Q Poll: More and More Voters Want a New State Senator

Posted on 07/28/2010 @ 01:04 PM

The latest Q Poll, published today, confirms what thousands of voters have told Regina directly during her campaign: “We need a new state senator!”

According to the poll, when respondents were asked, “Which comes closer to your view about your state Senator - A) there are a lot of problems in Albany but your state Senator has done a good job and deserves to be reelected or B) almost everyone on the State Senate should be thrown out including your state Senator?,” the results were powerful.

Some 53 percent of those questioned said their state Senator should be “thrown out” - including 51 percent of those living in the “suburbs.”

The number of those questioned in the Q-Poll who want a new state Senator has been increasing notably over the past year. In December, 46 percent said their senator should be thrown out. Today that number is at 53 percent. Only 35 percent said their incumbent state senator deserves re-election.

Of course, the only poll that counts is the one on Election Day. That’s why we need to continue to get the word out about Regina Calcaterra’s campaign, her top issues and what’s at stake for everyone in the First Senatorial District in 2010.

New Roosevelt Initiative Spotlights Calcaterra Campaign

Posted on 07/24/2010 @ 09:00 PM

With so many New Yorkers understanding the need for significant reform of our state government, there are some very notable efforts underway to make that happen.

The New Roosevelt Initiative, chaired by the preeminent Bill Samuels, this year is one of those organizations fighting for reform. NRI says on its website that it “will support those candidates for State Senate who have the independence, integrity and commitment to change our State legislature for the better.”

Separately, on its blog, NRI’s Phil Hoffman writes about a recent meeting with Regina:

“She clearly showed a great interest in, and knowledge of, the things we stand for and I know that Senator LaValle is going to have a rough few months ahead of him,” he wrote.

It’s worth reading in its entirety, here: http://www.newrooseveltinitiative.com/the-end-of-a-34-year-incumbency

Weekend Open Thread

Posted on 07/23/2010 @ 06:24 PM

Ethics? The state financial crisis? School aid? What's on your mind? Share your thoughts and let us know what's on your mind in our Weekend Open Thread!

LaValle Still Running on Bruno’s Money

Posted on 07/20/2010 @ 09:12 AM

Ken LaValle’s campaign finance report for July is now available online, and he continues to show no evidence of giving away $9,500 in political contributions he received from former senate Majority Leader and convicted felon Joe Bruno. He’s refused to give it up, even though it would be the right thing to do and Regina has been calling on him to do so since Bruno was found guilty on federal corruption charges.

But even as LaValle continues to spend a convicted felon’s financial contributions to help himself get re-elected this year, there’s an even bigger issue at play: Ethics reform.

Regina is for it. LaValle this year voted to kill it.

You can read more about Regina’s ethics reform platform here: http://reginacalcaterra.com/issues/ethics/

Why We Need Budget Reform

By Regina on 07/06/2010 @ 02:30 PM

It took more than 70 days past the legal deadline for the governor and state lawmakers to start talking seriously about passing a state budget, but, unfortunately, they haven't yet started talking about budget reform.

As angry as taxpayers should be about the state of affairs in Albany, they should be even angrier if our representatives don't take measures to clean up the budget process.

In my discussions with voters this year, I've said repeatedly that state agencies and authorities need to adopt Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) - and report publicly every three months on how much of our money they spend and how they spend it. State government should be run like a publicly traded company and we - New York's shareholders - have a right to see the books.

Without this type of accounting reform, we'll never know how it's justifiable for SUNY Stony Brook to close its Southampton campus, if at all - or see early warning signs of financial problems there.

Without reform, we'll never know whether MTA taxes and surcharges, like my opponent Ken LaValle supported in 2005, are making a difference or are all for naught because the money is being wasted on redundant costs.

Unless there are reforms, we'll never know the full menu of alternatives there are to imposing license fees for saltwater fishing - an idea that never should have been proposed in the first place.

Sadly, in 34 years Mr. LaValle voted for budget after budget with gimmicks, one-time sources of revenue to plug budget gaps and more than 600 times for new taxes. Yet, he has not supported these reforms in a meaningful way.

We've heard all too much about shared pain in New York. It's time we start hearing about accountability.

On Crime

By Regina on 07/06/2010 @ 10:05 AM

We don't ask a lot of our government—especially in these days of high taxes and diminishing services. But we demand safe, crime-free neighborhoods and our communities to be protected from the likes of drug dealers and sex offenders.

In Suffolk County, in particular, we have big reasons for concern. According to news reports, in a two-year period through last year, Suffolk County saw a 60-percent increase in the number of heroin or related overdoses, yet the number of felony drug arrests in Suffolk County dropped by 50 percent during that same time. Separately, there are now more "high risk," convicted sex offenders relocated in our neighborhoods than ever before—158 throughout the county—with resources to prevent them from committing new crimes dwindling.

In neighborhoods throughout Mastic, Manorville and Moriches, kids are at risk in ways we never could have imagined just a few years ago. This is no time to cut resources for cops and law enforcement.

Yet, at the same time, New York provides fewer state troopers to patrol all of Long Island than are assigned to the governor's personal security detail. New classes of state police recruits have been postponed for the foreseeable future and Suffolk County officials say they don't have enough money to fully fund policing here, either.

We need a change in Albany as quickly as possible. I'm running for New York State Senate to reform the way we do business, and will push for new funding sources—including from public-private partnerships—that can make sure we hire more state police, have them assigned to our neighborhoods, and even keep local government from choosing between higher property taxes and having enough cops on the beat.

Enough is enough. Our leaders have put our safety at greater risk than ever in Suffolk County and that's got to change.

Welcome to our New, Improved Website!

By Campaign Staff on 07/06/2010 @ 09:00 AM

Poll after poll after poll this year has shown that voters in New York, including Long Island, are demanding change in Albany. And by growing numbers, they're saying they want someone new to represent them in the state Senate in Albany.

That's why residents of the First Senatorial District have such a great opportunity this year to elect a proven reformer with a great track record, a clear vision for improving government and new ideas for fixing the state budget, creating jobs and making New York a great place for families from Montauk to all points north and west: Regina Calcaterra.

Regina has been working tirelessly, 7 days a week, to meet with residents of Eastern Long Island, to share concerns and ideas and talk about how she would fight to improve our representation in Albany. A big part of the effort to keep reaching out to residents will be this web site. With easier-than-ever ways to talk to Regina and the campaign, to suggest ideas, to volunteer, to contribute or to share words of support, the new ReginaCalcaterra.com is designed with the community of Eastern Long Island in mind.

Throughout the campaign, you can read this blog every day for updates and discussions on the issues. Volunteering or contributing to Regina's effort is just a click or two away. Sync'ing up with Regina on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube is a snap. Regina's campaign will grow stronger with each visit you make to this site, and stronger still each time you tell a friend or share a link to ReginaCalcaterra.com.

We can use this site to work together to advance our community, spread the word, and strengthen our campaign through Nov. 2!