…because he’s fixed it before.
When Jack became Senator of the 7th Senate District in 2011, New York was in turmoil. Democrats had issued $14 billion in new taxes, passed a $354 million commuter tax, stripped homeowners of STAR rebate checks, and routinely diverted millions in school aid away from Long Island to NYC schools. Runaway property taxes and perpetually late state budgets caused massive deficits and made it clear that Albany was no longer working for the people. In fact, The Brennan Center for Justice called our capital the “most dysfunctional in the nation.”
Then came Jack…
Jack had been Mayor of Mineola for eight years, taking a village that was $33 million in debt and reversing its fortunes. He passed eight, successive balanced budgets while his “Mineola Master Plan” for downtown revitalization was recognized by good government groups across the region, with Vision Long Island even awarding him their coveted “Smart Growth Award.”
In 2011 he brought that same common sense and work ethic to Albany as State Senator, ushering in a new era of improved state government. His bi-partisan efforts were widely recognized, most notably by the New York Public Interest Research Group and Newsday, who hailed his leading the Long Island delegation with 34 bills approved by both houses in 2014.
When Jack was in Albany, things got done and Long Island had a voice.
As State Senator from 2011 to 2017, Jack:
Passed an historic 2% property tax cap
Repealed the MTA Payroll Tax
Cut income taxes for middle-class New Yorkers to the lowest level in 58 years
Increased state education aid by 19% to Long Island schools and lead the fight against Common Core
Implemented “NY Works,” helping create 139,400 new jobs for New York
Closed $13 billion in budget deficits without raising a single tax or fee
Restored STAR rebates for homeowners, veterans and seniors
Passed six, consecutive, on-time, balanced state budgets
The turnaround was so great that even the U.S. Chamber of Commerce ranked New York as one of the top 10 states in the country for economic growth, productivity, and livability. Community and business groups across the state recognized Jack as a leader in fiscal discipline, tax relief and job creation. Newsday wrote,
“In his first two years in Albany, Sen. Jack Martins has shown that his effectiveness as mayor of Mineola was no fluke. He has been a thoughtful, serious, reasonable legislator, too.”
WHY NOW?
…because we need him more than ever. With the democrat majorities in the State Senate and Assembly now controlled by radical, New York City progressives, our state is in disarray and our suburbs no longer have a voice in Albany.
We’re less safe
The democrats chanted “defund the police” while our neighborhoods were under siege. Now their dangerous cashless bail bill has prompted skyrocketing crime across the state by allowing violent, repeat offenders to go back to our neighborhood streets. The daily headlines are full of heartbreaking stories of assault, robbery and homicides that could have been avoided but Anna Kaplan and her New York City bosses refuse to do anything about it. Together their criminal-first agenda has made our communities unsafe and put our families and loved ones at risk. Enough is enough.
They attack our suburbs
Instead of letting local towns and villages decide zoning as they always have, the democrats have proposed sweeping changes to eliminate single-family homes. Under their proposal they grab zoning power from communities, do away with single family districting across the state and allow every, single family home to include accessory dwelling units (ADU). That means Albany politicians and not the local community would determine zoning. This terrible idea will deliver nothing but overcrowded schools, parking problems, burdened local utilities, and eventually lead to higher taxes for homeowners. Zoning decisions need to be made by local communities, not Albany politicians who want every community to look like New York City.
Gas
Where is Anna Kaplan and why hasn’t she led the charge in lowering New York’s onerous gas taxes during this crisis? We pay almost 50 cents a gallon in taxes – among the highest rates in the nation. Yet again, suburban motorists are left footing the bill while Albany fills its coffers for pet projects and wasteful spending instead of offering residents immediate relief. Suburban families are hurting and need relief now.
It’s the economy...
After crippling small business and mom and pop operations for nearly two years with relentless mandates, regulations, and fines, the democrats are wondering who decimated our state’s economy. And instead of now offering some relief all they can muster are poor fiscal policies that have driven people out of our state in record numbers. New York once again lays claim to the near-highest-in-the-nation income, property, and corporate taxes. As a result, New York leads all 50 states in the exodus to other states. Even Nassau County has experienced an ongoing population loss and “brain drain.”
Inflation is increasing at rates we haven’t seen since the ‘70s meaning the middle class is once again forced to carry the burden. But democrats in Albany continue to tax and spend rather than provide relief. In fact, the state’s budget under democrat control has increased from $170 billion just 4 years ago to nearly $230 billion today – a $60 billion increase in just 4 years! That comes right out of our pockets.
People vote with their feet and our neighbors are leaving. The one-party experiment in New York state government has clearly failed, resulting in a crime wave, higher taxes and general disgust with New York. What’s worse, New Yorkers are losing hope.