Final forum offers candidates a last chance before voters hit polls

Temple Israel Reform Congregation hosts event for political hopefuls to garner last-minute support

Monday, November 06, 2006

By TOM WROBLESKI

No matter the outcome at the polls tomorrow, Staten Island will have some fresh faces on its electoral landscape.

For the first time since 1956, state Sen. John Marchi (R-Staten Island) will not be a candidate to represent the borough in the Legislature, and a successor will be elected to sit in his chair in Albany.

The borough also will choose a new judge for an Islandwide Civil Court seat, and a freshman lawmaker will be elected to represent the residents of the 60th Assembly District.

Many of the candidates running for office this year, including the three who are vying to replace Marchi, took part in the final political forum of the campaign yesterday at Temple Israel Reform Congregation in West Brighton.

Elsewhere, the campaigns prepared last-minute mailings and literature drops, and candidates fanned out across the Island to knock on doors and press the flesh at shopping centers in a bid to draw out every last vote on Election Day.

Speaking at the forum, Democrat Matthew Titone, who is running to replace Marchi, said true reform wouldn't come to Albany if another Republican is elected to fill the seat.

"It's unlikely that anybody financed by [Senate Majority Leader] Joe Bruno will have the opportunity to stand up to Joe Bruno," he said.

But his GOP opponent, City Councilman Andrew Lanza (R-South Shore), argued that he'd stood up to City Hall and Borough Hall on a number of land-use and tax issues.

"You want to talk about independence?" he said. "I'm always putting the interests of Staten Island first."

Conservative candidate Charles Pistor said that, as a member of a third party, he would not be beholden to any special interests if elected.

State Sen. Diane Savino (D-North Shore/Brooklyn) challenged voters to judge her on whether the Legislature changes the judicial-election process and whether lawmakers reform lobbying and redistricting practices.

"Voters don't choose their officials" under the current method of drawing legislative districts, Ms. Savino said, "officials choose their voters."

Also appearing were Judges Barbara Panepinto and Philip Straniere, who are running for re-election to Civil Court; Civil Court candidates Kim Dollard and Ralph Porzio; Supreme Court candidate Joseph Maltese; Assembly candidate Janele Hyer-Spencer, and a representative for congressional candidate Stephen Harrison.

Tom Wrobleski may be reached at wrobleski@siadvance.com. Read his polit.bureau blog at http://www.silive.com/newslogs/politics/.

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