"Fighting for a greener, and cleaner New York, I am working to protect our environment, lower our energy costs and decrease our dependence on foreign oil."

Push for cleaner, more responsible energy

• Working in collaboration with SUNY Stony Brook, the Brookhaven National Laboratory and Dowling College to research alternative energy sources, specifically biodiesel fuel.
• Authored legislation to make the use of biodiesel fuel a reality. Legislation includes:
  • requiring a blend of biodiesel fuel in residential heating oil
  • establishing a program to promote agricultural production of bio-diesel
  • providing tax credits for farmers who use biodiesel fuel to operate their farm

This year Marc helped pass the long anticipated Net Metering law. This law allows utility customers with on-site electric generating systems- such as solar, wind or farm waste- to sell excess power back to the grid.

Marc fought big oil and won.  Marc stood up and opposed Big Oil’s proposal for Broadwater, a floating LNG transfer station to be moored in the Long Island Sound. This project was not right for Long Island; Marc demonstrated leadership from start to finish, ensuring this project would not be approved. This was a great victory for the safety of all Long Island families.

 

Changing the way LIPA is managed
“As energy costs are emptying the pockets of Suffolk County residents, we need to be sure that LIPA is acting in the best interest of its ratepayers. Imposing audits will ensure efficiency and accountability to the public.”

• Assemblyman Marc Alessi called on New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli to conduct an audit of LIPA, ensuring that ratepayers aren’t paying more than their fair share
• Alessi helped enforce the state’s Procurement Law to ensure LIPA puts all of its contracts out to bid

Putting an End Sub-Prime Lending
Predatory lending practices- which led to the current economic meltdown- have crippled the communities in Suffolk County, causing homeowners to struggle to make outrageous mortgage payments. Marc Alessi stood p for homeowners and acted to increase lender accountability while offering assistance to those residents in danger of losing their homes:

• Passed the Responsible Lending Act of 2008 that will help curb questionable loan practices
• Passed the Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2008 that establishes a fund to assist homeowners in default or foreclosure

Eliminating School Pension Abuse

• Passed the Transparency and Accountability Act to prevent waste, fraud and abuse in schools and the public retirement system

 

Fixing Healthcare

“Years of lax oversight have allowed HMOs to make a mess of our health care system, and it’s time to clean it up. We’re on our way to making some significant changes to the way we treat doctors and patients in this state.”

Fighting to ensure families in Suffolk County and across New York State receive the quality health care they deserve. Working to pass the following legislation which puts patients first:

1. Requiring review of HMO premium increases
2. Holding hearings on proposed premium increases by HMOs, non-profits and commercial insurers
3. Prohibiting insurers from charging out of network rates for in-network hospitals
4. Allowing collective contract negotiations fro doctors, helping to ensure the best possible patient care
5. Requiring full disclosure of pharmaceutical marketing costs, including gifts to doctors and hospitals, to help consumers make more informed choices about their care

 

“The hardworking Suffolk residents are simply being crushed by rising and disproportionately high property taxes. We must take progressive steps toward providing immediate and meaningful relief to those most overburdened.”

Marc Alessi has addressed this by:

Increasing the Enhanced STAR rebate program

• Eligible seniors in Suffolk will receive 40 percent increase in their rebate checks, with a total STAR savings of over $2300
• Preserved Middle Class STAR in this years budget by securing a total STAR saving averaging $1400

Pass the right Property Tax

• Marc Alessi has passed legislation in the Assembly to establish a property tax cap that would provide immediate, comprehensive and fair tax relief for middle-income homeowners

The plan will:

• Provide tax relief for these earning up to $250,000 a year- the same income threshold as the middle class STAR rebate
• Take into account the entire tax burden-County, city, town, village and school taxes- even fire and sewer district taxes
• Provide an average tax credit of$986 to Suffolk homeowners

 

“As a father and husband, nothing is more important to me than the safety of our children and families. I’ll continue looking for new and better ways to keep our families safe.”

Protecting our Seniors
Often time our seniors are targets for fraud and violence. That is why Marc has passed legislation which has addressed this this growing issue.

• Increased the penalties for scam artists and violent criminals who victimize seniors
• Added an experienced elder law attorney to the state’s Crime Victims Board, providing valuable perspective for cases involving older New Yorkers
• Required the New York State Police to develop educational materials and procedures relating to elder abuse to help with their cases

Keeping our Children Safe

• Marc has sponsored a civil confinement law to keep New York’s most dangerous sex offenders off the streets, even after they finish their sentences
• Helped pass e-STOP which is a law to safeguard our children from dangerous sex predators on social networking site like MySpace and Facebook
• Marc has passed legislation that automatically revokes the license of a teacher found guilty of a sex crime
• Marc has also passed legislation making it a crime to lure a child into a car or isolated area