Nassau Legislature Candidates: Meet Jill Levine

MERRICK, NY — Nassau County voters will take to the polls Nov. 5 to cast their ballots for legislature.

In District 19 — which includes parts of Freeport, Bellmore, Wantagh, Seaford, Merrick and North Merrick— incumbent Republican Steve Rhoads is defending his seat against Jill Levine, who is not affiliated with a party but running on the Democratic line.

Patch reached out to both candidates via email and/or Facebook to hear where they stand on important issues affecting the community

Here are the responses for those who participated. The answers have been lightly edited for clarity.

Jill Levine

• Age (as of Sept. 1): 49
• Town of residence: Merrick
• Position sought: Nassau County Legislator, LD 19.
• Party affiliation: Democratic candidate, registered as unaffiliated.
• Family: Husband, Craig, and three children.
• Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? No.
• Education: Dual masters: master's in public health; master's in social work.
• Occupation: Social worker (10 years); director of nonprofit (14 years).
• Previous or current elected or appointed office: Current: school board trustee, Merrick Union Free School District (five years).
• Campaign Website: N/A (See Facebook.com@JillLevine15)

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

One of the greatest issues facing the residents of our district and all of Nassau County is one that affects me on a deeply personal level as well — that is, what I see as the flight of our youth. I believe this is due to a variety of contributing factors but that they all come back to the overriding pressing need to revitalize our downtowns. That is, younger workers are choosing to leave Long Island and Nassau County, largely because they either cannot find affordable housing or sufficient employment here - or both. In order to attract and retain younger workers and working families, we need to support small businesses so they can provide the services they are looking for and need; we have to build affordable housing options near reliable public transportation; and we must be able to incentivize larger employers to locate their headquarters and branch offices in Nassau County by having the labor force they need available for them. If elected, I intend to encourage participation from representatives of all the relevant stakeholders in continued dialogue, research and information -sharing, aimed towards finding innovative collaborative solutions to reverse this troubling trend.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I think one of the important distinctions that can be drawn between me and my opponent is that I am not tied to any one particular party. Of course, I am running on the Democratic line and proud to be doing so, but I am still registered as an unaffiliated voter. The reason I feel that this is an important factor for voters to consider, when selecting the best candidate for this position, is that the Nassau County Legislature has been controlled by one party - the Republican Party - for decades. And, that majority has shown over and over that they are more concerned with partisan politics than they are focused on reaching practical, fair and just resolutions to the many real issues we need to address. A prime example of this is their constant and persistent attempts to thwart the county executive's efforts to finally address and correct the unfair, inequitable and unsustainable tax assessment system that the Republicans helped to create under Edward Mangano and allowed to fester for the following eight years. This kind of follow-the-party-line-no-matter-the-cost mentality is something I do not — and never will — understand, much less condone.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)?

My opponent has not served the residents of this district, or Nassau County, to the degree I believe he could — and should — have, because he has failed to stand up to the long-entrenched political machine that has repeatedly awarded politicians' friends, family members and colleagues lucrative contracts and employment opportunities. By putting party interests above his constituents' needs and concerns (by, for example, constantly attacking rather than earnestly trying to work with our county executive for purely partisan reasons), I believe my opponent has allowed special interests (such as tax assessment grievance filers) to benefit at the expense of taxpayers. This is the type of irresponsible governing that has allowed the culture of corruption in Nassau County to fester and grow. It is time for a change.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

I am particularly interested in supporting and developing programs to help young people understand the connection between mental health issues and drug and alcohol abuse. We are losing way too many youths to suicide. I also intend to focus on finding ways to improve the lives of our more vulnerable residents — such as our seniors and returning veterans — helping them be more actively engaged in, feel more appreciated by, and be more supported within the Nassau County community. I love Nassau County and want to work to protect and preserve the high quality of life it offers, so that families will continue to choose to live here.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I think the work I have done as the founder and executive director of "Forever 9 - The Robbie Levine Foundation" best showcases not only my professional qualifications but, also, my work ethic, general character and basic values. When our 9-year-old son, Robbie, went into sudden cardiac arrest and died during a Little League practice 14 years ago, our lives were forever changed. But, when I learned that Robbie would almost certainly have survived that day - if only there had been a defibrillator available — I knew I had to do something so that no other family would ever have to experience the kind of indescribable pain my family and I had. Over the past 14 years, through my foundation, I have helped raise awareness about the need for automatic external defibrillators, or AEDs, and donated hundreds of them to youth athletic facilities and schools that needed them. In addition, I helped implement a CPR/AED certification training program that every high school student in our school district participates in every year. I also worked closely with our prior state senator to help him introduce and pass a law requiring adequate signs to direct people to the exact location of an AED in public facilities where they are required. And, every year I help to organize our annual "Robbie's Run," a 5K marathon charity event held in our son's honor and memory to raise additional funds for the foundation's charitable activities and to further raise awareness about the critical need for this life-saving medical equipment. Through this experience, I have learned how to stay the course through whatever obstacle may be placed in front of me; and, I have collaborated successfully with a wide variety of individuals and organizations to find common ground, realize our shared goals and even, at times, surpass them. I can think of no better preparation for serving in our local government than this.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

Don't complain, get up and do something, and be part of the change, to fix it. (Professor of social work).

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

As a social worker, I spent many years in various counseling positions, helping dementia patients and their families, as well as patients with serious medical diagnoses such as cancer-related illnesses. I know how difficult it is for caregivers and loved ones to deal with the emotional and psychological strain of family members' illnesses — and how much worse this is made when they also have to struggle to find the right resources, much less afford them. I have counseled people from all walks of life during the most stressful, trying times of their lives. From this, I gained a deeper appreciation for the struggles of some of the less fortunate, under-served and often overlooked members of our society.

I am running because I believe our elected officials should be truly representative of and beholden to the people they were elected to represent. I am a parent, a working mother, a homeowner and a taxpayer who is just as fed up with the status quo as are the many voters I have met and spoken with while knocking on doors and making calls to thousands of residents throughout this district. I am ready to advance to the next level of fulfilling what I truly believe is my civic duty: to do whatever I can to help find realistic solutions to real problems by working closely together with all the members of my community. If elected, I hope to utilize my broad experience in working together with people of different socio-economic, cultural, religious, educational and political backgrounds to foster an environment that values honest and open dialogue as a key component to good government.