Valentine’s Day marks the February calendar, but in tough economic times, there’s not a lot of love to go around in the world of government and politics. People are stressed and angry; some are unexpectedly unemployed, some are underemployed, and all are feeling the financial pressures of higher prices at the gas pump and costs for heating oil and natural gas even with an exceptionally dry winter. The commuter train service has been tolerable, but high property taxes remain the constant source of anger and frustration. And every day in the newspapers there seems to be another tale of official misdeeds, someone in office ripping off the system, while everyone else feels like they’re being taken advantage of. Where to begin to right these wrongs?
We have seen Albany take a fresh start under Governor Cuomo, and there are signs of significant change. There is still a long way to go in the second year of his administration. Remarkable things have come to pass, but there is still no love lost in the partisan battles that define the two-party system as it currently stands in a presidential year. We must work together through this process – even if we don’t love each other’s ideology – to do the best for a state and country we all love.
George Latimer
Assemblyman, 91st A.D.
The Redistricting Disaster
The proposed new legislative lines are out…and they are a disaster for Good Government. Both houses have chosen to write their own lines, without independent scrutiny, and the proposals strengthen the incumbent control in both the Senate and the Assembly. The Assembly lines are far more defensible, but still the product of partisan work. The Senate lines are simply atrocious – an effort to gerrymander to maintain political control. Examples: Ossining is “attached” by district to a Rockland County district, contiguous by dint of a dotted line border out in the middle of the Hudson River; New Rochelle has been expertly carved out, blocks of voters attached to a super Democratic District on the west side of Westchester – now including most of White Plains, and all of Scarsdale – and the remainder of Senator Suzi Oppenheimer’s 37th District now stretches from Bedford to McLean Avenue in Yonkers, with a heavily Republican tilt. The League of Women Voters, Common Cause, and other impartial groups have blasted the work – and primarily, the extreme job done to protect the current Senate majority.
The process forward will involve votes by both houses in early March to adopt the plan (I will vote NO, honoring my commitment made to Ed Koch and the New York Uprising Group that extracted pledges from many that are now reneging on having an independent redistricting committee), and likely veto by Governor Cuomo. Rumors abound as to what will happen next: a deal among leaders, a second, less onerous, but equally partisan plan emerges, to be passed in to law. At this point, I hope a Federal judge will step in and force the State to do what it has arrogantly resisted doing – the right thing. At this point, only a federally-appointed Special Master can right this wrong. The damage, once done, will be a ten-year disaster.
See the proposed lines for yourself: www.latfor.state.ny.us/maps. Compare the Proposed 2012 lines with the 2002 (current) lines.
The Budget (once again)
It is a surprisingly quiet budget year – very little controversy in a state budget that cuts overall spending for the second year in a row, holds the line on school aid, and makes many general cuts, but few deep and drastic cuts. There are no broad-base tax increases, and the pre-budget gap of $3.5 billion has been closed.
There are issues…and most debate has centered around a labor issue: the Governor’s proposed new pension Tier 6 that introduces, for the first time, a Defined Contribution / 401 (k) option for new hires. Proponents argue it is the beginning of pension reform, reducing the retirement benefits for public workers to match those in the private sector, where pension benefits have been reduced in recent years. Opponents argue that it will not provide tangible savings to hard-pressed local governments and will hurt the working middle class employees who perform essential work in the public sector. The debate is hardly a new one; what is new is the Governor’s proposal, which is getting close scrutiny from the legislature.
The budget also provides the Governor with expanded authority to re-allocate expenditures and revenues post-budget adoption that will, in essence, give him complete control over the functioning of state government. The “balance of power” issue falls short in many minds, when the popularity of this Governor is contrasted with the lack of popularity of the Legislature as a group.
The many component parts of the state budget do affect nursing homes and hospitals, public schools, transportation and roadways, the judiciary, the prisons and other correctional institutions, the state police, motor vehicles department, and a host of other entities in the society. There have been daily public hearings in Albany, with testimony before the Assembly Ways and Means and the Senate Finance Committees, meeting jointly, to query department officials, and others who testify on behalf of outside organizations. These hearings have been broadcast on cable TV stations (Channel 116 on Cablevision, to name one example) for those who can take their sessions in gavel-to-gavel format.
