Our special guest this afternoon is the Honorable Tom Abinanti, who is serving his eighth term as a Westchester County Legislator. He represents the 12th District, which includes Irvington, Dobbs Ferry, Hastings, Ardsley and most of unincorporated Greenburgh. He is a graduate of Fordham College, the NYU’s School of Law. He is a practicing attorney with over thirty years of public service and community activity. Mr. Abinanti has a full understanding of the workings of Town and County government. His legal career has included serving as a prosecuting attorney for two Greenburgh villages, pro-bono work for the Westchester Coalition for Legal Abortion, and being a legislative and staff counsel to a member of Congress and the NY State Assembly and its Speaker.  

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Today we are going to discuss the topic of “Westchester County, It’s Future, Continual Growth or Self-Division into Rich and Poor Communities.”  Along with that critical subject Mr. Abinanti, has an abiding interest in the environment and energy, and serves as the Chairperson of that County Legislative Committee.

Meanwhile, the mission of the “Advocates” is to bring to the public differing views on current “public policy “issues. “Public policy,” therefore, is what we as a nation legally and traditionally follow. Over the years, the “public policy” of the United States has changed or has been modified greatly. As an example, “free public education” is the public policy of the United States. Also, over time great struggles have ensued over the control of the direction of “public policy” For example: free trade vs. protectionism, slavery vs. emancipation, state’s rights vs. Federalism, and an all-volunteer armed forces or the “draft.”