Press release:
The more time I spend in the Assembly, the more I notice the distinction between New York City and Upstate New York. It is clear to me that the needs of Downstate continue to dominate New York State politics. Year after year, New York City drains our education fund dry and more attention is given to things like rent control and New York City’s mass transit system; issues for which Upstate New Yorkers have little concern. Two-thirds of representatives in the Assembly have districts south of the Tappan Zee Bridge and their interests continue to dominate the budget process while Upstate is left to fight for scraps.
With recent news emerging about the Southern Tier toying with the idea of secession to Pennsylvania, Upstate New Yorkers deserve to have a choice about splitting from New York City now more than ever. In 2012, New York spent more on Medicaid than Florida and Texas combined, and this year’s budget will surely raise that to an even higher level. Why should Upstate be forced to take home less pay because of those who choose to remain on government assistance and abuse the system for benefits such as rent and energy assistance and funding for appliances and groceries?
Sen. Joseph Robach (R,C,I-Rochester) and I have recently introduced legislation (A.4167) to allow a referendum on the question, “Do you support the division of New York into two separate states?” In doing so, we could measure the citizen support for this initiative to determine if it is actually feasible. As liberals from New York City continue to move Upstate generation after generation, they will undoubtedly support increased services and more taxation.
New York has one of the highest exodus rates in the country. Younger generations are realizing that a life in New York is not sustainable due to the abusive tax structure and lack of employment opportunities. We owe it to our children and grandchildren to see if separation from New York City is actually feasible. Without the expensive Downstate burden, we could gain education funding, lower taxes, have full Second Amendment rights, and more opportunities to experience the “American Dream.” Join me in fighting for Upstate and passing my legislation so we can build a better “New New York.”
Yes yes and more yes.
Yes yes and more yes.
Amen, Mr. Hawley lets put
Amen, Mr. Hawley lets put this to a statewide vote so we upstate New Yorkers will have a true say in how we wish to spend our tax money.
How ridiculous. Sounds like
How ridiculous. Sounds like treason to me. More nutso hype from the right. And man, we really need more protection from the Safe Act. I think just about everyone I know has had their guns confiscated since its passing. Whoops, I am sorry. I mean NOONE I know.
Fortunatly your opinion is in
Fortunatly your opinion is in the minority.
"...That to secure these
"...That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government,..."
From an archaic document written in 1776
Why are legislators that have
Why are legislators that have never even seen a cow voting on agriculture issues? Why are legislators who have never ridden a subway or ever even seen a rent controlled apartment voting on local NYC issues?
Because. Don't you dare question the tyranny of the majority, filthy fly-over country peasant. Your betters have spoken.
Treason? Really Scott... you
Treason? Really Scott... you probably view the people of the American Revolution as treasonous too. If you enjoy your right to speak foolishly you better thank the traitors for it.
BTW, if you know no one who has had their guns confiscated due to NYSAFE provisions, then you're not paying attention.
Absolute idiocy. First of
Absolute idiocy. First of all, this will never happen, and Mr. Hawley (unless he's insane) knows that it will never happen, so he's just wasting valuable time that he ought to be using to focus on the *real* needs of this region. What some people here fail to realize is that even if we were to divide "upstate" from "downstate," Democrats would still hold a majority upstate. The right wing regions, like Genesee County, are all relatively depopulated. Land mass does not necessarily equate to votes. So no, cj, Scott's opinion is probably *not* in the minority... certainly not outside of this small, depopulated strip of the state. Opinions here on The Batavian do *not* necessarily represent the majority opinion across the upstate portions of New York.
I've actually lived in several different "upstate" towns and cities; voters in "upstate" and in Western New York are NOT all conservatives or Republicans... or even Libertarians, not by a long shot. Conservative voters in depopulated right wing areas, like Genesee and Wyoming Counties, would still be outnumbered by liberal voters in the populous regions of upstate and Western NY -- reliably Democratic cities like Buffalo, Rochester and Albany... as well as left-leaning mid-sized towns, like Binghamton, and even the MANY liberal and Democratic small towns upstate, like Ithaca and Jamestown.
