|
|
|
|
|
Local News
|
|
Written by Michele Justic
|
|
Thursday, 26 August 2010 11:02 |
 Chances are, you’ve already met Frank Scaturro. He’s made appearances at a myriad of Jewish events this summer. He has also greeted riders on the LIRR at various stations throughout Nassau County, and shook hands with participants at just about every public gathering this summer. Beyond his charismatic demeanor and youthful looks, this Congressional candidate is worth getting to know.
Frank was born on Long Island in 1972 and witnessed the American Dream firsthand at home. His father, an immigrant from Italy, worked his way up from appliance repairs to supervisory roles. His mother worked as a secretary. Frank worked his way through school and became the first in his family to earn a four-year college diploma—at Columbia University. He studied history and government and then went on to University of Pennsylvania School of Law to receive his law degree.
During his years in school, Frank put some of what he learned into practice by forming a nonprofit to restore Ulysses S. Grant’s tomb after witnessing its decay. Thanks to his efforts and the generous donors he recruited, the landmark received a $1.8 million facelift. Since then, he has worked at the law firms Lane & Mittendorf and Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, served as counsel for the Senate Judiciary Committee, and is currently a visiting professor at Hofstra University School of Law.
So what made Frank take the plunge and run for Congress to serve in New York’s Fourth Congressional District? It all started with a set of encyclopedias and a propensity for reading. Thankfully Wikipedia had yet to be invented so Frank, beginning at the tender age of 7, worked his way through each volume, getting stuck on the “Pâ€s, reading up on presidential biographies and politics. Speaking with Frank recently, it is clear he has never outgrown this ambition, information-seeking, and idealism.
Frank remains committed to his belief that the American people were, are, and can continue to be full of initiative, courage, and greatness, if unfettered by burdensome governmental legislation and taxation. He seeks to tame our current Hobbesian Leviathan which he feels discourages ingenuity and hard work in favor of entitlements. This idea has been reinforced by his many meetings with people on the street who want lower taxes and more jobs.
Scaturro seeks to forge the next chapter. He states, “We are at a crossroads in which decisions we make in the near future will determine whether we have a Western European–style social democracy with high taxes, crushing regulation, and chronic unemployment or if we will encourage individual initiative and intelligence—traits that made this country the successful example that it was and a beacon of freedom for the world.â€
He continues, “Many people feel our government is too big and onerous and has denied them opportunities to pursue their goals. We are mortgaging our future generation with the tremendous burden of a $13 trillion debt. What we need to come back are lower taxes, less spending, and less regulation on small businesses.â€
He has several concrete ideas to achieve this, including curbing discretionary spending and putting a moratorium on earmarks. He also feels trading in our “60,000 page mess of a tax code†for something similar to a flat tax would make things easier for taxpayers. Considering our dismal “recovery,†Scaturro would extend tax cuts and not vote in favor of proposed increases and dividend taxes.
Regarding health care, Scaturro agrees some reform is necessary but not in the form of the current plan which was passed by Congress. He notes, “The status quo, in which 17% of our economy is tied to health-care spending, is not acceptable. Even worse, this number will grow if we don’t change.†He would vote for a plan which puts more decision-making power in the hands of patients and doctors. He feels encouraging competition, even across state lines, and creating meaningful tort reform, which would put an end to defensive medicine, would significantly lower costs.
Yet, certainly our most immediate threat is coming from Iran, and the powder keg in the rest of the Middle East. Scaturro feels we are headed in a “regrettable direction†in this regard. He identifies Iran as “the most dangerous country on earth†and notes we cannot deal with it in the same way as we do other nations. He asserts that as someone who “spouts genocidal rhetoric†the leader should be treated as a pariah. He furthermore says that Israel should “not be expected to sustain a devastating attack before defending itself.†According to Scaturro, “Sanctions won’t work. Considering that their ideology holds that world chaos will bring the return of 12 imams, we need to be realistic. We should remember that unpopular measures in the past, such as bombing reactors, ended up increasing peace in the present.â€
On our own turf, he feels we need to stop treating acts of terror as mere matters for the criminal justice system and to classify them as acts of war. We need to follow through on our missions abroad. We also need to acknowledge the UN as “ineffective at maintaining world peace and security and create more a NATO-style network of nations which would include Japan, Australia, and Israel.â€
Speaking of Israel, certainly a matter close to the heart of most Five Towners, Scaturro has been extremely outspoken in his unconditional support of Israel as an ally. He feels no peace process should be forced upon Israel, considering that all concessions in the past have been met with further aggression. He insists the Palestinians must recognize Israel as a state and change their “pathological culture which misinforms people†and promotes hatred. He asserts that the “U.S. should not allow aid to reach those who directly or indirectly fund terror.â€
I believe Scaturro’s message can be summed up in one concern he raised: “This generation has been led to believe they need to accept a lower standard of living than their parents. That should not happen.†Truly, in all matters, both domestic and international, Scaturro is an idealist who will work hard to help rebuild this country and repair the mistakes of the current leadership. To learn more about Scaturro’s ideas, visit frankscaturro.com. Or, better yet, visit him in person at a “Fridays with Frank,†11:00 a.m.–2:00, p.m. at 87 Franklin Avenue in Franklin Square.
|
Add comment
|
|
This Week's Issue
Map of Eruv
Reach thousands of readers. Advertise Weekly in The 5 Towns Jewish Times. Find out how our sales team can help you reach your advertising goals.
Call: (516) 569-0502
Website Counter
 | Today | 33359 |  | Yesterday | 35587 |
We have: 150 guests, 3 members, 150 bots online
Today: Feb 04, 2012 |
5TJT RSS Feed