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LIPP119B_2025-01-19-12-32-25

Welcome back. Governor Kathy Hochle faced the state of New York outlining what she has planned for the year. Our future depends on the ability of every family to afford the essentials of life. And our ability to protect the safety and security of our residents. Affordability and security were the two main focuses of the governor's state of the state address. Hole is pushing a significant increase to the child tax credit, tripling the maximum benefit for families with kids under 4 to $1000 a year. It's $500 a year for those with kids between 4 and 16. She also intends to make childcare more affordable. Daycare costs over $21,000 a year. Now if you're making minimum wage. It doesn't add up. The governor also talked about safety in tackling subway crime. I want to see more uniformed police officers not just on the platforms, but more importantly, on every single train overnight 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. for the next 6 months. And another proposal could provide free associate's degrees to community college students entering high demand fields like education, healthcare, and tech jobs that would cover tuition at community colleges as well as books and supplies for students 25 to 55 years old. If it's approved, SUNY leaders say the program could start this fall. Republicans, many are criticizing Governor Hochle's plans for the upcoming year. Brookhaven town supervisor Dan Panico has emerged as one of our most vocal critics on many issues here on the island. He's written a series of op-eds, including this one this week in the Long Island Business news, hammering away at Hole's policy. So let's get it from the man himself, supervisor Dan Pannico is here on Power and Politics. Thanks for joining us. Thank you for having me. All right, so you heard the speech, the state of the state. Uh, talking about making it more affordable and safer, your reaction to the policies laid out. I, I think it's pretty much just, uh, it's speech or rhetoric based on a poll. I think that, you know, New York State and the governor is in full re-election mode, and I think that's how the decisions are being made, you know, you talk about. Affordability, you know, you can't discount the fact, and this is widespread on Long Island when you talk about building housing that's needed. The state twice, the governor twice, twice trying to take over municipal home rule has put such a sour taste in the mouths of people in the minds of people, I should say. Uh, when it comes to housing, every project in Brookhaven, every project throughout Suffolk County is met with widespread opposition, and the baseline for that opposition is because of what the governor tried to do, and that was evident. Every supervisor at Vision Long Island, a recent panel I was on, said the same exact thing when you talk about affordability, you know, in just around Thanksgiving to say people of New York cannot afford congestion pricing. And then pull one of the most duplicitous charades that's ever been done in New York state history, and then after the election. Enact congestion pricing. The words don't match the actions, and I think that's a problem, and it's a problem for me. It's a problem for everybody else who's similarly situated in government because it underlies and exacerbates the general distrust that people have right now in government and these things, these actions cannot be discounted as governmental leaders. We should be honest with the people we. Well, if the governor is going to be able to accomplish some of these things she's laid out here, she's gonna have to work not only with the state legislature but with the towns, with the counties. Do you believe that there will be outreach and are you willing to work with the governor on some of these issues? 100%. I, I, I don't look to be in any way antagonistic, political, but I also, you know, all of what has occurred here is not just water under the bridge. When you change the election years. And to put everybody on the same year. And to say that you have a background as a governor, as a local official, a town and county official before becoming a county clerk and congresswoman. And becoming the governor and say you understand the importance of local government but then propose putting everybody on the same year where local issues will be drowned out by national politics. The words do not match the actions and it's a problem for me and a problem for every leader on Long Island. What about the affordability issue here on Long Island? Brookhaven recently raised taxes. Several towns raised taxes across the island. Uh, how do we get this going the other way? 8. 10 towns in Suffolk County had to pierced the tax cap. Brookhaven included, we kept that down to a minimum, but talked to any town supervisor and talk to the two town supervisors who didn't pierce the cap. They were right there. The pension contribution costs from New York State, the, uh, healthcare costs, a night shift plan now for a family plan is over $40,000 a year. When you take Fringe, you know, when it, when it comes to employment in the town of. Brookhaven or any town, I'm at almost $65,000 before I pay dollar one. Affordability, that's an issue that needs to be resolved. The looming waste crisis because the state is not going to give us a permit, uh, in continuation on the landfill, which is predominantly now in Asheville. That's a problem that the state needs to get involved in. And the next step on that. Well, the, uh, the town stopped taking construction. Demolition debris that way we in January 1st so we can prolong the use of the landfill for the ash, the ash that comes from the waste to energy facilities. When everyone watching this show, when you pull your garbage cans twice a week out to the curb, if you have municipal pickup, that doesn't go into the landfill. It goes to a waste to energy facility on this island where it is burnt under air restrictions, tight regulations. And then that ash has to go somewhere that ash comes to the Brookhaven town landfill. Those power purchase agreements, which are so crucial and people need to understand where LIPA agrees to buy the power from these waste to energy facilities expire in 2027 as municipal leaders, all supervisors, we have to plan our budgets and we have to get a direction from the state with every day that comes off the. Calendar, it's more of a pressing issue for Long Island's leaders. That's a significant looming issue. Many people are watching closely and we will continue to watch it closely as well. Supervisor Panico, thanks so much and please keep us updated with that. Thank you very much. And still to come here on Power and Politics, all eyes were on former congressman Lee Zeldin, who was in the hot seat on Capitol Hill. The tough questions the Republican faced as he prepares for his role in President Trump's cabinet as administrator of the EPA. Stay with us.

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Welcome back. Former Long Island congressman Lee Zeldin faced a lot of pressure from Democrats on Capitol Hill for his Senate confirmation hearing as EPA administrator. The Shirley resident said he would work to protect the environment while also protecting the nation's economy. One memorable moment came when he was asked about his stance on climate change. Do you agree with President-elect Trump that climate change is a hoax? I, I, I believe that climate change is real, as I, as I told you, as far as President Trump goes, uh, the context that uh I've heard him speak about it was with a criticism of, of policies that have been acted, um, because of climate change. Zeldin also shared his stance on reducing carbon emissions. Are we now? On a pathway to climate safety or do we need to do more to reduce carbon emissions in order to get. On that pathway, Senator of the United States, uh, emissions, uh, have been going down over the course of the last couple of decades. Unfortunately there are other countries, uh, where it is not going in in the same direction, and I would say that we will have never done enough to ensure that our our water and our air is uh clean, safe and healthy. Zeldin also discussed. Rising sea levels and how that could have affected the Montauk Lighthouse. The committee held that hearing is scheduled to meet again this week to discuss and act on Zeldin's nomination, and Sayville Congressman Andrew Garberino will once again lead a key House panel. The Republican has been reappointed. The chairman of the Subcommittee on Cyber Security and Infrastructure Protection is part of the House Homeland Security Committee. Garberino is also involved in a new push to remove the cap on state and local deductions. The Salt Deductibility Act is backed by a bipartisan group of lawmakers, including some of the lead co-sponsors, Congressman Garborio and Congressman Tom Swazzi. The bill would remove the current $10,000 deduction cap. House Republicans plan to introduce their own salt cap fix as part of a broader tax reform bill in the spring. One Holbrook native will play a massive role tomorrow on Inauguration Day. American tenor Christopher Macchio will sing the national anthem at Trump's swearing-in ceremony. This HM High School grad has performed at the White House in the past as well as on the campaign trail with the president-elect. And be sure to stick with us. We will have special inauguration Day coverage right here on News 12 as President-elect Trump takes the oath of office for the 2nd time that starts tomorrow at 11 o'clock again right here on News 12. That's all the time we have this week. We'll see you again right here next week for another edition of News 12's Power and Politics. I'm Rich Brae. Have a great rest of your day.

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Legislator Seth Koslow and Brookhaven Town Supervisor Dan Panico join the show. 

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