It’s been nearly two decades since the Mid-Island Assembly seat has been available. But with veteran Democratic Assemblyman Michael Cusick not seeking re-election this year, voters in the district must choose a new representative in Albany.
There are two candidates in the running to replace Cusick: Republican Sam Pirozzolo and Democrat Vincent Argenziano.
The candidates bring varied experience to the race.
Argenziano is Staten Island’s deputy public administrator and served six years in Cusick’s office, including as the assemblyman’s chief of staff.
Pirozzolo is a community activist with a seven-year tenure as president of the Community Education Council and a well-known family optical care business. He ran against Cusick in 2012.
After questioning the candidates during a joint appearance before the Advance Editorial Board, we believe that Argenziano is the best choice in this race and we encourage voters in the Mid-Island district to support him.
On the issue of crime, Pirozzolo said he wants to see a total repeal of the bail-reform laws that were put in place by the state Legislature.
While we don’t disagree that the sweeping reforms went too far and have contributed to higher crime rates, we doubt that state lawmakers will utterly reverse the reform measures.
We agree with Argenziano’s call to give judges greater discretion to remand suspects or to hold suspects based on the danger they pose to the community.
We also think he is right to call for some cases involving youth offenders to be handled by the district attorney’s office and not in the Family Court.
We also applaud Argenziano for recognizing that while the reform laws need to be re-worked, they did help address racial inequities in the criminal justice system. That shouldn’t be overlooked.
Like many Staten Islanders, Pirozzolo is opposed to congestion pricing, thinking that it’s nothing more than a cash grab on the part of lawmakers.
Argenziano said that he did not support the current congestion pricing proposal, which would charge drivers a fee to enter Manhattan south of 60th Street.
But in a more practical take, Argenziano said that since the program is currently moving forward, Staten Islanders should not pay a second toll to enter Manhattan on top of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge toll. That’s something we can all agree with.
We also like Argenziano’s plan to make his office a clearinghouse for community quality-of-life complaints, including zombie homes, graffiti and litter, with an eye toward then taking action. He is correct when he says that addressing one problem property can boost an entire block.
We respect Pirozzolo for his long record of community activism, including his diligent service to our schoolchildren on the CEC.
We also applaud him for saying that the environment needs to be a prime concern when considering economic development projects. That’s a rare stance for a Republican.
We appreciate the passion and professionalism that Pirozzolo has brought to the race.
But we feel that Argenziano, with his Assembly office experience and his detailed proposals, overall is better positioned to hit the ground running in Albany.
Replacing Cusick will be a tall order.
Cusick, the longest-serving member of the borough’s Albany delegation, has been a dedicated public servant. He comes from a proud family steeped in Staten Island’s political and community history.
Cusick worked across the aisle, most notably with GOP state Sen. Andrew Lanza, to create a separate judicial district for Staten Island, solidify the Verrazzano toll discount and to create the I-STOP prescription drug database.
While we expect Argenziano to honor Cusick’s legacy, we would encourage him to make the office his own. Pirozzolo is correct when he says that voters are looking for change this year. This we believe is particularly true in the swing-district Mid-Island, where voters have had the same Albany representative since 2003.
We’re confident that Argenziano can carve his own path and we encourage Mid-Island Assembly voters to give him their support.
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