Thomas F. Barraga

Thomas F. "Tom" Barraga (born April 23, 1943)^[1] is a member of the Suffolk County Legislature in New York, representing the 11th Legislative District, which includes West Islip, Bay Shore, Fire Island, and parts of Brentwood. He previously was a member of the New York State Assembly for 23 years.

Biography

Barraga was raised on Long Island, attending St. Joseph's Elementary School in Babylon and graduating from St. Anthony's High School in Smithtown. He received a B.B.A. degree in marketing St. John's University in 1964. Barraga served six years in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, receiving an honorable discharge in 1966. He went on to earn an M.B.A. from Long Island University in 1972 and a Ph.D as a Doctorate of Philosophy, Business and Public Administration from Columbia Pacific University in 1981.^[1]

Initially working in the private sector, Barraga held positions with the American Can Company, Dun and Bradstreet, and Pfizer. He first entered politics in 1977, serving as Town Clerk for the Town of Islip. He was a member of the New York State Assembly from 1983 to 2005, sitting in the 185th, 186th, 187th, 188th, 189th, 190th, 191st, 192nd, 193rd, 194th, 195th and 196th New York State Legislatures. On November 8, 2005, he was elected in the 11th Legislative District to the Suffolk County Legislature.^[2]

Barraga resides in West Islip. He and his wife Joanne (nee Kurtz) have two daughters. He is a member of Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in West Islip, the Sons of Italy, and the American Legion. He was formerly vice-chairman of the board of trustees at Suffolk Community College.^[1]

Controversy

On January 29, 2014, Barraga wrote a letter ^[3] to a young constituent whose mother was struck by a car that made an illegal left-turn, seriously injuring her, while she was riding a bicycle in Babylon. Barraga advised that he felt, "no one . . . who lives in Suffolk County should ever ride a bicycle or motorcycle." Barraga went on to state that additional signage and/or bike lanes would do little to solve the problem, as motorists would ignore signs regardless. "Reality at times can be difficult for some to come to grips with but giving false hope would be inappropriate."

References