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♪ ♪ >> this is news 12 long island island 12 election debate. .. now let's meet the candidates. tom suozzi is running on the democratic line. he service they can executive for two terms from 2002-2000. prior to that he was the mayor from 1994-2001. jack morris is running on republican, conservative and reform lines.

he serving his third term in the state senate. he's also the former mayor of the village from 2003-2010. welcome the news 12 long island. thank you for being your. before we begin you are the rules and the format for this debate. each tangible of one minute for opening statement at each of up to one men and have to answer each question and then 30 seconds for rebuttal we wanted to at the end of the debate both will have one minute for closing statements. we start with opening statements and speaking of which assigned prior to the show. we begin with senator jack martins. >> thank you to music while browsing this debate. i'm jack martins, a state senator, a business owner, a husband and father of four daughters. like so many of you i know our country is headed in the wrong direction. the economy is stagnant, terrorism is on the rise. america's divide and washington is gridlocked. people are frustrated and angry, and so were my. taking that two leaders who are

-- i can do that because i've done it before. as a senator i led the on issues on long island. cutting taxes and rebuild ever such a, protecting our environment and helping small businesses grow and succeed. i will do the same in washington. my opponent will not. by focusing what unites us instead of what divides us we can work together to fight a better way forward or america and let no one stand in our way. that's why i'm running for congress. i hope i have earned your vote. thank you. >> unocal our countries facing very serious challenges. people are so discouraged. druthers camping people have said i'd like either candidate for president. my friends, family, people who care about me say things like wide you want to run what you can't get anything done anyway. i don't believe that. i still believe in united states of america and intersystem come and we can get good things done if we can get people of goodwill, democrats and

republicans to work together to try to solve the problems that we face. the reality is that none of the changes does go. you have to stand to very powerful forces that want to keep the status quo the way it is. i do not throw mike ruppert when it went after the democrats as well as republicans in state legislature because because the system is broken and we need a cap on the growth of medicaid. whatever for the property taxpayer, we openly succeed. i think that's what i've been endorsed by newsday, the league of conservation voters, by the sierra club and many more. i have proven that i will fight to change the status quo answer the people i represent your thank you. >> thank you. let's get right to the question. nassau tenant was rocked by the federal corruption charges against county executive, oyster bay supervisor. these come less than a year and% majority leader and a semi-speaker were convicted on

corruption charges. other examples across the state and run the country. it elected to congress, what would you do to crack down on corruption but also to restore the trust of a folks are just accountable with right now with the elected officials? >> this is elected officials? >> isthis is a very that's the thing going on their country. when i started all been fixed a common 2003 through five i pointed out at the time more people were indicted in the state legislature that lost their jobs at the polling booth. we have to hold people accountable. politics, like democracy, like capitalism doesn't work without competition. you have to hold people accountable for their position. if they get too comfortable in their positions they start to feel like they can do whatever they want and nobody will watch them and they will get elected anyway. how was it congress has a 40% approval rating but there's a 95% reelection rate with the

same thing in new york in the state senate and state december. we need the competition, holding people accountable in a very robust political system. we also need of regulation. we need now people accountable if you're convicted of a crime as an elected official you should forfeit your pension. there's so many things we need to do but it's up to the public as much as possible to pay attention to these races and be involved in these races. because so few people vote in primaries. to win the democratic primary getaway to the left. we end up with nobody in the middle to get the work done. the only way don't public officials accountable is to put them in a competitive race that havethey have to defend their positions and do a good job. >> same question for senator martins. >> it starts with having zero tolerance when it comes to corruption in public office. i called on the can executive to resign. difficult on account supervisor to resign. we have to hold accountability first and foremost.

i've had the privilege in serving in the states in to vote for number of issues. one is able to recall politicians who have been convicted of crimes before they are allowed to finish their term. because we have to maintain the integrity of the system first and foremost. i've also voted consistently to make sure that those were convicted of crimes a in elected office did not get the pensions. there is no way a person who has been convicted of a crime while in elected office was violated the public trust should have the ability to collect a pension by having forfeited that right when they committed that crime. but it goes beyond that. we have to look at money and politics removed money and influence of money in politics and, frankly, rhetoric and much more transparent. there are rules. some of those rules get so -- circumvent as result of dark money. that see the advertisements with people influence the elections and, frankly, there's no place

for it in our democratic society. we have to to cut to the chase and first and foremost we have to restore integrity which means holding everyone accountable. it also means everyone wind their convicted or when they put themselves in a position of casting paint on their office, they have to resign. >> let's move onto move on to the next topic, that is taxes. long islanders have been barraged with negative ads, some criticizing your tenure for raising taxes. others the same for you, senator martins when you're serving as the mayor of menial the. the question is, senator martins, why should voters but if they send you to washington you will be a tax cut? >> when i was elected mayor of the village was bankrupt. literally bankrupt. it had a half million dollar shortfall, no reserves, $33 in debt, 20 million of that debt was in short-term debt and way

