Poulos: No More Cell Phone, Cars, and Per Diems

Dix Hills, NY…Today Deborah Poulos, Republican and Conservative candidate for Suffolk County Legislature’s 16^th district, announced that she will end special perks County Legislators receive for serving in office.

“As our economy is eroding, our friends and neighbors are losing their jobs, homes and savings and our county government is facing a huge deficit, I believe that we need strong new leadership with the determination to rebuild our economy and the experience to bring about fiscal responsibility.  That’s why I am calling for an end to the special privileges county legislators receive,” said Poulos.  “It is time to end the perks and privileges.”

Poulos wants to end the practice of giving free cell phones and cars to County Legislators and reimbursing them for mileage.  “We have to stretch our tax dollars further in this deep recession.  These perks are not vital to the operation of the county and they should be cut,” said Poulos.

Poulos believes that it is important for legislators to lead by example.  On day one as a new legislator she will reject the perks.  She will also file legislation to halt the perks for all legislators if they don’t willingly give up the taxpayer funded privileges.

“Serving in office should not be about enriching oneself.  It should be about fighting for the interests of our residents.  By ending these perks, we will be sending a clear message that we are working for the people’s priorities, not our own,” said Poulos.

“As our county faces these new economic challenges, our citizens expect leadership from their elected officials.  They expect us to make wise choices and make tough decisions.  They expect good government, a disciplined budget, and a set of priorities that begin with curbing spending instead of raising taxes,” added Poulos.

On a different matter, last week Poulos announced her economic plan for making Suffolk County more business friendly.

Unemployment in Suffolk County has been steadily growing during Steve Stern’s tenure.   It has basically doubled.  Deborah fears that even more people are under employed.  Her goal is to make Suffolk County business friendly, so we can put people back to work.

Her plan includes:

• Performance audit—Deborah wants to conduct a performance audit of Suffolk County agencies and departments to make sure our tax dollars are being maximized and that the county is providing quality services.

• Long Term Plan—After the performance audit Deborah will work with other legislators to determine the needs of the county over the next decade.  She wants to wisely map out our county’s future goals and not just budget from year to year without any set goals.  This will stop the need for emergency funding and bonding and it will lower the tax burden.

• Certainty for business community—By making departments efficient and making long term plans for the county, businesses will finally have the certainty they need.  Not knowing if there is going to be a deficit so taxes have to be raised is holding back many entrepreneurs and other businesses from growing. It is also keeping unemployment high.

• Business friendly climate—Deborah Poulos wants entrepreneurs and our local businesses to know that we appreciate them and that Suffolk County recognizes they are job creators for our citizens.

How do we establish a business friendly atmosphere:

• Stop passing hidden tax increases

• Lower taxes that add to the cost of doing business such as licensing fees, parking fees, and taxes on utilities

• Streamline bureaucracy so businesses can easily comply with regulations and get the appropriate permits.

She is the only candidate with an economic plan.

Poulos is a lifelong resident of Long Island.  She has a deep commitment to the community.  She is a co-founding member of a Dix Hills civic organization, supporter of the Lustgarten Foundation, the American Diabetes Association and the Crohn’s Disease Foundation, and member of the St. Paraskevi Greek Orthodox Shrine Church.  Also, she serves as an advisor to the Philoptichos Society—a women’s philanthropic organization serving our community.  Professionally, she is a founding partner of the law firm Lefkowitz and Poulos.  She is a member of the Suffolk County Bar Association and the Suffolk County Women’s Bar Association.

Voters can find more information on her by visiting www.VoteDeborahPoulos.com