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Tag: Joe DeStefano

  • Local 66 Members Rip Slaughter Campaign Spending

    Local 66 Members Rip Slaughter Campaign Spending

    SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y. — Members of Laborers Local 66 are criticizing the union’s political stipend program as Josh Slaughter, one of the organization’s political officials, campaigns for State Assembly.

    Local 66’s own website says members who participate in political action are eligible to receive $50 stipends for every four-hour shift and directs members interested in participating to Slaughter. The union currently lists Slaughter as its PAC Director.

    Several Local 66 members who spoke with AUXIO.TV say they believe union resources are being used to benefit Slaughter’s Assembly campaign and object to members being paid to participate.

    “He’s helping himself to our union money for his political campaign and that’s wrong,” one Local 66 member said.

    The member added that some workers continue to support incumbent Assemblyman Joe DeStefano.

    “Many of us are supporting Assemblyman Joe DeStefano, as we have in the past,” the member said. “If members want to help Slaughter, go ahead, but they shouldn’t be paid for it with our dues money.”

    AUXIO.TV has not independently confirmed which union account or funding source is used to pay the stipends, and Local 66’s public political-action page does not identify the source of those funds.

    Another member questioned the relationship between Slaughter’s union political role and his candidacy.

    “Josh is the political guy for the union and now he’s the candidate,” the member said. “That’s what members are upset about.”

    Slaughter has longstanding ties to Local 66. The union currently identifies him as PAC Director and also lists him among its leadership as an auditor and PAC coordinator. In testimony submitted to the New York State Assembly in 2023, Slaughter described himself as a “proud member” of Local 66 and said he served on its executive board.

    The dispute comes as Slaughter challenges DeStefano in the 3rd Assembly District.

    For the members speaking out, the issue is less about whether union members should participate in politics and more about whether a stipend program should be used when the union official overseeing political activity is also running for office.

    AUXIO.TV has reached out to Laborers Local 66 and the Slaughter campaign for comment.

    SUFFOLK NEWS NOW | Presented by AUXIO.TV

  • Suffolk Officials Press Hochul to Expand Sunrise Highway, Cite Traffic and Emergency Response

    Suffolk Officials Press Hochul to Expand Sunrise Highway, Cite Traffic and Emergency Response

    PATCHOGUE, N.Y. — Suffolk County and New York State elected officials gathered alongside labor representatives and first responders Monday to call on Gov. Kathy Hochul and state government to move forward with a major expansion of Sunrise Highway.

    The September 15 press conference focused on a proposal to extend the existing three-lane portion of Sunrise Highway more than 10 miles east to Wading River Road at Exit 59, in both the eastbound and westbound directions.

    State Sen. Dean Murray, Assemblyman Joe DeStefano, Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine, Suffolk County Legislature Presiding Officer Anthony Piccirillo, and Legislators Jim Mazzarella and Dominick Thorne were among the elected officials participating.

    Representatives from South Country Ambulance, the Long Island Contractors’ Association and International Union of Operating Engineers Local 138 also joined the call for action.

    A central message throughout the press conference was that Suffolk County residents send substantial tax revenue to Albany and should see more of that money returned to Long Island through major infrastructure projects.

    “We send a lot of money to the state, and the state therefore should reinvest back into Suffolk County and Long Island,” Romaine said.

    Officials repeatedly directed their appeal toward Hochul, calling on the governor to “do the right thing” for Suffolk taxpayers by advancing the proposed highway expansion.

    Murray said some studies examining traffic conditions in the region have already been conducted and argued that the next step is moving the project further into the state’s transportation planning process.

    He called for steps to be taken to have the proposed expansion included in the state’s five-year transportation capital plan, which would move the effort closer to the planning and funding process necessary for a project of this scale.

    Thorne focused on the public-safety implications of congestion along the corridor.

    He emphasized the need for additional highway capacity to help relieve traffic during emergency situations, when ambulances, fire apparatus and other emergency vehicles can face the same congestion as motorists while attempting to reach people who need assistance.

    The argument presented Monday went beyond reducing commute times.

    Supporters framed the expansion as an infrastructure, economic and public-safety issue for a portion of Suffolk County that has experienced significant transportation demands while continuing to depend heavily on Sunrise Highway as a primary east-west corridor.