to go to movies and convince them some of duty between windows and short-term debt into long-term debt. are difficult times for the village. we restructure the village's finances and when i was elected to the senate just seven for a just later we paid down the debt from $33 million to $20 million, a third degree of the village heading in the right direction. we had recess every property in the village into a good understood what they were paying for one upping. we did the village master plan and put it on a firm footing, charging redevelopment in our downtown in d.c. that we develop and happening right now. there's the difference. we took a very bad situation and with the trust of the public that we were asked to represent, i was elected in 2003, we elected in 2005, reelected in 2007 and in 2009 by the same voters who trusted us to make a difference. and we did. it's about restructuring, about getting things done and frankly, showing getting things done in the eight years i

served, we left things better off than when, then when we got there and i'm not sure tom can say the same thing. mr. suozzi i was serving as the mayor you with account executive at nasa candidate all as to the same question. why should voters believe you'll be a tax cut if they send you do washington? >> the first thing, not on to criticize jack for having raised taxes by the fact he raises out about 51% but am going to criticize them for being a hypocrite. he attacked me for raising property taxes as county executive when we read the number one county we read the number one county and report that the. when we face the same kind of fiscal crisis he's described as the initial campaign was based upon the fact i raise property taxes. it's the height of hypocrisy he would possess me the exact same thing he did. he talked about being reelected as mayor. i raise property taxes in 2002 can executive and nassau county. didn't raise them again and i was reluctant by huge margin in

2005 by the same people that erase the property taxes. i know property taxes are telling people on long island and that's why i fought for the property tax cap. i ran for governor of new york state, it did not turn out well for me, or eliot spitzer either, but i saw property taxes crushing the people on long island and i fought for property tax caps. l. the speech was against the caps but a year later he appointed as chairman of the state commission for property tax relief and a wrote the report on white property tax are so hot and morbidity to address that problem. the quick part was the property tax cap of which are very proud and happy jack but for as a member of the legislature. i had to take my lumps to fight powerful interests to get a cab in new york state. >> rebuttal? >> tom is taking credit for the tax cap like al gore taking credit for it. it was there beforehand and the fact were able to pull consensus

together and working across the outcome of the governor frank is a testament to our hard work in albany. there are the heating oil tax, taxes, gimmicks and, frankly, it was a nassau and finance ability put in 2001 that tom suozzi was testing getting rid of. it was there when you vote out of office in 2009 and he takes responsibility for that. >> mr. suozzi, 30 seconds. >> i'm proud of my record as executive. during the course of my term we had 13 bond upgrade to more than any other news is now in the united states. outside independent agency saying we are turning independent agency saying we've turned nassau county to render just remember in 2008 we faced the worst recession in our countries history since the great depression. and, of course, people are angry and upset. the energy tax was about a dude i should have never never done it and that paid for a lost the race in 2000 but i learned my lesson. around is the people of nassau county would be happy that tom

suozzi instead of problems we're facing today in nassau county. >> let's move on and we will hear from folks on social media. and obamacare, premiums up 20% doctors will not accept it and coverage is worse. i guess we know where becky stands. the widest it's a this week premiums could go up by as much as 25% on mid-level plans, plus options. mr. suozzi, if elected how we address a future of the affordable care act? >> there's no question there are very serious problems with obamacare. but there are great things as well. more people covered than ever before. there are children covered until they're 26 use old under their parents plan. you can't deny people coverage because of a preexisting condition. but while the republicans in the congress want to repeal the act and to vote on it 20 times didn't talk about, repeal

repeal. i want to amend it, to into. and the private sector i work for a firm to work in compliance of the geisha people comply with obamacare act provisions. it's a rotten, terrible bureaucracy. throughout my career i've been willing to demonstrate that i will fight powerful forces could even my own party when necessary, to try to make changes on behalf of the people i serve. so the our wiki things but we need to amend it, don't ended to make it more affordable. we need to consult more with with the doctors and hospitals with patients. because right now when you want to change the status quo like every other issue you have to take a powerful forces. those forces with this issue by the health insurance company and the pharmaceutical drug companies. they don't want it to change and they're very powerful. the that too much influence in drafting the affordable care act in the first place. i'm willing to stand up and fight. i think that's what i've endorsed by newsday and by so many others because i've proven unwilling to stand up and fight powerful forces on behalf of the people i serve.

