Gary Port’s primary motivation to run as the Democratic candidate for the 19th State Assembly District is concern about financial conditions on Long Island and statewide in New York.
“The main reason is taxes,” Port said in a recent interview with Blank Slate Media. “Unfunded mandates are part of the problem. The other part of the problem is economic development.”
On economic development, Port said there is a “lack of coherent” planning in central Nassau County.
He sharply criticized Town of Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray, for her opposition to previous development proposals for the “Hub” Nassau Colliseum project and suggested the state should intervene by overriding town zoning laws.
“The state does have the ability to take zoning away from the town,” said Port who unsuccessfully challenged Murray as Democratic candidate for supervisor in last year’s election. “What we have to do is push the town of Hempstead aside and come up with a bipartisan plan.”
He said the plan should include development of the Hub as bio-tech center that could transform the Nassau Coliseum into a coliseum-convention center in what he envisions as a county and state project.
Addressing the issue of unfunded mandates for school districts, he said a distinction needs to be made on what are “make-work” mandates, and suggests a commission might be formed to specifically review education-related mandates.
On the most recent major addition to unfunded school district mandates, the Annual Professional Performance Review, Port said he has “mixed” feelings about it.
“We have to have some way of building in more flexibility for the system that we use,” he said, adding that school administrators are complaining about the time implementation of the APPR requirements take in addition to the expense.
But he also said school district’s simply have to stop boosting their budgets. He cited school superintendent salaries as a primary source of the problem driving Nassau County residents’ property taxes and said he favors putting a statewide cap on those salaries.
“We have to stop the bidding war,” Port said.
On MTA funding, Port said the culture and structure of that agency had to change to rein in spending. He said he favors creating incentives for the agency to efficiently tackle tasks.
“They have got to come with a plan for real transparency and real efficiency,”
Port said he sees creating more job opportunities on Long Island as an essential aspect of improving local economic conditions. He sees one solution in enabling contractors such as plumbers and electricians to work in any county in the state.
“We should have more uniform methods of licensing folks to make it easier for them to move around,” he said. “You’re talking about a partnership and trying to get the Republicans on board to somehow reform things to make it a more business-friendly environment.”
Port said he anticipates Republican resistance to his idea, since he said the GOP would see the prospect of a “blue” tide of voters moving in from Queens to Nassau.
Port, who works as a divorce attorney in the firm of Port & Sava he established in 2002, said he recently had a plumber client who had fallen behind in child support payment who couldn’t work in Nassau County – where there was work available – because he was licensed in New York City, where he was unable to find work.
He said he sees hydrofracking as a potential source of jobs for the state and said he favors Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s pilot program to permit limited hydrofracking on the New York- Pennsylvania border. He said hydrofracking could “rescue” western New York State, but acknowledges the possibility of creating pollution problems with the practice.
“I’m not an engineer. I don’t know the answer,” he said.
On the local environmental front, he said he thinks finding state and federal money to filter storm drains in Nassau County could both address a dire environmental problem and create jobs.
Prior to going into private law practice, Kings County District Attorney’s office where he investigated and prosecuted serious felonies.
A U.S. Army veteran, Port remains in the Army Reserves as a lieutenant colonel. He is currently assigned to the 78th Training Division, where he serves as the legal advisor and Ethic Counselor to the commanding general.
He is past president of the West Hempstead Chamber of Commerce, which he helped form in 1997.
Since 2005 he has taken an active role with the Boy Scouts of America, currently as scout master of Troop 240.
In his race against incumbent Edward Ra, he cites his legal experience as the difference between them.
“I’ve litigated against the state, I’ve been in federal court,” he said. “The bottom line is it’s a matter of experience.”
Port and Ra are contesting the seat in a newly drawn 19th State Assembly district which extends from New Hyde Park, Garden City Park, Hempstead, Mineola and Carle Place at its southerly end to parts of Old Westbury, Glen Head and Old Brookville in the north.
Asked his opinion on the current status of Democratic State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, who’s embroiled in a payoff scandal over accusations of sexual misconduct by state Assemblyman Vito Lopez, Port said wouldn’t support Silver continuing in his current job.
“I can’t see myself voting for him,” he said, adding that he favors term limits for legislative posts.
Reach reporter Richard Tedesco by e-mail at rtedesco@theislandnow.com or by phone at 516.307.1045 x204. Also follow us on Twitter @theislandnow1 and Facebook at facebook.com/theislandnow.