    The proposed expansion would carry the highway’s three-lane configuration eastward for more than 10 additional miles until Wading River Road, providing additional capacity through a heavily traveled section of Brookhaven Town.

    Monday’s press conference, however, did not represent an announcement that the expansion has been approved or funded.

    Major questions involving state authorization, engineering, environmental review, funding and an eventual construction schedule would still need to be addressed before work could begin.

    For the coalition assembled in Patchogue, the immediate objective was to push the project higher on Albany’s infrastructure agenda.

    Their message to Hochul was consistent: Suffolk County sends significant revenue to New York State, its residents rely on Sunrise Highway for transportation and emergency access, and they believe it is time for the state to reinvest some of those resources into expanding one of Long Island’s most important roadways.

  • Suffolk Officials Call for 10-Mile Expansion of Sunrise Highway to Wading River Road

    Suffolk Officials Call for 10-Mile Expansion of Sunrise Highway to Wading River Road

    PATCHOGUE, N.Y. — A coalition of New York State and Suffolk County elected officials is calling for a major expansion of Sunrise Highway, proposing that its three-lane configuration be extended more than 10 additional miles east to Wading River Road.

    According to a media advisory issued by New York State Senator Dean Murray, officials are holding a press conference in Patchogue to advocate for widening the highway in both the eastbound and westbound directions.

    The proposal would continue the existing three-lane portion of Sunrise Highway for more than 10 miles, reaching Wading River Road at Exit 59.

    Murray is expected to be joined by New York State Assemblyman Joe DeStefano, Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine, Suffolk County Legislature Presiding Officer Anthony Piccirillo, and County Legislators Jim Mazzarella and Dominick Thorne.

    Representatives from South Country Ambulance, Long Island Contractors’ Association Executive Director Marc Herbst, and representatives from the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 138 are also scheduled to participate.

    The involvement of elected officials, emergency-service representatives and organized labor gives the proposal a broader focus than simply adding another travel lane. The press conference is expected to make the case for extending the highway’s capacity farther east as officials push for action on one of Suffolk County’s major east-west transportation corridors.

    The proposal is particularly significant for communities in the Brookhaven and greater eastern Suffolk area, where Sunrise Highway serves residents, commuters, commercial traffic and emergency responders traveling across the region.

    The media advisory describes the initiative as a call for the widening of Sunrise Highway. It does not indicate that construction has been approved, funded or scheduled.

    That distinction is important: the officials are advocating for the expansion, but the press conference itself does not constitute state authorization for the project.

    The event is scheduled to take place at the southwest portion of the ShopRite parking lot at 95 Sunrise Highway in Patchogue.

    Additional details about the proposed expansion, including potential costs, engineering requirements, environmental review, funding sources and a possible construction timeline, could emerge as officials publicly present their case.

    For now, the central proposal is clear: extend the three-lane section of Sunrise Highway more than 10 miles eastward in both directions and carry it to Wading River Road at Exit 59.

  • DeStefano Pushes for More State Funding to Repair Local Roads and Infrastructure

    DeStefano Pushes for More State Funding to Repair Local Roads and Infrastructure

    SUFFOLK COUNTY — New York State Assemblyman Joe DeStefano is backing increased state investment in local roads, bridges and transportation infrastructure, arguing that communities across Long Island need more help keeping aging infrastructure safe and reliable.

    DeStefano joined lawmakers from both the Assembly and Senate in supporting additional funding for the Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program, known as CHIPS, which provides state money directly to municipalities for road and highway projects. 

    For Suffolk County communities, CHIPS funding can help local governments repair deteriorating roads, address potholes, improve bridges and complete transportation projects without placing the entire financial burden on local taxpayers.

    DeStefano has framed the issue as more than routine road maintenance.

    “The CHIPS program is vital to maintaining our roads, bridges and transportation networks,” DeStefano said in announcing his support for increased funding. He also tied infrastructure investment to stronger communities, job creation and public safety. 

    Local Roads, Local Impact

    Infrastructure funding can have an immediate effect on residents because many of the roads people use every day are maintained by towns, villages and other local governments rather than directly by the state.

    Those municipalities face rising construction, labor and material costs while still being expected to maintain miles of roadway.

    Additional CHIPS funding allows more of those costs to be supported through the state budget.

    For DeStefano, who represents New York’s 3rd Assembly District in Suffolk County, that makes infrastructure funding an affordability issue as well as a transportation issue.

