Dean Hart is a self-proclaimed “anti-politican.”
An Oyster Bay optometrist, Hart says he doesn’t want to be called a politician because “that’s a very low thing in Nassau county.”
“For almost all [the seats in the Nassau County Legislature] to be lawyers and career politicians [who were] not in the real world for the most of their life [is wrong],” Hart said in a sit-down interview with Blank Slate Media. “What you need is somebody like me.”
Hart, a resident of Old Brookville, is challenging first-term Republican county Legislator Donald MacKenzie for the 18th District seat.
The 18th District includes North Woodbury, North Syosset, Laurel Hollow, Oyster Bay Cove, Oyster Bay, Cove Neck, Centre Island, Bayville, Mill Neck, Lattingtown, Locust Valley, Matinecock, the Brookvilles, Muttontown, East Norwich, Greenvale, East Hills and Glen Head.
Hart’s platform focuses on “fixing taxpayer money on the county level,” he said.
“It’s just one big happy party with our taxpayer dollars,” Hart said. “My priority [is] to fix taxpayer money to go where it should, instead of [going] to people who want to retire [as] millionaires on our dime because they see their constituents as a piggy bank or a slush fund.”
Taxpayer dollars also played a prominent role in Hart’s desire for an investigation by the state comptroller and attorney general into mailers that were sent out by MacKenzie.
Entitled, “The Nassau County Legislature is Holding the Line on Property Taxes,” the mailers said that there was no increase in property taxes between 2011-2015.
The phrase “For households making less than $500K” was added in small print under the claim.
This claim was made despite a 3.4 percent increase in property tax this year.
“How can they send [the mailers in the first place] and then lie about it?,” Hart asked. “That’s disgusting. I’m obviously paying for the mailers out of [my] pocket.”
If elected, Hart says that one of his main priorities would be to “amend the constitutional charter.”
“[I want a constitutional amendment to] balance budget without debt,” Hart said. “I am looking big picture. I don’t want any debt. I don’t like raising taxes either. There has to be a way that you don’t have to go into debt.”
Justice is another one of Hart’s campaign main platforms.
“I care about justice for the elderly and the young,” Hart said. “I care about justice for the taxpayer, justice as a citizen. I need justice, not for me, but for the children’s children and in the name of my ancestors.”
Having no prior experience in politics other than donating to Kathleen Rice’s campaign, Hart said his patients helped him get his start in politics.
Hart said that “a few” of his patients got in contact with Dave Gugarty, the Town of Oyster Bay Democratic chairman, to let Gugarty know that he was interested in running.
“I have tons of patients who are Democrats, some who are politicians,” Hart said.
Hart says his that his path victory is dependent on the citizens of Nassau County not caring about the labels typically associated with politicians.
“It’s amazing that in this high-tech, intelligent community that I represent that [citizens would care] if I am a Republican or a Democrat, if I am [a] Conservative or [a] Liberal, if I am a Libertarian or a Tea Party man,” Hart said. “It shouldn’t matter. I’m a citizen. I don’t like labels. The only label I do like is citizen.”
Even though Hart is intent on becoming the next legislator for the 18th district, he said that sometimes the “Nassau County Legislature is a stepping stone to Albany.”
“Do I aim for Albany someday?,” Hart asked. “I just might.”
