Gaughran Endorsed by Long Island Environmental Voters Forum

The Long Island Environmental Voters Forum (LIEVF), a non-partisan group, has endorsed Jim Gaughran for Suffolk County Comptroller. In announcing its endorsement, the group cited both Gaughran’s strong record of protecting the environment as well as his opponent’s record of raiding open space funding and his refusal to allow voters to have a say over the Drinking Water Protection Program.

Suffolk County Legislator John Kennedy was the only member of the Legislature to vote against a proposal which states that because the Drinking Water Protection Program was adopted by the voters that any change to the program should also have to be approved by the voters. Instead, Kennedy, who had previously voted to raid $29.4 million from the program, was the sole vote against requiring going to the voters.

“This call was black and white,” said LIEVF board member, David Reisfield, in announcing the group’s endorsement. “Gaughran helped create Suffolk’s Drinking Water Protection Program when he was a county legislator and Kennedy is the only member of the county legislature to vote against both bills aimed at restoring both the water quality program and the citizen’s right to control it.”

As a former Suffolk County Legislator, Gaughran helped create the Drinking Water Protection Program which has been repeatedly authorized by Suffolk County voters and is responsible for protecting thousands of acres of open space which is critical to protect our quality of life and our drinking water.

“I am grateful to the Long Island Environmental Voters Forum for its endorsement and pledge that as Suffolk County Comptroller, I will protect all the County’s finances,” Gaughran said. “That means making sure that money approved by the voters to protect open space and clean water will be spent to protect open space and clean water. I am proud to help support the Drinking Water Protection Program and I will fight to retain its integrity.”

As Chairman of the Suffolk County Water Authority, Gaughran has also increased the level of testing, ensuring that residents are drinking clean water. At the same time, as a fiscal conservative, Gaughran has improved efficiency at the Water Authority which has allowed for a 7% reduction in staff without any layoffs, saving taxpayers millions.

The Long Island Environmental Voters Forum is a non-profit, non-partisan, grassroots political association established to identify, recruit and actively campaign for the election of pro-environment candidates across Long Island. Because we are a populous island and enjoy a diverse but fragile environment, there is a great urgency that Long Island’s environment be made a priority by all our elected officials. Moreover, critical land use decisions are being made locally and being made now. With final build-out of the Island projected by 2020, the candidates we elect in the immediate future will likely shape the final landscape of the place we call home.

With policy and program decisions being made exclusively by and for Long Islanders, the Long Island Environmental Voters Forum is uniquely positioned to accomplish this essential task ― one which other groups cannot by law or circumstance accomplish. Board members are Republicans, Democrats and independents ― those for whom the environment is more important than party labels. The Forum will seek out prospective candidates from the ranks of leaders from the environmental community. By focusing on the races where environmental issues are critical, the Forum can be selective and can provide a candidate’s campaign with much more than an endorsement.