A Donno Slap-Down by Former Nassau Presiding Officer Jacobs

From the Hicksville Illustrated News....
"'Confident Electorate Will Ascertain The Truth'
As a mother, a grandmother, former presiding officer of the Nassau County Legislature, and an elected official, I was disturbed to see Republican Barbara Donno has stooped to using children as political tools in a recent negative ad against Senator Craig Johnson.

Though, shame on me for being surprised. This is yet another chapter in a failing Republican campaign, where disingenuous attacks have replaced discussion of the issues that face our Nassau families.

I have always believed that an honest debate on each candidate's record is warranted. However, it appears that even this is too much to ask from the Republican machine. I had the distinct pleasure of working side by side with Senator Craig Johnson when he served on the Nassau County Legislature. This Republican machine is the same group that ran Nassau into the ground, and it took a team of Craig, myself and eight others to build the county back up.

We had to make some tough choices but they were the right decisions to put Nassau back on the path toward fiscal health. Senator Johnson has continued to make these hard decisions in Albany, breaking with his party in 2007 to support an education plan that was better for Long Island's children, and recently voting to cut $1 billion in spending over the next two years in order to shore up New York's finances.

Ms. Donno, who has served as president of the Manhasset School Board, was a former educator, has not only been caught distorting Senator Johnson's record on veterans' issues and outright lying about his position on the commuter tax (he is against it), but now she is resorting to using children to continue her negative attacks. Barbara Donno is running on her background as a former educator. I, too, was a former educator. I ask you what exactly are our children learning from being used in a Republican smear?

In the interest of fairness, Donno is correct in noting that out of every dollar Long Island sends to Albany, we only receive 10 cents back. What she fails to mention is that this inequity was allowed to take hold during the decades that the Republicans have been in control of the Senate.

I find it of interest that she did not start airing this commercial until after a public poll was released that showed her 24 points behind.

I have utmost confidence in the intelligence of the electorate and their ability to ascertain the truth.

Judith A. Jacobs
Legislator-16th L.D.
Former Presiding Officer"