Green Party candidate Cassandra Lems, who is running for the Nassau County Legislature’s 10th District seat, said the Legislature needs someone with fresh ideas who has the complete interest of voters in mind.
“We need someone in there who has new ideas. I mean, they’re not going to take all my ideas and run with them at the Legislature, but I have some to contribute,” Lems said. “I would like someone in there who is not taking contributions from corporations, who is actually thinking about the voters and the people who live in the district and in the county.”
In an interview with Blank Slate Media, Lems, who has lived in Herricks for the past 17 years, said when campaigning people tell her they don’t like the current district legislator, Democrat Ellen Birnbaum.
“I am running in a district where I think the incumbent is very unpopular,” she said. “When I go up to people and give them my campaign literature, they ask me who I’m running against. I tell them and they say ‘oh, you’ve got my vote.’ People are not really happy with her.”
Lems added that it seemed to her that the Republican party was not running a “real candidate” for the upcoming Nov. 3 election.
“Republicans don’t seem to be running a real candidate. Lisa Benjamin did not file any paperwork with the Board of Election until it was pointed out that she failed to meet a deadline. She doesn’t have a financial committee of her own, she’s letting the Nassau County Republicans finance her campaign,” she said. “All I’ve seen her do is tear down Ellen Birnbaum and say why we should not vote for Ellen Birnbaum, which is fine, but she doesn’t seem to have any ideas of her own.”
The 10th District includes all or parts of Great Neck, Manhasset, Herricks, North Hills, North New Hyde Park, Searingtown and Albertson.
As a Green party candidate, Lems said her focus is more on environmental issues than balancing the budget, an issue that she admitted was “everyone’s first concern.”
She said she wanted to see the county more concerned with what they can do to prevent issues like global warming and water pollution, as well as long-term planning for natural disasters.
“I want to see more planning for the category 5 hurricane that will eventually hit us,” Lems said.
She added that she wants the county to test different fertilizers and pesticides that could be negatively impacting the environment.
Her previous political experience came in 2014 when she ran against Democrat Adam Haber for the Green party line in the 7th State Senate District race.
In an election that only received 11 votes, Lems lost by one vote.
Lems works as a paralegal, but she said she is currently taking time off to devote all of her time to campaigning.
She said she would return to the job should she lose the election.
While she prioritizes environmental issues, Lems said she has ideas about how to balance the budget.
Instead of a property assessment tax, Lems said there should be a county income tax.
“However much you pay in a New York State tax, you pay an extra, let’s say 10 percent, because you live in Nassau County. That way people who own a million dollar house, if they lose their job or retire, they do not need to move away,” she said. “Let’s be a little fairer as to who can pay.”
As well as a county income tax, Lems also suggests a real estate transfer tax for larger commercial and residential properties.
“Even if there is such a thing as a $250,000 house anymore in Nassau County, those people should not be paying more money on top of what they are already paying to buy a house,” she said. “But the people who can well afford to pay a little more when they buy a property should contribute to Nassau County.”
Lems also said she had issue with the county’s policy for reviewing contracts.
Under current policy, the county Legislature is not required to vote for approval on checks under $25,000.
She said she had seen a proposal for a team of two Democrats and two Republicans to review contracts over $5,000, something she said she would agree with if it were tweaked.
“That would be great but I think there should be a Green on that committee too and a volunteer,” Lems said.
Lems said she should be elected because of her refusal to accept money from large corporations and contractors and because of her ability to help people see opposing viewpoints.
“First, I have not taken any money from any corporations or contractors,” she said. “Second, I’m intelligent, I’m easy to get along with, I’m a good listener, and I’m very good at listening to two parties who don’t understand each other and translating for the other person, and working towards a solution.”
