The Sept. 13 Republican Primary Election for state Assembly District 17 sees Assemblyman John Mikulin squaring off against candidate James Coll.
The candidates are vying for the assembly district which covers East Meadow, Levittown, Plainedge, Massapequa and South Farmingdale.
Elected during a special election in April, John Mikulin (pictured) is hoping to retain his Assembly seat and continue to fight on behalf of District 17 constituents.
Mikulin said he “got right to work” when he was elected in April, tackling what he called a “culture of corruption with Cuomo and assembly Democrats” by sponsoring ethics legislation to enforce term limits, end secret taxpayer slush funds and put an independent ethics organization in place to investigate political corruption.
“The Democrats stopped the bill from coming to the floor, but I’m going to fight for it in Albany,” said Mikulin. “We kept the pressure on and will continue to keep the pressure on until it comes to a vote.”
He’s also taken the mantle of the fight against the opioid crisis, co-sponsoring bills that put away those who sell fentanyl for longer sentences as well as requiring insurance companies to cover treatment services.
“People who are addicted to these substances need to have rehab and detox facilities,” he said. “We need to make sure those addicted have proper treatment, so they can continue on with their lives and we can continue to save lives.”
Also at the forefront of the lifelong Bethpage resident’s mind is the clean-up of the plume.
“I sponsored legislation in Albany that crosses party lines to extend the statute of limitations to hold Grumman and the Navy responsible,” said Mikulin. “It is important they not only clean up the crisis, but that they do not pass the bill to the people in the district.”
One of Mikulin’s platforms has also been keeping young professionals and millennials in Nassau County. As a newly married 30-year-old who just bought a house in Bethpage, it’s something that Mikulin plans to tackle.
“We have to support legislation to provide an environment where businesses can come in and not get hit over the head. We cannot keep taxing small businesses out of New York State. Once we bring small business into New York, young people can achieve better jobs and afford houses on Long Island,” Mikulin said. “The other thing I’m doing is fighting for school aid. It brings money straight to Nassau County, helps our property taxes and makes it easier for young people to afford a house.”
A former Island Trees Library board president and deputy attorney for the Town of Hempstead, Mikulin holds a Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s Degree in Government, as well as a Juris Doctor Degree from Touro Law School. It’s experience that has prepared him well for his role as assemblyman, a title he hopes to hold into the future.
“My experiences really make me highly qualified for this job. When things come up in Albany, I know the proper questions to ask to fully understand the law,” he noted. “I enjoy being an advocate for the community and helping people on a larger level. My office is always open to my constituents.”
By Betsy Abraham
James Coll (pictured) is once again pushing for party reform, this time in state Assembly District 17.
The Seaford Republican, a retired NYPD detective and adjunct professor at Nassau Community College and Hofstra University, filed more than 1,000 petition signatures with the county Board of Elections earlier in the summer, forcing a GOP Primary Election set for Sept. 13.
“People are disgusted with the politics as usual and to be frank, the politics as usual from both political parties,” he said. “I’m the one that started a petition to get Dean Skelos’ name off of a park in Rockville Centre; I have said that pensions should be withdrawn from people that are convicted of felonies.”
Coll said his main reason for running for state assembly is to work to keep young people from leaving Long Island for greener financial pastures out of state.
“If we don’t do something in this state my children and many children like them will decide to leave,” said Coll, who has two children, ages 10 and 12. “Part of the model of what we can do is similar to what’s going on in Farmingdale. There, they are not just building housing, they are building it around the infrastructure that is bringing people to and from work. We’ve got to build around the lifestyle and careers of people who are going to seek these places out as a place to live and raise their family and invest their property taxes.”
With his experience as an NYPD detective, Coll said he has a unique perspective on how to address both the opioid crisis, as well as school safety issues.
“How do we address the symptoms versus the actual problem? The state can be a partner by creating grant programs, but this is something that is not just a government solution,” he said. “A lot of the issues with the opioid crisis aren’t coming from a stranger pushing drugs, it comes from someone who maybe had a sports injury, and now they are getting hooked on the narcotic they were issued legally. It’s not just a law enforcement issue and it’s not just an education issue. We have to involve doctors and pharmaceutical companies in a multi-pronged approach.”
Meanwhile, as a member of the police department Coll trained as an EMT. He believes that a noncontroversial way to implement safety measures in schools is a program called Stop the Bleed. This would train teachers and some older students how to save a life in a desperate situation.
“There’s a conversation we can have about school security officers, but with a program like Stop the Bleed, the first priority is to save a life,” he said.
Coll believes public service is still a noble service—and it is one that he said his upbringing has more than prepared him for.
“I have a record of taking on my own party,” said Coll, who grew up in Massapequa. “My father instilled in me that public service is a noble profession and I truly believe that.”
By Steve Mosco
