This morning’s speaker, Assemblywoman Patricia Acompora, began the meeting by referring to the dysfunctional operations of Albany. If you recall, in a recent LIMBA meeting, assemblyman Steve Englebright spent considerable time on that topic. This indicates to me that this not a partisan issue. Not enough has been said outside of Albany, but it looks like the attitude among the legislators is, enough is enough. Good!
Ms. Acompora has been trying for some time to establish an Empire Zone in Nassau County, but has not been getting the required support from Mr. Gargano. A big frustration for a person that prides herself with achieving goals.

The rules on shipping interstate the wines produced on Long Island have hampered the growth of that industry. The rules put LI wines at a disadvantage. Acompora has been working on that too.

Another topic is the proposed closing of the “air wing” at Gabreski Airport in West Hampton. This aircraft support has been very useful for rescue work and civil emergencies, and could be helpful in the event of terror attacks. She wants it to continue to function

Hank Boerner was in the audience and asked about advancing coordinated transportation facilities. Pat said that kind of visionary thinking is the outcome that will be the result from several initiatives she is interested in.

The assemblywoman has a litany of achieved goals. It is to her credit that she chose to speak about what needs to be done, as opposed to, what has been done.

The audience thanked her and we gave her the traditional LIMBA mug.