There are only about 60,000 people in ALL of Genesee County. There are only about 42,000 in Wyoming County (more people live in little left-leaning Binghamton, NY, than in all of Wyoming County!). There are about 66,000 people in Livingston County and about 44,000 in Orleans County. So... we have less than 215,000 people in the entire conservative GLOW region. There are, however, about 260,000 people living in the liberal city of Buffalo, alone... and more than 900,000 in left-leaning Erie County, with shifting demographics that have been gradually nudging Erie County further to the left.
Furthermore, the bulk of conservative/Republican money, votes and support in this state also comes from conservative *downstate* regions, like Westchester County, Staten Island and big portions of Long Island.
All of this, and I haven't even gone into the completely ludicrous and entirely fallacious premise that WE are somehow supporting downstate, when it's been proven -- and well documented -- that the reality is, in fact, quite the opposite. Downstate, in fact, is essentially supporting us financially. To suggest otherwise is, quite frankly, a lie.
I have to believe that Representative Hawley knows all of this quite well, so I have to wonder... is this just empty politicking? Demagoguery? Is our representative playing us for rubes? Bread and circuses, bait and switch. I, for one, would like to see Mr. Hawley working to actually represent our interests here, instead of wasting valuable taxpayer time and money on petty political pandering.
Scott. I love your statement
Scott. I love your statement that, "I think just about everyone I know has had their guns confiscated since its passing. Whoops, I am sorry. I mean NOONE I know."
Tell me, if you can, Scott. Exactly HOW MANY gun owners do you know? 500? 1,000? Oh hell, let's assume you're an EXTREMELY outgoing person, who's BIG into the sports/hunting crowd. Let's say you know 50, 000 (that's fifty thousand) gun owners - which I highly doubt, but we're assuming here.
According to http://m.unitedgunownersofnewyorkstate.com/site/mobile
there are @6-million gun owners in NY state (and I'm not even going to count the ones that the state has NO idea exist - such as rifle/shotgun owners that NEVER had to register their weapons)
Back to the (possible) 50, 000 you (might) personally know. That only equals 1 out of every 120 of the gun owners.
So it really doesn't surprise me that you don't know of any who've had their guns confiscated.
That's like me saying I don't know anyone from NY that've had moose/car accidents. In the scheme of things, it's really a useless statement.
I agree with Emma that
I agree with Emma that dividing NY into two states is not likely, and if it were possible it would take considerable time and money to pursue. Judging by the pathetic low voter turnout at election time I doubt the support [which is probably there] would show up. I too believe Assemblyman Hawley is just pandering... but what if the proposition gained a majority of voter support [I'm thinking many downstate folks would be just as glad to separate], then that would require the legislature address the issue. Ya never know unless you try.
However, having said that, I feel that Emma's statistics and demographic analysis is very flawed. The question of "upstate vs downstate" is not a partisan one, but rather a societal/cultural thing. There are many, and I repeat many Democrats in NYS that embrace conservative values. This was born out in the fact that 8 Assembly Democrats voted against the SAFE Act. Factor in the reality that partisan pressure is real, I'd bet money there are a lot more Democrats who would have liked to vote Nay, but were afraid of the consequence. Further, how does Emma account for the recent Republican majority in the NYS Senate if as she promotes, that statewide conservative voters are seriously outnumbered by liberal voters?
As for the argument that downstate in fact is essentially supporting us [upstate] financially... “it's been proven -- and well documented”, although it wasn’t provided here. Well I’ve heard this debated many time thru many years and when adjusted for the differences in economies and costs of living, etc., I’m inclined to believe it’s more like a wash really. Either way I’m sure that if upstate became a separate entity it would do quite well to survive [at least do better than we're doing now]. If for no other reason, simply to be separated from the welfare state of the NYC/Albany social engineers.
