentioned the area around the Nassau Coliseum, as an area he would like to see developed, but did not go into specifics about the current controversy about the future of the site.

Lazio covered a wide range of subjects in the 45 minute on the record question and answer session with about a half dozen reporters.

He talked up spending cuts and tax cuts which have been key components of his campaign, and laid out his plan for a property tax cap, saying he would set it to a percentage of the value a homeowner's property.

"It can increase no more than two and a half percent in a given year, and it also could never be more than 2 and a half percent of the assessed value of the property," Lazio said. 

Under Lazio's plan, if a home's assessed value is $400,000 the property tax would be capped at $10,000, he said.

 New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, Lazio's potential Democratic opponent, said  in a statement their job plan would give incentive  for companies hiring.

"We will give businesses a tax credit of up to $3,000 for each unemployed New Yorker hired for a new job," a campaign  spokesperson said. 

"We must also replace New York's ineffective economic development efforts with a new strategy organized around regional industry clusters; reduce the high costs of doing business in the state; and support small businesses by increasing access to capital and streamlining regulatory barriers."

The Cuomo campaign also laid out their own proposal for a property tax cap, which they said would be applied to all property taxes, not just school taxes.

Cuomo's tax would be set at the rate of inflation or 2 percent, whichever is less, according to the campaign.

 Localities can vote to go over the cap with a 60 percent majority vote when they believe it is in the best interest of the community. There would also be limited exceptions made for one time events such as a large legal settlement or extraordinary capital expenditures. Counties would also have exceptions for state mandated social service programs, such as medicaid, which aren't capped.

The Cuomo campaign did not comment on Lazio's latest attacks on the attorney general over his refusal to investigate the proposed Islamic Center to be built near Ground Zero.

Lazio has been pushing to find out who's funding the center, saying there's a possibility anti-American interests may be footing the bill.

"Where's the money coming from? Who's behind it?" he asked. "It seems curious that Andrew Cuomo refuses to enter the discussion and isn't curious at all where the money's coming from, especially when you're talking about $100 million.

When asked what he would do as Governor to stop the project, Lazio said that the developers need a parcel of land that's owned by Con Edison to build the center.

"Any acquisition of land that is owned by Con Ed needs to be approved by the Public Service Commission. PSC members are approved by the governor and I will not sign off on Public Service Commission members transferring this property for this purpose," he said.