Meet The Candidates: Arnold Drucker Runs For Nassau Legislature

PLAINVIEW, NY — Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 2. Patch has reached out to candidates across Nassau County to find out why they're running for office, and what they hope to achieve for residents.

Arnold Drucker, 64, is running for re-election in the Nassau County Legislator race. He currently represents District 16, which consists of the Plainview, Old Bethpage, Jericho, Syosset, Woodbury, Hicksville, Old Westbury, and Roslyn Heights communities.

A lifelong Plainview resident, Drucker was elected to the Legislature in a November 2016 special election. He is currently serving his second full term.

You can learn more about Drucker below, or by clicking here.

Why are you seeking elective office?

For the past 5 years, it has been my profound honor and privilege to represent the residents of the community I have spent my entire life in, with the exception of my undergraduate education and law school education. Serving my neighbors and friends in this community in county government gives me the greatest satisfaction and inspires me each and every day to continue to give back to the community that has given so much to me.

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

The single most pressing issue facing our county is economic recovery. Boost Nassau ensured the efficient delivery and deployment of American Rescue Plan funds to supercharge our regional recovery from COVID-19. As additional funding is received, I will continue to advocate for the implementation of long-term solutions as a member of the Legislature's Finance committee.

I will continue to work with Nassau County's Industrial Development Agency to carefully evaluate opportunities for economic growth and development without overlooking small and local businesses. These opportunities need to bring good-paying jobs to our communities and support our independent, family-owned businesses while balancing environmental impact.

We must encourage the smart development of our local downtowns to support the expansion of our sales tax base and ensure that Nassau County continues to hold the line on property taxes. I will continue to support initiatives that empower our County to meet those goals.

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

As a lifelong resident of Plainview, with the exception of years at college and law school, I have the strongest roots in the community I represent. That connection, along with my skills and experience as an attorney and small business owner of my own law practice for more than three decades in one of the most ethnically diverse communities in America, Jackson Heights, Queens, have prepared me best to advocate for the interests and needs of constituents from all background, to analyze complex legal issues facing our County, and to understand from first-hand experience the many challenges facing our small and local businesses as we endeavor not only to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, but to thrive.

As a public servant and active civic and community member, I do not aspire to higher office; rather, I am grateful for the opportunity to serve in the community where I live.

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

Local officials who prioritized the health and safety of residents as the center of their response to coronavirus while developing strategies for economic recovery are deserving of praise and commendation. I am fortunate to serve at the County level alongside Nassau County Executive Laura Curran, who did just that.

On the contrary, those who gave raises while families were struggling, thousands were laid off, and food insecurity had tripled should be held accountable.

At the county level, we utilized the funding, facilities, and programs to their fullest. We made out-of-the-box decisions to adapt to the situation on a daily basis, all in an effort to respond to an ever-changing landscape.

As someone who believes in going the extra mile, it can always be asked, "Would we have liked to do more?" but I can sleep at night knowing my office and I worked together in the most efficient, innovative, and collaborative ways to make a very bad situation better for the people of LD16 and the residents of Nassau County.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Economic Recovery

Small and local businesses are the backbone of our Nassau County economy. Boost Nassau ensured the efficient delivery and deployment of American Rescue Plan funds to supercharge our regional recovery from COVID-19. As additional funding is received, long-term solutions must be implemented.

We must work with our local IDAs to carefully evaluate opportunities for economic growth and development without overlooking small and local businesses. These opportunities need to bring good-paying jobs to our communities and support our independent, family-owned businesses while balancing environmental impact.

We must encourage the smart development of our local downtowns to support the expansion of our sales tax base and ensure that Nassau County continues to hold the line on property taxes.

Infrastructure

From sidewalks to roads to public transportation, Nassau County must continue moving forward in order to strengthen and best position our local economy not only for recovery but for residents, families, and businesses to thrive. Local businesses and downtowns depend upon safe roads, structurally-sound sidewalks, and expanded access to transportation and options for walkability.

We must implement lessons from the pandemic and therefore expand access to technology and transportation for all, while ensuring that infrastructure improvements help to create a more accessible Nassau for all residents.

