Candidate Profile: Astrid Fidelia for Suffolk County Legislature

SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY — Suffolk County residents will be lining up at the polls for Election Day on Nov. 2, where they will be voting for candidates vying for Suffolk County Legislature seats.

Challenger Astrid Fidelia is running as a Democrat in the 11th Legislative District against Republican Incumbent, Legislator Steven J. Flotteron.

The 11th District includes all of West Islip and Brightwaters, most of Bay Shore and portions of Islip, Islip Terrace and Deer Park. It is bounded roughly by Southern State Parkway to the north, the Great South Bay to the south and Route 231 to the west.

Patch reached out to both candidates 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.

Astrid Fidelia

<b>Age (as of Election Day)</b>

54

<b>Position Sought</b>

Suffolk County Legislator District 11

<b>Party Affiliation</b>

Democratic

<b>Family</b>

I am happily married to Martin Fidelia and I raised four children in the Islip community. Jasmin is a 33-year-old Southwest flight attendant and Cortland graduate, Jonathan is a 32-year-old
Primerica financial sdvisor and Morehouse College graduate. Joshua is 20 years old and a Morehouse student and Justin is 12 years old in the 7th grade at the Islip Middle School.

<b>Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?</b>

No

<b>Education</b>

Springfield Gardens High School and Queensboro Community College

<b>Occupation</b>

Realtor for 23 years

<b>Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office</b>

Appointed - executive director of the Town of Islip's Foreign Trade Zone

<b>Campaign website</b>

www.AstridforSuffolk.com

<b>Why are you seeking elective office?</b>

As a realtor and community leader, I've been accessing the needs of the community for over two decades and it has been neglected by those in power. I am running for office to represent all of LD-11 and not just a sliver. I am a hands-on, proactive type of leader that listens and engages the community. I will bring a new level of leadership and be accessible to ALL. It is important that we have energetic and trustworthy representation.

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

Sustainable Development: I will work to create more affordable, commuter-friendly housing.
I intend to support livable, sustainable communities with access to mass transit. I will encourage mixed land use, downtown revitalization to make communities more attractive to seniors and young adults. As a result of the housing crisis, my son has moved to Atlanta and my other two children plan to follow suit.

<b>What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?</b>

I am trustworthy, proactive and I lead by example. I am a boots on the ground, hands-on type of leader that puts the needs of others above my own.

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

My opponent is a photo-op legislator who thinks the gender pay gap is a myth, and he represents the political donor class that gets away with serious malfeasance.

Furthermore, he has not leveraged the Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) for all the years he has been in office in the town and county. The FTZ is an economic development tool designed to help the international trade community thrive in the world market. It gives US-based companies increased global competitiveness by eliminating or reducing excise taxes to grow their business. This SLEEPING GIANT is the only site in the metropolitan area. Its underutilization has cost Suffolk County millions if not billions in revenues.

If we used this resource, we could have avoided the increased property tax hikes and residents wouldn't have to struggle to make ends meet.

<b>How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?</b>

I think they responded well. Their workers were kept safe, they kept the channel of communication open, facilitated vaccines, and enforced the utilization of masks. I would not have done anything else differently.

<b>Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.</b>

Job Creation: I will work to empower new forms of community-based job creation while protecting against overdevelopment.

Family Support: I will work to expand county services for young families and create more affordable, commuter-friendly housing.

Infrastructure: I will invest in our sewers to cut down the nitrogen pollution in our water.

Environment: I will work with state and town government to protect water and air quality, and preserving open space. I will promote policies that provide access to healthy air, water and land to improve the well being of Long Island.

Energy: I will support renewable energy and efficiency programs and fund outreach to educate the public about existing energy-efficiency incentives.

Resiliency: I will invest in waste water treatment upgrades, and construction of stormwater management systems.

Pay equity: I will fight for equal pay for women. In April 2018, the NYS Department of Labor (NYSDOL) found that women in Suffolk County earned 78.1 percent of what their male counterparts earned, compared to the state-wide percentage of 86.8 percent. African American or Black women earned 64.4 percent and Latino or Hispanic women earned 55.3 percent of what their male counterparts earned. When we work for less, we retire on less.

Transportation: I will invest in regional transit, increased service and routes, the LIRR and the airport. When we improve the interconnectivity between the trains, buses, and planes, we will be able to showcase and promote Long Island restaurants, beaches, shops, and attractions as a year-round destination to tourists.

<b>What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?</b>

I am a licensed real estate associate broker at Jones Hollow Realty Group in East Islip. Prior to joining Jones Hollow, I was the senior vice president of strategic planning and marketing for Anchor Capital International. In my role, I worked to support American business, helping create a financial platform for them in international trade.

Prior to the Anchor Group, I served as the executive director of the Town of Islip's Foreign Trade Zone Authority. Working with government officials and business leaders, I helped American manufacturers compete in the international market. I additionally helped develop policies governing the Foreign Trade Zone, ensuring it was an engine for our local economy and
American jobs.

I am the co-founder of Stand Up to Poverty, a non-profit organization bringing public health and illness prevention information to vulnerable citizens of disadvantaged communities.

Through its partnerships with organizations and schools, Stand Up to Poverty has helped to provide countless resources to those most vulnerable in our world by way of medical missions and free community health fairs.

I have served as a Suffolk County director for the Long Island Board of Realtors and the New York State Association of Realtors, gaining expertise in the ins and outs of local government. I co-founded the Haitian-American PAC, a non-partisan committee that represents the Haitian-American community in the political sphere. I am past president of the Rotary Club of Islip and the treasurer of the Haitians United Association. I also serve as recording secretary of the Suffolk County African American Advisory Board, a member of the Women's Federation for World Peace and a church leader at the World Teaching Ministry of Jesus.

<b>The best advice ever shared with me was:</b>

When the going gets tough, the tough get going. When I'm exhausted, and running on fumes, I still hear my maternal grandmother saying, 'Get up, and woman up!'

<b>What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?</b>

I’ll be a legislator that truly represents us, one that engages and listens to the community, fights for our interests, and is always available to meet our needs. I promise to be an on-the-ground, hands-on type of county legislator, the type of elected official you know you can call when you need help.