Mid Hudson Times Aug. 08 2018 | Page 3

3 Mid Hudson Times, Wednesday, August 8, 2018 Two candidates emerge in 99th Assembly race New Windsor Chief of Staff runs on GOP line Rettig is the new Democratic candidate in Assembly race By SHANTAL RILEY [email protected] By SHANTAL RILEY [email protected] Colin Schmitt is running for a seat in the 99th District of the New York State Assembly. “I have the experience and ability to hit the ground running from day one,” said the Republican. Schmitt, 28, works as chief of staff for the Town of New Windsor. He also serves as a member of the U.S. Army National Guard. “I’ve seen family, friends, neighbors moving out of the State of New York because they can’t afford to live here or raise a family here. Jobs are lacking, taxes are way too high,” said Schmitt, who said he would fight to make sure the district receives its “fair share” of state funding to help lower taxes and fund schools. Schmitt is running on Republican, Conservative, Independence and Reform Party lines. Schmitt has run twice for the seat, once in 2012 and again in 2016. The position is being vacated by Assemblyman James Skoufis, who announced his bid for the 39th seat of the New York State Senate in May, following news of the retirement of longtime state Senator Bill Larkin Jr. If elected, Schmitt said he would tackle the region’s opioid crisis with a “multi-pronged” approach, through support of prevention, treatment, recovery and law enforcement. “We need to take a holistic approach, giving law enforcement the tools they need,” he said, including charging drug dealers with manslaughter in cases of overdose deaths. “We need to work to make sure insurance companies are covering necessary treatments, over the proper length of time,” added Schmitt. Education is also needed to better inform the community about the epidemic, he said. “Everyone’s been affected, whether they know it or not,” Schmitt said. The New Windsor resident also supports term limits and ethics reform, ensuring “honest, accountable government” in Albany. “I want to make sure our district has a dedicated voice, someone who could fight to reform Albany, but defend our Hudson Valley values against the powerful This month, Matt Rettig replaced Brett Broge as the Democratic candidate for the 99th District of the New York State Assembly. He will face Republican Colin Schmitt in the general election in November. “I’m running to continue the good work James Skoufis started for this district,” said Rettig. “He’s been a tireless advocate for the district.” The position is being vacated by Skoufis, who is leaving the job as part of his bid for the state Senate’s 39th District seat, left open with the retirement of Senator Bill Larkin Jr. One of Rettig’s platform goals is to support sustainable land use in the district. “We want to make sure growth is managed in a sustainable way,” said the Cornwall resident. “I’m pro-growth. But, we have to make sure that the resources are adequate for current and future projects we want to undertake.” Controlling taxes is also a priority for Rettig, who has worked as a commercial airline pilot for more than 18 years. “Everyone agrees taxes are too high in New York State,” he said. “I’m open to looking at different ways to fund schools. It’s possible property taxes aren’t the best way to do it.” School districts are in dire need of adequate funding, Rettig said. “As a legislator, I can’t teach children, but I can make sure enough resources are available to those who do,” he said. “As a legislator in the majority party, I can play a part in solving these issues,” he said. “It’s important that the seat remains in Democratic hands. It’s important to have a partner in the Senate,” Rettig added, referring to Skoufis. “That would be best for the district. We would get a lot done that way.” Rettig replaced Democratic Committee Chairman Brett Broge soon after Broge announced he was running for the seat. “Brett had some family issues come up, and so he decided he was unable to run,” Rettig explained. “When Brett became unavailable, James Skoufis personally reached out to me and asked me to run. I am Colin Schmitt New York City political machine and be an advocate for all residents of our district,” he said. Schmitt pointed to a new ethics law recently put into place in New Windsor. “We were out-of-date with basic state guidance,” said Schmitt, who wrote the law. Among other changes, the new ethics code established a revolving-door policy that placed restrictions on town officials leaving town employment to work for companies with business that conflicts with their previous duties and bars acceptance of gifts related to official duties. “It’s not just talk, I’ve actually done it,” said Schmitt of government ethics reform. “I plan to lead the fight against systemic welfare abuse,” Schmitt asserted, and, he said, he opposes the continued expansion of the Village of Kiryas Joel. Schmitt said he also wants to protect the district’s natural resources. “We only get one of them,” he said, referring to the environment. “We don’t get a redo. We have to protect our waterways, our rivers, our streams, our open land and clean air.” Schmitt previously served as director of operations for the New York State Senate Committee on Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs. He is the only Republican that has filed a petition in the race. Schmitt will face Orange County Democratic Committee Chairman Brett Broge for the seat in November. Matt Rettig honored that he did so.” Rettig said he is wide open to working on the issues with Republican Assembly members. “I brought people together to find common ground,” he said, speaking of his work as a negotiator for American Eagle and the Air Line Pilots Association in the 2010s. “I was on the negotiating committee the entire time American Eagle was in bankruptcy,” he said. “We had almost no leverage but we were able to get through it. It was very stressful, but we had to remain professional in an adversarial situation.” “Legislators have to get together and find common ground and find solutions to figure things out, which is precisely what I did as a union negotiator,” he said. His experience as a professional pilot will also serve him in the Assembly, Rettig said. “There is a lot of training being an airline pilot. It’s a huge responsibility,” Rettig explained. “I’m cool under fire. When trouble finds you, you need to rise to it and react appropriately and professionally. That’s my mentality. That’s the approach I intend to bring to being an assemblyman.” To learn more about Matt Rettig, visit the Rettig for Assembly page on Facebook or RettigforAssembly.com. The district covers towns including New Windsor, Hamptonburgh, Chester, Blooming Grove, Woodbury, Highlands, Cornwall, Wawayanda, Goshen and Stony Point in Rockland County.