    More state support can reduce pressure on local governments to fund major road projects entirely through local revenue.

    Public Safety Connection

    Road conditions also have a direct connection to public safety.

    Deteriorated pavement, damaged shoulders and aging infrastructure can create hazards for motorists, pedestrians, emergency vehicles and school transportation.

    DeStefano has argued that investment in roads and bridges should therefore be viewed as part of the state’s broader responsibility to keep communities safe.

    His support for CHIPS also fits into a broader legislative agenda focused on public safety, affordability and local government needs. His official Assembly page shows that those themes have remained central to his work throughout the 2025–26 legislative session. 

    Bringing State Dollars Back to Local Communities

    The importance of programs such as CHIPS is ultimately straightforward: state tax dollars return to local communities for projects residents can see and use every day.

    For Suffolk residents, that means repaired roads, stronger bridges and infrastructure improvements that can otherwise be difficult for municipalities to finance on their own.

    DeStefano’s position is that Albany should continue increasing those investments rather than forcing local governments to absorb more of the cost.

    For a district where residents depend heavily on automobiles and local road networks, that is a tangible issue with an immediate impact on quality of life.

  • DeStefano Backs New Push to Crack Down on Medicaid Fraud in New York

    DeStefano Backs New Push to Crack Down on Medicaid Fraud in New York

    HAUPPAUGE — New York State Assemblyman Joe DeStefano is backing a new legislative push aimed at tightening Medicaid fraud enforcement, increasing local prosecutorial involvement and creating financial rewards for credible tips that lead to successful cases.

    DeStefano joined Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney, state Sen. Dean Murray, Sen. Anthony Palumbo and Sen. Mario Mattera in Hauppauge to support a two-bill package targeting fraud within New York’s Medicaid system. 

    The first proposal would formally designate the Office of the Medicaid Inspector General, or OMIG, as the statewide clearinghouse for Medicaid fraud tips submitted through the 1-877-87-FRAUD hotline. Credible allegations would then be referred to both the New York Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Unit and the appropriate local district attorney. 

    Under the proposal, authorities would have 30 days after receiving a tip to determine whether an investigation will move forward and which agency will lead it. OMIG would also receive the outcome of completed investigations and issue annual reports showing how many tips were received, referred, investigated and resolved. 

    A second bill would create a Medicaid Fraud Tip Reward Program funded with 1% of money recovered through Medicaid fraud investigations, seizures and forfeitures. People whose documented information directly leads to a guilty plea or criminal conviction could qualify for a financial reward. 

    DeStefano: Fraud Takes Money From People Who Need Care

    DeStefano framed the issue as both a taxpayer concern and a threat to people who rely on Medicaid.

    “Every dollar stolen from that system is a dollar taken away from someone who genuinely needs care.”

    He said the program exists to support seniors, people with disabilities, low-income families and children, while arguing that New York does not have enough oversight to deal with waste, fraud and abuse. 

    The Medford Republican represents New York’s 3rd Assembly District and has previously supported legislation involving Medicaid fraud detection, including a proposal that would reimburse counties for fraud, waste and abuse detection software. 

    Suffolk Officials Want More Local Enforcement

    Tierney argued that local prosecutors need greater access to Medicaid fraud complaints.

    Under the proposed legislation, credible tips would no longer remain solely within the state-level enforcement structure. Local district attorneys with jurisdiction would receive the information and could take part in investigating and prosecuting cases. 

    Tierney said the additional authority could help Suffolk investigators pursue cases that might otherwise fall through the cracks.

    Romaine also backed the package, saying stronger Medicaid fraud enforcement could protect money intended for people who depend on the health-care program. 

    Fraud Fight Tied to Affordability

    Supporters are also framing the proposals as an affordability issue.

    Palumbo argued that waste and fraud ultimately increase pressure on taxpayers and reduce resources available for legitimate public programs. The lawmakers backing the package say stronger oversight and more aggressive prosecution could help recover taxpayer money while protecting the integrity of Medicaid. 

    The legislation has not yet become law. It would still need approval from the Legislature and the governor before the proposed referral and reward systems could take effect.

    For DeStefano, the argument is straightforward: Medicaid should remain available for the residents who genuinely need it, while those who exploit the system should face greater scrutiny and prosecution.