You can scan the Governor’s proposed budget: www.governor.ny.gov/20122013ExecutiveBudget
I am confident in another “on-time” budget, but the quietness that settled on the first half of the budget season will morph into much greater intensity and public discussion in late February and March as we move towards the March 31st deadline.
Metro North Matters
Commuting into Manhattan for many Sound Shore residents is a five-day-a-week, twice-a-day reality. When things are going poorly in that commute, it can affect your life like few other “issues”. Last winter, the poor weather amplified the problems endured by commuters on the New Haven Line: railcars without heat; poor quality restrooms on board; station maintenance issues; lack of timely, helpful communications on the platform; crowded conditions, and more. Many of these problems are less painful with the warmer winter weather this year (so far), but the underlying problems have not gone away.
I held a Commuter Speak Out early in 2011 at Mamaroneck Town Center, which invited commuters to outline the many problems at hand, and I subsequently met with senior officials from Metro North Railroad to personally deliver those concerns. The roll out of the new M8 railcars helps a bit, but many more trains still operate with old equipment and all the difficulties brought on by 40+ year-old cars. Most of the issues raised are still not resolved satisfactorily.
Last month, I began my regular survey distribution at area train stations, starting with Mamaroneck and Rye, and will complete that task in mid-February at Port Chester, New Rochelle and Larchmont stations. If you didn’t receive a survey on the platform, contact my office and we’ll make sure you receive one. As frustrating as matters can be, the feedback is essential for me when I meet this year with officials to make sure they hear the status of the complaints from the riding public. The State legislature does not have direct control over Metro North; the MTA Board of Directors holds that authority. Therefore, as a legislator, it takes continued advocacy, persistence and some patience, to press the case for the riders, so that when the MTA comes calling to Albany for more money, they must show they are making the improvements in service and maintenance that riders require.
For details on the M8 cars in service, click on: http://mta.info/mnr/html/newM8.html
The People Speak
Once again, I’m inviting you to have your voice heard – not just one month before an election, but month-after-month at one or more of my community outreach meetings. Here’s the upcoming line-up:
Annual PUBLIC HEARING on the STATE BUDGET
Thursday, Feb. 16th
New Rochelle City Hall – Council Chambers
515 North Avenue, New Rochelle
4 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Any individual is welcomed to present testimony for up to 4 minutes in person, and written testimony of any length.
District Office Hours
Sat., February 25 Port Chester
Port Chester Senior Center, 220 Grace Church St., Port Chester
With County Legislator David Gelfarb
Sat., March 3Rye 9:30 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Ruby’s Oyster Bar, 45 Purchase Street, Rye
With County Legislator Judy Myers
Sat., March 3Mamaroneck2 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
The Nautilus Diner, 1240 W. Boston Post Rd., Mamaroneck
With County Legislator Judy Myers
No appointment is needed; just drop by. There will be free literature available on state programs. And the coffee’s on me.
I continue to make every effort to reach out to the people I represent…day after day
Updates…on issues from last edition
PRIMARY DATES. A Federal judge has just ruled that New York must hold a Congressional and Senate Primary on Tuesday, June 26th, and the Assembly is passing a law to hold the remaining primaries on the same day. The Senate Republicans are still holding out for an August primary date. Final resolution comes in March…but holding three separate primary dates this year (one for president, one for federal, one for state) would be a colossal waste of money – so we’re all pressuring the Republicans to go along with the June date.
HYDROFRACKING. The DEC as yet has not issued its final documents (Final EIS and permitting rules) and no permits have yet been issued to drilling companies to proceed. The Assembly has re-passed the law designating hydrofracking fluid as hazardous waste, over the objection of our Republican colleagues; the Senate continues to refrain from action.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Assembly Website – George Latimer
www.assembly.state.ny.us/Latimer
Click on to view bills, news, and more…
Feel free to call me at 777-3832 anytime to discuss any issue you’d like. I’ve resumed my door-to-door walking tours, so perhaps, I’ll see you at your front door soon.
GEORGE