The South Shore Press Endorses Joseph Hernandez for NYS Comptroller

The race for New York State Comptroller boils down to a desperate need for checks and balances within the walls of state government, along with having a private-sector business executive managing the $309.7 billion pension fund.

Right now, Democrats hold the offices of Governor and Attorney General, along with majorities in the Assembly and Senate.

The race for Comptroller pits career politician and Democrat Tom DiNapoli against highly successful private-sector businessman and Republican Joseph Hernandez, whose family fled a communist regime for a better life in America.

Hernandez gets the nod and endorsement from the South Shore Press in this battle of the bean counters, based on his private-sector resume and being able to serve as a truly independent watchdog in Albany.

He's a private-sector Republican. Everyone else in Albany is mostly career politician Democrats.

Hernandez founded and financed biotechnology companies and took businesses public on Wall Street. This is exactly the strong business background needed to manage the state's massive pension fund and deliver the best results for taxpayers.

Those business responsibilities required evaluating investments, raising capital, managing financial risk and answering to investors. There is no one, no one serving in Albany right now with this impressive of a resume as Hernandez.

His successful private-sector career offers a concrete and clear contrast with incumbent State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.

After 20 years in the Assembly, fellow lawmakers anointed him Comptroller in 2007 following Alan Hevesi's resignation amid scandal.

On Medicaid, Hernandez proposes a Fraud Strike Team using data analytics to detect suspicious claims before payment. This is music to the ears of fed-up and frustrated taxpayers, who saw billions wasted in Minnesota and shake their heads at the big CDPAP Medicaid fraud scandal engulfing Albany.

Don't get us wrong, Tom DiNapoli is a nice guy. You hear that refrain all over Albany when his name is mentioned. "I like Tom, nice fella," is the consensus in the state capital.

Taxpayers don't need a nice guy serving as their watchdog in Albany. They need a private-sector pit bull who will pull no punches on politicians.

Joseph Hernandez is the right man for the job as New York State Comptroller and earns our endorsement.