In today’s State of the State address, Governor Andrew Cuomo presented an agenda to deal with the serious issues facing New Yorkers; I agree we must address many of these issues. The governor's proposal to consider privatizing LIPA and to reduce its staggering debt is a step in the right direction; I look forward to working with the governor to achieve this goal. I also share the governor’s support to fortify and upgrade the state’s systems that can paralyze us when they fail during an emergency; we cannot afford to be unprepared in the face of serious disasters. Our children and grandchildren are our futures, and I agree with the governor that we must do what we can to provide our young people with the tools they need to improve the education process.

While we would be remiss not to address the wide range of serious issues before us, our primary goal must be getting the lives of Long Islanders back to normal, putting people to work and making Long Island affordable – not only for now, but for years to come.