Suffolk County Legislators

Today, we are in an age where local government is extremely important. Each county of every state has elected legislators that represent town throughout that county. I have selected two legislators which are both republican. The first is Cameron Alden a 49 year old man that represents the greater Bay Shore Area. He is also on the Conservative and Independence lines. The second legislator is Angie Carpenter, a very nice lady, that represents West Islip. Cameron Alden was born on August 28, 1950, in Bay Shore and grew up in Islip, Long Island, New York. He graduated Islip High School in 1968, where he played varsity football, basketball and baseball. Mr. Alden graduated from Suffolk County Community College in 1970 with an AA degree. He was a member of the SCCC varsity baseball team. Mr. Alden graduated from Dowling College in 1974. He was a member of the Pi Alpha Sigma Honor Society and played varsity basketball and golf Mr. Alden attended Tuoro Law School, graduating in 1990 with a Juris Doctor. He was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1991. (www.co.suffolk.ny.us) Prior to attending Law School he was a local Bay Shore business owner. A catering/grocery store and school bus companies were among those he owned. (www.co.suffolk.ny.us) Alden chose community-development work after undergoing a mastectomy during a bout with male breast cancer in law school, which â€Å"totally changed my focus† to an interest in public service.(Interview) He practiced law at the Town of Islip Community Development Agency, which provides affordable housing and economic development projects in the Town of Islip. He is a former Assistant Town Attorney for the Town of Islip. Cameron Alden was elected to serve as a Legislator for the Tenth District and sworn into office January 2, 1998. Legislator Alden has been selected by his colleagues to serve as Vice-Chairman of the Parks/Land Preservation and Planning Committee. In addition Legislator Alden is a member of the Energy/Environment and Transportation, Health and Human Services, Public Works, and Finance Committees. (www.co.suffolk.ny.us) The 10th Suffolk County Legislative District (L.D.) serves Islip, East Islip, Bay Shore and Brentwood. There are 52 election districts (E.D.s) with 33,058 registered voters. (www.co.suffolk.ny.us) Alden says his primary focus would be to ease the burdens on taxpayers. A critic of the LILCO-LIPA deal, Alden admits he does not yet have many specific legislative initiatives but says he is the better candidate because his fiscal policies would be more conservative. (Interview) Currently Cameron is working on a proposed bill that would support the elimination of taxes on clothing in Suffolk county. This proposed bill would enable signs 6to be erected throughout Nassau asking consumers to come shop in Suffolk due to its no lax bill as long as the clothing items are under one hundred and ten dollars. He has also worked on such other bill like trying to raise the salaries of Suffolk county legislators because he fells they are underpaid. Mr. Alden does not really receive a large amount or Pac money from anyone but he does have many supporters. These supporters include the Police and other safety bureaus and also many factory unions. (Interview) Angie Carpenter was born on Long Island in the mid fifties and is currently happily married and a mother of two. (Interview) Angie's dedication to the community is what led to her nomination to run for the Legislature, a position she has held since February 1993. (Interview) Legislator Angie M. Carpenter is founder of ACT Communications Group, a full-service advertising and marketing company specializing in multi-media graphic design and printing. The business is currently run by her sons Richard and Robert enabling her to devote her attention full-time to her duties as an elected official in Suffolk Government, but still affording her the opportunity to remain sensitive to the concerns of the business community. (www.co.suffolk.ny.us) Angie continues to devote her time and efforts to her community and constituents. As former Chairman of the Legislature's Economic Development and Education Committee, Angie Carpenter worked to bring the Touro School of Health Services to downtown Bay Shore which is opening early in 1999. She has worked tirelessly to increase aid to Suffolk Community College, and led the fight to cut tuition costs so that the college is affordable for all of our residents. (www.co.suffolk.ny.us) She continues in her role as an avid supporter of the college and is extremely proud of the fact that the fastest growing campus of Suffolk County Community College is in her legislative district. Angie worked from the beginning, to see the construction of the $54 million-dollar Health and Technology Building scheduled to be completed in the Fall Semester of 2000 (Interview). Angie has almost served every committee during her tenure on the Suffolk County Legislature. Currently Angie is serving as the Legislature's Budget Committee Chairman, and Vice Chairman of the Public Safety Committee. She continues to serve as a member of the Economic Development and Education Committee, Budget Committee, Consumer Protection, Labor and Investigations, and Veterans and Seniors, as well as the Public Safety Committee, Parks, Planning and Land Preservation Committee, the Health and Human Service Committee, Sports Committee, and the Public Works Committee. (www.co.suffolk.ny.us) In the past, Angie has helped in implementing a mass transportation public information program for Suffolk County, enacted a linked Deposit Program to promote local business expansion, directed the County Health Department to provide free testing for prostate cancer and cosponsored a resolution to provide environmentally safe golf course management to help protect our groundwater and hopefully help reduce the risk of breast cancer. (www.co.suffolk.ny.us) She has made efforts to invest in the county†s Timber Point Golf Course to maximize its economic potential and preserve jobs for the county workers employed there. (Interview) Most recently, Angie co-sponsored legislation to rollback sales tax on clothing and shoe purchases under on hundred and ten dollars per item. Angie has also sponsored a resolution to â€Å"boot† the vehicles of deadbeat parents that are not complying with the child support payments. This â€Å"booting† of cars is huge lock that goes over the tire and wheel and makes automobile impossible to drive. A resolution that Angie sponsored last year now requires the Suffolk County Health department to hold annual Public Hearing and Health Fair. This gives government an opportunity to hear first hand from our residents about the County†s health care delivery system and also raises public awareness or what is available. (Interview) Over the years, Angie's commitment to her community has been recognized time and again with honors from Islip Town, Boy Scouts of America, Loyal Order of the Moose, The American Legion, Pronto, Zonta International, the West Islip and Bay Shore School Districts and Suffolk County Arts Council, to name a few. She has been involved in the community as President and founder of the Chamber Council of Islip Town, President of the West Islip Chamber of Commerce, Vanderbilt Museum Trustee, Board of Our Lady of Consolation, Salvation Army, Youth Enrichment Services and ASK US (an after school care program in West Islip). (www.co.suffolk.ny.us) Angie has dedicated her efforts to the growth and expansion of business here in Suffolk. She has brought education to the forefront as one of the many issues addressed under her leadership, and continues her unwavering commitment to her family, community, and those she was elected to serve. (www.co.suffolk.ny.us) She receives her support from many people including the Police, the Suffolk County UNE, and many other unions countywide. (Interview) Legislators, Cameron and Angie are very willing to do what their people are asking for and sacrifice a lot of their time to make their residents happy. In my own opinion I think Angie Carpenter is a better Legislator than Cameron Alden because I feel Angie had sponsored and produced more bills than he has and in my eyes she is a nicer and more heart worthy person.