Candidate Profile: Greg Fischer For Suffolk County Executive

SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY — Suffolk County residents will be hitting the polls soon to elect local representatives.

The race is on in local town and village races leading up to Election Day, which, this year, falls on Tuesday, November 5. Patch asked those running for office to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles in the days leading up to the election.

Greg Fischer, 62, of Riverhead, is a registered Democrat running as a Libertarian and seeking election as Suffolk County Executive. His opponents are incumbent Democrat Steve Bellone and Republican challenger John M. Kennedy Jr. He has a girlfriend Mary Mucci and four children — Adam, 33, Andrew, 31, Clark, 15, and Anna, 12. He has a Masters in operations management and a BA in finance /economics. Fischer is a private strategy adviser, a turnaround consultant/mentor for the U.S. Dept Commerce, SCORE, a private computer systems designer, and an inventor. He has served with the Calverton Civic Association.

Check out Patch's full Q&A with Greg Fischer below.

Patch: The single most pressing issue facing our community is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Greg Fischer: The economy. Suffolk finances are a total wreck and spiraling downward. I will forego salary — give it to needy not-for-profits — until I turn the bond rating back to stable. I will force boarded-up homes back to the market. I will fix the illegal raiding of restricted funds (like clean water), implement new age waste management, cause more durable road repair, fix the TPVA, and restore government civility and service to citizens.

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

F: They have ZERO skill at economy building or finances — both of their resumes prove they failed.

P: If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community?

F: Rausch Foundation polls indicated 67% will leave in 5 years and only 20% voted four years ago in the last cycle. The TWO incumbents I am running against have proved they can't keep us healthy, wealthy, or even safe.

P: Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

F: Water, roads, waste, flooding, shoreline preservation, greywater (recycling), LIPA breakup, contractor accountability (including school districts via public audits), civilian complaint review/oversight of public police (like NYS), internal fraud prevention and whistleblower protection.

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

F: Working with SCORE (US Dept of Commerce) I turn around businesses and help people start businesses when they are downsized or working poor — in 4+ years of doing so, along with my co-mentor, not one single failure.

P: The best advice ever shared with me was ...

F: "Never quit, and never surrender to mediocrity."

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

F: Get Greg Fischer elected or move while you can.