League of Women Voters of New York Education Foundation
Queens County, NY November 7, 2006 Election
	Frank Padavan Answers Questions Candidate for State Senator; District 11

The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of New York State and asked of all candidates for this office.
Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Questions & Answers

1. What programs and actions will you support to protect communities from the negative consequences of the state’s increasing dependence on gambling revenue?

I am unalterably opposed to any forms of state sanctioned gambling. I will continue to fight for increased aid and programs to assist problem gamblers, who are becoming addicted at younger and younger ages.

2. Legislative district boundary lines are drawn by the legislators themselves and are tied directly to the advantages of party politics. Would you support the establishment of an independent commission as a more open and ethical way to create districts?

Yes

3. Amid the recent reports that more and more young people are leaving upstate cities for better opportunities, what would you propose to reverse this trend?

We have already begun addressing the problem by offering incentives to cutting edge technology corporations to locate in New York. I will continue to support this and reduce mandates that cause local property taxes to rise.

4. Legislative districts have been determined on a partisan basis. Would you support establishing an independent commission as a more open and ethical way to create the districts? Please explain.

There previously were 7 Republican Senators whose districts were wholly or partially located in New York City. Now there are 4. There used to be seven Republican Assemblymembers in Queens County + now there are none. A commission may very well be a way to correct this inequality.

5. Do you support joint committees to reconcile differences between bills on the same issue passed by both houses of the legislature?

YES + it allows a greater amount of input form legislators in both houses.

6. New York State Legislators did not address the pending CFE (Campaign for Fiscal Equity) suit during the 2006 session. What would you propose to expedite the resolution of the CFE case?

I have continued to fight for additional aid to education in New York City. What has not been acknowledged, to a great extent, is that in the last five years there has been a $5.4 billion increase to New York City aid at the Federal, State and local levels. While we may not have addressed the CFE case by name, we certainly have been addressing the problem and will continue to do so.

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Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Answers are published as submitted without editing.

Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: October 25, 2006 15:00
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