John wants to serve the Massapequas and Nassau County in the Legislature because he sees that without responsible leadership, his children and your children will inherit problems created in the last decade. On running for office, John says "I am not a politician. I am a citizen who wants to make a difference. My goal is not personal advancement but public service." John had not considered running for local office until recently when he says "I saw that we have legislators who are more concerned with getting elected than solving the problems in the county. Everything turns into partisan politics in order to score points in upcoming elections."

Fiscal responsibility is the cornerstone of John's agenda. "We cannot go forward," the candidate says "unless we clean up the past and refuse to go back to the old ways. The time of bad fiscal policy, government waste and fraud is over. We have entered a new century with a County Executive and Legislative Majority that has made great progress in fixing the problems they inherited and we must not allow Nassau to return to the bloated, expensive and inefficient entity that it once was." John will take his experience working in the private sector and apply it in the Legislature.

As a Legislator, John wants to make county government accountable and accessible. "I believe that I am there to serve the people and not my own fortunes or those that are connected to me. I intend to study and question every piece of legislation especially on fiscal matters so that when I vote I know that it is the best for the county and not for special interests or to enrich connected individuals. We cannot lose millions of dollars through bad deals and contracts if we demand all the facts."

"Nassau has a bright future," John insists. "We are on the road to fiscal recovery but the end is not near. We need strong and bold leadership to put aside politics and work for the county. We need to continue to reinvent and consolidate government agencies to better meet the needs of residents and cut waste. As a Legislator I will make sure that it will always be people before politics and fiscal responsibility for Nassau's future."

• I am not a politician and I have not spent my adult life working in the political system. I have always worked in the private sector and know what that is like. I have the experience of a regular taxpayer. I am not politically connected and do not want or need to have the safety net that political appointments are for other candidates.

• My intention is to be a true citizen-legislator. I want to do what I must for the betterment of the county and continue to work in the private sector. I will always tell you what I believe and not what I think you want to hear.

• I would like to pass a county property tax decrease by 3 percent every year for five years if the next year's budget spending and receipts create a surplus and taking into account possible economic downturns in the next year.

• I want sunshine legislation that makes the workings of government accessible to all residents. Legislative hearings and meetings should be recorded and broadcast live on the county web page and on public access. Details of votes and a transcripts of meetings and hearings should be available online. It is important that residents know exactly what their representatives are doing in their name and how that will affect them. The only good government is an open government and I will hold monthly "town hall" meetings.

• I would also like to improve efficiency in county departments that can lead to cost savings without negatively affecting services.

• I want to work on the consolidation of special districts and reduce the tax burden on homeowners.

• I want a better Nassau County and I believe that by going to the legislature, that is what I can make happen.