The Press Republican - Suozzi talks about the North Country

The Press Republican - Suozzi talks about the North Country

Thomas Suozzi, the Nassau County Democrat and underdog in the race for governor, says that, if elected, he would not overlook the North Country.

"I have an affinity for the people of the North Country," he said in a telephone interview Tuesday. "The people in my community are ignored because New York City overshadows everything else. That experience makes me want to pay attention to places that have been ignored."

Suozzi, a former Nassau County executive and Glen Cove mayor, trails far behind Eliot Spitzer in the campaign to earn their party's nomination.

In a wide-ranging conversation, Suozzi said he would support greater local influence on the Adirondack Park Agency, has no problem with the federal government building a permanent border checkpoint on Interstate 87 and offered a candid assessment of his campaign.

"I'm getting crushed," he said.

Suozzi said his experience in local government has kept him well-informed of the challenges and struggles facing New Yorkers.

"I've lived this stuff, and I've heard the stories," he said.

At the root of those struggles and stories are what he described as out-of-control property taxes and the state's hostile business climate.

He has proposed a $5 billion savings plan that would reduce Medicaid fraud and waste and trim the state's workforce by 10 percent.

Told that a significant number of North Country residents depend upon the state for jobs, Suozzi said most of the cuts would affect New York City and Albany.

"I would go out of my way not to decrease" the number of state jobs in the North Country, he said.

Within his first 100 days in office, Suozzi said, he would hold summits here and throughout the state to determine a vision for each of the state's regions.

Turning his attention to the Adirondacks, Suozzi said he's visited the area many times and climbed Mount Marcy with friends.

"Long-term economic sustainability is linked directly to the natural beauty and natural resources of the region," he said, elaborating on an earlier statement that area leaders must strike a balance between environmental preservation and economic development.

About the role of the APA, Suozzi said, "I am a very strong supporter of local control. I'd like to see more local people involved in the decision-making regarding the region."

Asked if a greater portion of the seats on the APA Board of Commissioners should be designated for people who live within the park's boundaries, Suozzi said yes.

Later, when asked about the Border Patrol checkpoint on I-87 and proposals to build a permanent checkpoint on the Northway about 90 miles south of the border, Suozzi said, "I have no objection to it being done by the federal government."

The area's representatives at every level of government — including New York's two Democratic senators and the two Republican congressmen who represent the North Country — have panned any such plans.

http://tomsuozzi.com/news/tpr_82306/