Community Health & Wellness

As we begin to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, the comprehensive health and well-being of Nassau County residents must remain our top priority. This includes a greater focus not only on physical health but on mental health. Almost immediately at the onset of the pandemic, instances of domestic violence and reports of opioid overdoses increased dramatically. We must expand programming and support services for survivors of abuse, those suffering from substance abuse and addiction, and for residents coping with mental health issues. We must work harder towards achieving equity for all Nassau County residents, and we must work towards eradicating antisemitism and discrimination against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders here in Nassau County.

Housing

Nassau County has the second-highest rent-affordability gap in the country. We must work with our colleagues in our Towns, villages, and cities to ease zoning restrictions in order to provide safe and affordable housing for our young workforce and senior citizens. We must prioritize infrastructure improvements to transportation and technology in order to support transit-oriented development to meet these needs.

As reported by the Center for an Urban Future, Nassau County experienced a 22 percent increase in its older adult population over the past decade, with the number of 65-and-over residents increasing by 43,406 — from 196,254 in 2007 to 239,660 in 2017. Older adults now account for 18 percent of the county's overall population, one of the highest shares in the state.

The communities of Plainview, Old Bethpage, and Syosset have been designated NNORCs, Neighborhood Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities. These areas have unique needs, and we must do more to ensure that our senior citizens have access to adequate housing in order to be able to continue to age in place, as well as access to public transportation to meet their basic daily needs and to allow home healthcare workers — many of whom are low-wage workers who rely on public transpiration — increased ability to be able to care for our elderly and aging residents.

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

At a time when it matters most, my accomplishments as a Legislator reflect my ongoing commitment to my top priority: the health, safety, and wellbeing of all Nassau County residents. Sponsoring, introducing, and passing significant legislation on the health and safety of our residents and County employees. For example, I was able to pass Tobacco 21, which banned the sale of tobacco-related products to anyone under the age of 21. I also passed legislation banning the sale of fruit-flavored vape products and electronic cigarettes. I passed mandatory sexual harassment training for all County elected officials and department heads. I passed a law that criminalized the unlawful dissemination of private images without consent and also provided civil remedies for those individuals victimized by such reprehensible acts.

As a Legislator, I am able to understand the innate connection between infrastructure and health. I secured funding to repave over 28 miles of Nassau County roads in my district. I was able to obtain road safety and traffic regulation enhancements at certain problematic intersections, and I passed legislation providing for the installation of cameras on the School Bus Stop Arms to deter the dangerous and unlawful passing of those school busses by reckless motorists.

My focus on the relationship between health and infrastructure has enabled me to adjust and adapt quickly to meet the unprecedented needs of constituents during the COVID-19 pandemic and is perhaps the greatest evidence that I am prepared to meet and overcome the challenges facing our families and communities while serving as a Nassau County Legislator. I was able to coordinate with local healthcare providers to offer multiple opportunities for mobile antibody testing and mobile vaccinations throughout District 16 and helped to schedule vaccine appointments for hundreds of immunocompromised residents. I worked with school districts to create the first virtual internship experience for high school students in Nassau County to create a sense of community when there was none to be had, which gave dozens of students the chance to be part of the solution at a time when there were more questions than answers.

Additionally, my team and I assisted hundreds of unemployed and underemployed residents in applying for and receiving unemployment benefits and delivered direct, around-the-clock support to hundreds of residents left without power during Tropical Storm Isaias. Throughout the pandemic, we organized and supported numerous food drives throughout District 16 to address food insecurity and established Neighbors Helping Neighbors, a partnership between the MIYJCC and local student volunteers to shop for seniors who could not risk their health to go to the grocery store/pharmacy.

By utilizing technology and web conferencing apps, District 16 residents were provided community information and education through numerous webinars on health, business, finance, emergency preparedness, and cultural programming (COVID-19 Vaccines/COVID-19 and Your Child/Ready for Reopening Series for businesses, virtual storytime programs, all-hazard preparedness, and tax grievance and exemption workshops) at a time when residents had questions and were experiencing fear and anxiety due to a lack of information. I am eager to continue to support residents as we tackle head-on the challenges ahead and I look forward to celebrating a County that is stronger than ever before.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

People will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. (Dr. Maya Angelou) Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you (United States Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg). I have been taught that kindness is contagious and to take the time to make each individual you meet feel important.

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

My sense of empathy and compassion, combined with unwavering advocacy for the protection and advancement of the rights of all people, particularly those underserved and underrepresented, motivates me each and every day.

Editor's note: The candidate's responses have been lightly edited for clarity.