Gina Sillitti is not the incumbent in the race for the 16th Assembly District. She gained the Democratic nomination after Tony D’Urso decided not to seek re-election.
But Sillitti is very well prepared to assume the duties of the job after nearly 20 years with the Town of North Hempstead and Nassau County in a variety of positions that give her a good understanding of how government works and the needs of the district.
She also a member of a multicultural family, a background that will serve her well in dealing with the growing diversity of the district.
But perhaps most importantly, Sillitti brings a good understanding of the issues facing the state and the district stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sillitti was correct when she said in a Blank Slate Media virtual forum last week that Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s data-driven approach to containing the virus had “saved a lot of lives” after New York was among the first states to get hit by the coronavirus.
She also understands what the loss of $14.5 billion in revenue means to the state and local governments if the federal government does not cover most if not all of that money.
There is no doubt that this lost revenue will be the No. 1 issue facing Cuomo and every member of the Legislature.
Sillitti’s extensive knowledge of local government will be needed during deliberations in Albany on what to cut and where savings can be achieved.
“We’re not going to let anyone step over us,” she promised.
Sillitti said she also recognizes the importance of small businesses as “the backbone of our community” and pledged to work closely with small businesses struggling to survive.
She offered a practical response to the Black Lives Matter call for social justice and the reform of the police, saying, “I support Black Lives Matter and the police.”
“I’m really not sure how we got to the point in the country that if you believe in racial justice, if you support equality for all, that you’re somehow anti-police,” she said.
Sillitti said her family has given her a unique perspective on the issue. She said her sister-in-law is half black and she has nieces and nephews who are black while on the other side of the family she has a police officer as a relative.
She said there was no doubt that reforms were needed in policing, but those reforms “needed the buy-in of the police.”
Sillitti also said she supported bail reform in the state.
“Nobody should be in jail just because they are poor,” she said.
But, Sillitti said, she opposed how changes were made at the beginning of the year – by including them in the state budget. She correctly said that changes to the legislation made in April had improved the legislation, but “we could do a little bit better.”
Sillitti is opposed by Ragini Srivastava, a resident of Manhasset Hills who emigrated from India in 2001 and later opened a frozen yogurt business. Srivastava also ran unsuccessfully for the North Hempstead Town Board.
Srivastrava, who canceled a debate with Sillitti hosted by Blank Slate Media, citing health reasons, said she supported repealing bail reform in its entirety.
“The Bail Reform Act is a striking example of the disconnect between the residents and some out-of-touch elected officials,” she said on her campaign website.
“The law has left judges powerless to detain drug dealers, gang members, bank robbers and other dangerous individuals while they await trial,” she added.
This is wrong for two reasons. The first is that you are not a criminal until you are convicted of a crime under the Constitution, as implied by her statement.
The second reason is that even before changes made in April judges were not powerless to impose bail. The criticism was that judges lacked discretion in too many instances – a flaw addressed in April and subject to future review.
But the need for bail reform was overwhelming. Tens of thousands of people – disproportionately people of color – were in jail because they were poor and couldn’t afford bail, not because they had necessarily committed a crime.
Srivastava also failed to recognize the legitimate claims made by the Black Lives Matter movement and the mostly peaceful demonstrations on its behalf.
Instead, she said, “riots have taken place across the country and right next door in New York City” that included “looting, vandalism and violence against innocent bystanders and the police.”
She said she will fight any efforts to defund the police and called for stricter criminal penalties for people who commit crimes against the police.
She made no mention of the unequal treatment of Blacks and other people of color in this country.
We believe Sillitti has a far stronger command of the issues facing the district and the solutions needed than her opponent.
We strongly endorse Gina Sillitti for Assembly in the 16th District.
