New faces in local government and senate

Ariel Schwarz Asst. News Editor

While most Vassar students followed the presidential race with vigor, local elections also occurred on Tuesday, Nov. 2. Poughkeepsie candidates up for election included Senator Chuck Schumer and Howard Mills for the US Senate, Michael Jalliman and Sue Kelly for Congress, and Joel Miller and Kim D’Souza for the 102nd Assembly.

According to results released Wednesday morning by The Poughkeepsie Journal, Joel Miller has been re-elected to the State Assembly, Sue Kelly has been re-elected to Congress, and Chuck Schumer has been re-elected to the U.S. Senate.

Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer was up for re-election against Republican candidate Howard Mills. Schumer was elected in 1998 to replace Alfonse D’Amato. Schumer believes that keeping property taxes down will help the New York state economy. He is also working to bring low-cost flights to the Hudson Valley in order to help local businesses.

“[The flights are] instrumental in increasing flight traffic out of Stewart Airport, making cheaper flights available to Vassar students,” said Vassar College Democrats Community Liasion Daniel Ross ’06.
Schumer’s other priorities include protecting the environment of the Hudson Valley and keeping the nation safe from terror.

Republican Senatorial candidate Howard Mills was serving as a New York State Assemblyman during his campaign. He believes that lowering taxes for all taxpayers will help the local economy. His top priority is homeland security.

Mills supports additional resources to be expended on New York State’s northern borders, and the return of the US Customs Office to New York City. He also wants to fight attempts to weaken federal homeland security funding for the City.

In the congressional race, Democratic candidate Michael Jalliman has warned policy makers and the public in the New York area of the terrorist possibilities of nuclear power plants. He also aims to protect Medicare and Social Security by introducing legislation to build new medical schools and give scholarships to students who will work for a government health service.

In Sue Kelly’s tenure as a Congresswoman, she has voted for the Patriot Act, the late term abortion ban, and has voted to repeal the Assault Weapons Ban.

In the future, Kelly wants to make health care more affordable by placing limits on medical liability, eliminate the marriage and death taxes, and eliminate unnecessary regulations that hurt local small businesses. Like other candidates, Kelly’s top priority is protecting the nation against future terrorist attacks.

Republican Joel Miller ran for re-election against Democrat Kim D’Souza for the 102nd Assembly. Miller’s main focus is his proposal to shift the school tax from a residential property tax to a tax based on income. He also has a plan to reform the state budget by adopting a contingency budget if the Legislature does not act in time on the governor’s proposed budget.

Kim D’Souza believes the greatest local challenge is an increase in taxes. She believes that taxes can be lowered by forcing the state to pay the full amount of Medicaid. D’Souza wants to reform the state budget by voting against a deficit budget and eliminating administration costs. She also supports the “Springer Reforms," which allows Assembly members to bring proposed legislation for consideration by the assembly easily.

The winning candidates have ample plans for their terms in office. Political organizations such as the College Democrats plan on working with local political officials for the remainder of the year, along with continuing to focus on national affairs.