>> senator, we've heard many republicans including the presidential to me say obamacare should be review. is there something to salvage or do you agree, should be repealed? >> i think needs be repealed but replaced with something else. obamacare spend an unmitigated disaster. i've often wondered why tom suozzi has been an apologist for it and support it and i realized he actually made money consulting with people on how to comply with the soap small businesses are getting raked over the coals, paying more and more in premiums, certain people are making more money as consultants, consulting with his businesses on how to comply with it. the complexity of the law, the promises that were made frankly were a life. it we are several years later premiums are going up double-digit again issue. we have incredible deductibles. with co-pays have gone through the roof. the panels are getting smaller

the choice of people have with regard to the doctors are evaporating and people angry and they should be angry. we do have the alternative. the alternative is expanding the footprint, allowing people to buy health health insurance across state line, giving tax credits for individuals can make decisions for themselves and by the insurance that suits them. right now if i wanted to buy insurance in new york state or anyone wants to buy insurance company have to buy off the menu that is restricted. i would have to buy coverage i would never need, including postnatal care. let's understand, let's simplify it, give tax credits and put the emphasis what needs to be, on the individual to make decisions for themselves and for the families. >> mr. suozzi, you mentioned. 30-second rebuttal. >> i don't know where you're coming up with this but the reality is i've never been an apologist for obamacare. i said the same thing publicly with you in public forum so many times that the system has serious problems the need to be

fixed like so many other things. we need to work together to try and solve these problems and try to make peoples people's lives better not play these little games and attack people to say i'm an apologist because i made money. that's even though for you jack. the reality is, is that i did work in a firm that helped this is his comply with the affordable to act. there's no question about that. >> i won't take 30 seconds. it will only be a few seconds. we've been to several forms together we have discussed this issue, and he has spoken time and again in those who actually of them on on tape what he has said time and again what a success it has been how it needs to between, that it has been a success and imported as we keep it there. and so frankly that to me as being an apologist. i will not retract my statement and, frankly, you know very well you made money on this and any money on the complexity of obamacare and you just don't own up to it. >> let's move onto foreign policy. we will start with senator

martins. who do you think is the most significant threat to u.s. bases to its national security and how would you address at? >> it is a islamic terrorism radical islamic terrorism continues to be the greatest threat of our time. bcf manifested whether it's an isis in the middle east, we also see and conflict in the middle east between iraq and iran, yemen, saudi arabia, syria. use the proxy was taking place between iran and saudi arabia. and you see the migration between the middle east into europe and into the united states, and we've seen attacks on homeland. people are concerned because they're such volatility. volatility because of the united states under this administration has taken a back seat. they have left the world stage and allowed others to fill the acting. so we see atrocities happening around the world. we see attacks happening on

their own soil in ways we have never imagined before. and, frankly, that is the challenge of our times. to restore stability in the middle east through economic pressure, the working with others, protecting our ally in the middle east come israel first and foremost, so we can continue to provide stability there. but also here at home. education and transparency when it comes to identifying those who need to go after but also talked about refugees coming into the country, making sure we have a stringent vetting system to ensure that when people do come here, because we still are a country that receives immigrants and we should continue that we have to make sure the process is correct, appropriate and we keep our families and communities and save first and foremost. >> mr. suozzi, said most significant threat to u.s. national security right now? >> there's no question that terrorism is a significant threat that we face. as a result of terrorism, a result of wars going on throughout many different regions of the world to our

60 million refugees throughout the entire world because of civil wars, because of wars we've been involved in, because of climate change. there's 69 refugee. people displaced on homeland that are causing serious problems. one thing i can't understand is why industries people are not talking about the history of what's transpired in this region. the united states supported osama bin laden and tell this administration children. supported osama bin laden to fight the russians in afghanistan. the united states supported saddam hussein would've lost the shah of iran. we supported the students. we still support the saudis even though the saudis are promoting a philosophy of wahhabi is in which is to kill the jewish people and to kill americans. why have we done this? because we've been depend on foreign oil for such a long time in that part of the world. we need to figure have to move to a greater economies we're not depend on oil in the region so they can reset the relationship of struggle relationships with those members that are moderates that want to work with estates

that are against extremists, the rent is also trying to kill us. we need to continue everything this administration is doing as for drone strikes, containing the problems, try to support our allies in the area. we certainly need to make sure we protect the state official and do everything we can to make sure it's clear to the world they are our closest and best friend in the entire region. >> let's move on to long island heroin epidemic which, of course, has been much documented. and the question is what can be done, mr. suozzi, on a federal level to stop the structure and flowing especially to long island's because the first thing is understand understand what happened to the realm is is that at the same time but in america we are seeing the prescription of oxycontin and other types of drugs that were and to give opioids similar to what heroin is like in the same kind of sums have become a second thing was happening, the production of

