Anna Throne-Holst talks to Democrats in Smithtown Saturday, March 12,2016
by p.biancaniello
Democrat Anna Throne-Holst came to Smithtown Saturday, March 12 to talk to Democrats and ask for their support in replacing Congressman Lee Zeldin in November. Ms. Throne-Holst, former supervisor of the Town of Southampton, gave a presentation to a group of Democrats who were eager to learn about her background and to learn more about her platform.
Democrats were not disappointed. Ms. Throne-Holst spoke about her accomplishments as the supervisor in the east end town of Southampton. She spoke of inheriting a budget that had serious deficits, had been mismanaged and a bond rating that had been downgraded. Ms. Throne-Holst corrected the situation by bringing in auditors to identify and to determine the extent of the problem. She then worked with town board members, all of whom were Republicans, to adopt changes that resulted in Southampton receiving a triple A bond rating . A message that Ms. Throne-Holst emphasized is her ability to get repeatedly elected in a Republican town and her willingness to work across political lines to get results.
Ms. Throne-Holst is a single mother of four adult children. A co-founder of the Hayground School in the Hamptons and the former director of the Bridgehampton Child Care Center. She is passionate about providing education and economic opportunities to children and families.
Throne-Holst spent a great deal of time talking about opportunity being the core of American values and said she would work to find a solution to immigration concerns. Throne-Holst stated “Donald Trump’s proposal to build a wall around the border would bankrupt our nation.” She addressed environmental issues and spoke of her effort bringing the New York State Clean Water and Technology Center to Stony Brook University. The programs developed by the center will help protect Long Island’s drinking water.
One of her prioities is to bring federal money to Long Island, a responsibility that Throne-Holst believes is paramount to LI’s future and something that Lee Zeldin has not accomplished.
Before Anna Throne-Holst gets to face Zeldin she must win the June 28th Democratic Primary. Ms. Throne-Holst stated that her record working in the non-profit field and her experience in government make her the most qualified to take on Zeldin. Speaking of her primary opponent, David Calone, she mentioned that he is a former member of the LIPA Board which supported building a Caithness II power plant which would have been very costly for rate payers.