For this column I have interviewed outgoing 8th District (Suffolk) Assemblyman, Phil Boyle.

RE TOM BARRAGA He will do a great job. He is well respected in Albany. His position on the Ways and Means Committee will help the district receive additional funding. He has a good working knowledge of State budget issues.

WHAT NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED IN ALBANY The partisanship. It's much more partisan than Washington, DC. If both parties worked together, we could truly be the Empire State again especially when budgets cannot get passed on time and common sense legislation cannot get approved.

BACKGROUND Age 40 and single. Grew up in East Islip and a resident of the Hamlet of Islip. Attorney in private practice and a Law Degree from Albany Law School. Undergraduate degree from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

WHAT I WILL MISS ABOUT THE DISTRICT The district is made up of caring individuals and it's a homogenous group of people from Bayshore to Babylon Village and Great River to East Islip. I will miss the interaction with my colleagues in Albany-a group of active, intelligent elected officials.

NATIONAL SECURITY President Bush and Governor Pataki have done a great job under tough circumstances to protect New Yorkers and bring together the resources we've had but have been underutilized. We are going to experience additional terrorist attacks and America needs to stay strong to defeat terrorism. I always opposed spending for STAR WARS and felt that monies should be spent to defeat terrorism.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS Representing the people in terms of reducing government spending and taxes and helping to implement the STAR Program. As a member of the Assembly Minority, I spent time getting property taxes reduced. I introduced child abuse legislation and sponsored a Bill that would rapidly terminate the rights for child abusers. We still have a 5-year statute of limitations on rape. My bill (in progress) will eliminate this statute.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ASSEMBLY MEMBERS DEMS & REPS In Albany, difference is everything. Democratic Assembly Members can pass bills and bring resources to their district. The converse is true in the State Senate. I have a good working relationship with people in the Assembly. When you get past the politics, Speaker Sheldon Silver is a decent guy.

POLITICAL LANDSCAPE IN SUFFOLK (NEXT SEVERAL YEARS) The Republicans have a lot of work to do. The Democrats have the momentum. The Reps have lost a number of races recently and must unify and rebuild. Dem Chairman Rich Schaffer is solid and we will have to work twice as hard to beat him. In addition, Dems have fielded better candidates over the past several years.

FUTURE PERSONAL GOALS I'd love to return to public office in the future. In the shorter term, I'm going to work in the private sector. I will continue to be a volunteer firefighter in Great River. Politically I will work very hard on the Flanagan for State Senate campaign.