their one grew by leaps and bounds throughout latin america, central america and in afghanistan. we see poppy fields being one of the cash crops. people get addicted to opioids at the same time this production was increasing dramatically that was cheaper than ever before and more accessible than ever before. we need to continue to do our enforcement efforts but recognize drugs, alcohol and mental health issues are related. many of the problems we face in society are based upon drugs alcohol and mental health. 75% in java drug, alcohol or mental health problem. most poverty problems are related. related. most them into soldiers are related drugs, a call and mental health. summerlike closest friends have had children others died because of drug overdoses. this is an epidemic that is killing us your long island. we need to start educating kids at a very young age especially when we see mental health, drug and medical problem start to emerge in our schools to make sure that they realize the dangers of this very destructive

and addictive drug your as a federal government we need to promote programs that encourage prevention at young ages and collaboration among different government agencies. >> senator martins, what can be done on a federal level to stop the drugs from flowing in to our communities? >> thank you. the heroin epidemic is by far the greatest challenge we have domestically and our local communities and it isn't a single community that has not been impacted. we have tackle this issue in albany. we pass legislation for number of years. i've had the privilege of being able to carry legislation that requires that schools teach about heroin and drug abuse at an early age because it starts with the stigmatization of the issue and meant to make sure people understand it's about treating the condition as much as it is about enforcement. on a federal level register with enforcement. there has to be the opportunity

to stop those drugs from coming in to the country. locally we have to make sure we have a care necessary so that those who do succumb to addiction have a pathway out of that addiction. i've often had the opportunity unfortunately, to meet with families of lost loved ones, but also those who are dealing with this crisis right now. it's the one thing the ultimate we do do not have enough facilities on long island, long-term care facilities for addiction. we did have been. we had over 150 beds in nassau county in plan view as recent as 2003. unfortunately, account executive at the time decided to close of those facilities when they knew and he was told that there were all kinds of reports that there was a heroin addiction epidemic on the horizon. we no longer have those beds and we have the ability now to refocus but it's going to cost a ton of money to do. we had to meet and they would throw it away. that's a fact.

we can discuss details dates and the like serving as tom wants i can get into the details but he knows i'm right and people out there do as well. >> one of the things i'm most proud of as county executive in nassau can was great the program which took so many different agencies social service, health mental health, drug and alcohol and physical challenge veterans and senior citizens and merge them together in one building so when people showed up for some sort of assistance they can access the assistance of all those different agencies. one of the reasons that were specifically cited in mind was the was the new site -- the workaday calling out the drug addiction in relation to mental health early on when this first part on long island. >> we will leave it there and move on now to closing statement and we will start with senator martins. >> thank you. thank you can than just well for hosting. this election specifically and a special at this time in a country's history is about leadership in it's about the

opportunity to understand as we all do that this country heading in the wrong direction. our children's futures are more bleak. the country being pulled apart instead of brought back together and, frankly, things are continue to get worse. we need people will show leadership. i have shown leadership in the state senate these passages and serving as the mayor of mineola and tackling the tough issues importance on long island. whether it's the environment what is protecting our water whether it's dealing with heroin, whether it's cutting taxes and helping our small businesses succeed, that's where i of lead from the front. not from the back, not talking about it but showing real results. so people have a choice. they have a choice to decide whether that will take this country in the right direction by changing course whether we will double down and continue to support the same policies that put us in this position to begin with. i will take us in a different direction and asking for your vote on november 8. thank you.

>> jacket, you never showed leadership when dean was indicted and you defended him, called fantasy as majority leader and said he didn't do anything to let us down. i still believe in the united states of america. i still believe we can get good things that if we can get people of goodwill, democrats and republicans, to work together to try and solve problems. but to do that you have to take on powerful interest. they will fight back and keep the status quo exactly the way it is because they are benefiting from the way he does. i've proven throughout my career i wanted to take on democrats and republicans to fight for the things that i believe are necessary to try and serve the people i represent whether it was the medicaid cap of the property tax cap or so many other or so many other battles where i won big victories and losses will but learned in the process. the reality is is that this country can bright days but it will require people to work together across party lines, not playing political games, not throwing out negative is working to solve problems.

thank you. >> our time is a. thank you for being here and thank you for joining us. a reminder election day is tuesday november 8. make sure to get out and vote. this debate is available to view in its entirety online. click on island about. you can watch the complete debate on channel 612. thanks for watching. as local as local news gets. >> c-span brings you more debates this week from key u.s. senate races. tonight at eight eastern live on c-span rand paul and jim gray debate for the kentucky senate seat. wednesday night at eight, live coverage on c-span of the louisiana senate debate between a field of candidates.

>> and at nine republican senator kelly ayotte and democratic governor maggie hassan debate for the new hampshire senate seat. now until election day, watch tv page from house, senate and governors races on the c-span networks. c-span.org, and listen on the c-span radio app. c-span, where history unfolds daily. >> tonight on "the communicators" talk about their opposing views on the proposed at&t time warner merger and what the merger would mean for telecommunications. spin one of the things herald mentioned is how at&t will treat at&t content relative to other content. he's right. that is a potentially this