LICA Tells Albany to "Face It. Fund It. Fix It."
LICA Executive Director Marc Herbst and several LICA members, traveled to Albany on Friday, February 9th, joining over 600 heavy construction workers, business leaders, lobbyists and supporters - to urge lawmakers to dedicate the funding needed to finance, fix and upgrade New York's aging infrastructure. Organized by the Rebuild New York Now coalition, LICA joined the rally to call on Governor Andrew Cuomo to dedicate a substantial portion of the $5.4 billion "windfall" fund, to help pay for sorely needed repairs and upgrades to the highways, bridges and transportation systems on Long Island and elsewhere in the state. They were also urging leaders to find and vote for a long-term, fully-funded fix for the federal Highway Trust Fund.
Among the speakers to rally the crowd was LICA's Executive Director who used a "worker's pulpit" to remind the group that “It is our industry that understands the stress points in the infrastructure and our industry that is tasked with maintaining the roads, bridges and highways that inevitably allowed us, our elected officials and other special interest groups to travel here, to the state capitol, to exert a different type of stress point on our legislators. These groups are here to lobby on behalf of education, health care, social services and other needs and we need to do the same. Let’s place the same stress on our legislators so they understand the importance of sufficiently funding the safe upkeep of our infrastructure and transportation system.”
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Left to Right: Marc Herbst, Assemblyman David McDonough, Billy Haugland, Jr., Laura Imperiale, Joe K. Posillico, and Assemblyman Andrew Raia. |
The following legislators also spoke at the rally: Assemblyman Al Graf (R-Bayport), Assemblyman Dean Murray (R-East Patchogue) and Assemblyman Andrew Raia (R-Northport). Assemblyman Raia courageously told the 600+ attendees from throughout the state, that he was fighting for Long Island, and singled out the LICA firms present, Grace Industries, Tully Construction and Posillico as among the state’s best contractors. “The funding formulas call for Long Island to receive 23% of the state’s allocation and the Governor’s spending plan proposes about 8%. With all due respect to other regions of the state that are here today, Long Island deserves its fair share and I will fight for it.”
Assemblyman David McDonough (R-Bellmore), the Ranking Member of the Assembly Transportation Committee, introduced LICA Board Members Billy Haugland, Jr. and Joe K. Posillico on the floor of the Assembly Chamber to the legislative body and thanked them for their efforts.
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Senator Jack Martins with LICA Board Member Joseph K. Posillico. |
Herbst, along with Haugland, Posillico, and Laura Imperiale of Tully Construction, met in the Assembly Chamber with Assemblyman Anthony Palumbo (R-Riverhead), Assemblyman Steven Englebright (D-East Setauket), Assemblyman Michael Fitzpatrick (R-Smithtown), Assemblyman Joseph Saladino (R-Massapequa), Assemblyman Chuck Lavine (D-Glen Cove), and Assemblyman Michael Montesano (R-Hicksville). Outside the Senate Chamber, representatives also met with the following members of the LI Senate delegation: Senator Kenneth LaValle (R-Mount Sinai), Senator John Flanagan (R-Smithtown), Senator Carl Marcellino (R-Oyster Bay), Senator Kemp Hannon (R-Garden City), Senator Jack Martins (R-Garden City Park) and Senator Michael Venditto (R-North Massapequa).
Rebuild New York Now is a broad-based coalition seeking to raise public awareness about the issues impacting New York State's infrastructure. The coalition actively engages federal and state elected officials to support public policies that promote safe roads, bridges, schools, hospitals, water treatment and other vital infrastructure.
