In 2018, many of us in the region who voted across party lines for State Senate candidates based on promises of bipartisanship and “people before politics.” Here is how we were rewarded:
· A bail “reform” law which emboldened criminals in NYC to commit twice the number of shootings to date compared to 2019.
· A state government that is hostile to law enforcement (our two Senators voted “yes” on bills that led to a mass exodus of professional police officers from the job).
· A Senator who refused to use his subpoena power as chair of the Senate Investigations Committee to expose all the facts surrounding the needless deaths of thousands of our nursing home residents to COVID-19.
Orange County is bleeding land to developers who wish to profit by cramming as many units as possible into our remaining open space.
However, for the second year in a row a crucial Orange County land preservation bill was mysteriously blocked from a Senate floor vote.
Last year, the same bill for Ulster County passed overwhelmingly, with Senator Skoufis conspicuously and oddly voting “no.”
I received no reply from either of our Senators’ offices when I asked why this bill could not be voted on.
Single-party rule in Albany is an abject failure. When you vote this November, forget the promises and self-congratulatory social media posts.
Instead, look back on how our representatives voted and how they performed for our region.
John Allegro
Monroe