Wow. What a great post.
Wow. What a great post. Thanks Emma!
This is nothing new really, I
This is nothing new really, I hear about it from one of the state legislators almost annually now.
Is it a good idea? Possibly.
Will it ever happen? Not in our life time.
Please solve this argument
Please solve this argument with a few links of news articles describing NYSAFE Act related gun confiscation.
To avoid further augments, please link to articles that include reliable sources - none of this "well, my cousin Earl heard that the sheriff broke down the door of his brother-I-law's neighbor and took his guns." If there have indeed been confiscations, it has to have been reported somewhere.
Check the Buffalo News - I thought I read shortly after the Act was passed that a Buffalo resident had some guns confiscated, but later returned (would that count?).
tl;dr - you're both arguing readily provable or disprovable points, so prove it rather than killing more innocent electrons. ;-)
Emma, Hawley is an
Emma,
Hawley is an Assemblyman from fly-over country. Do you really think that he can actually do anything in the NYC Assembly except waste his time, whatever proposals he pursues on any matter at all in the interests of his constituents?
Key to winning over the Democrats in upstate New York for divorce is getting them to realize that if NYC is out of the equation they will no longer be at the back of the line in Albany begging for the scraps left when NYC is done at the trough. THEY will be the line. That would be better for them, their constituents AND us peasants living in "depopulated" New York.
". . . except waste his time,
". . . except waste his time, whatever proposals he pursues on any matter at all in the interests of his constituents?"
That would, of course, depend on how you define his constituent's interests. As one of his constituents, I'd like to see less demagoguery and more substance.
But. If it doesn't have to
But. If it doesn't have to do with rent control, subway service and controlling ever single aspect of the peasant's lives...
Yep. Fly-over nobodies. Those yokels are without value to The City. They should shut up and accept the facts of progressive life.
"Who are they? Are they these extreme conservatives who are right-to-life, pro-assault-weapon, anti-gay? Is that who they are? Because if that’s who they are and they’re the extreme conservatives, they have no place in the state of New York, because that’s not who New Yorkers are."
--Andrew, Prince of Westchester, Duke of Queens, Archduke of Manhatten, Apple of his Own eye
I respond:
"Who are they? Are they these extreme progressives who are for abortion through the 18th year of life, anti-civil rights, anti-religion? Is that who they are? Because if that’s who they are and they’re the extreme progressives, they have no place in the state of New York, because that’s not who New Yorkers are."
--Fly-over New York
Kyle, I do think that Hawley
Kyle, I do think that Hawley and the rest of the Minority could do some real work instead of nonsense like this. He is earning a paycheck that we fund, and he should be doing more than just wasting time. How about working to bring decent jobs to the area? How about working to make our air and water safe? How about attempting to tackle the drug epidemic that is ravaging the area? The use of pills, meth, and heroin are destroying lives. How about working to improve the aging housing stock? What about obtaining funding for bridge and road improvements? What about working to increase tourism to boost tax revenue? How about working to support the school system? I can think of tons of things that he can do that will really effect the citizens of our area. To wave the white flag and just do silly things because he is in the helpless minority is the same as stealing a paycheck. If he can not be productive or do something to earn his keep, maybe the Assembly District should be dissolved and that would be one less tax funded paycheck going to Albany for a do nothing job.
Exactly, Scott Chismar.
Exactly, Scott Chismar. Or... how about working to come up with some sort of resolution... or funding... or SOMETHING, to help solve the growing problem of the hideous, leaky and rapidly crumbling mall in the center of Batavia -- a dangerous eyesore that degrades our entire downtown area. Let's not forget that Representative Hawley just so happens to operate a business in that disaster of a mall; one might hope that a real leader would *want* to take some initiative and responsibility for helping to solve that particular mess. It's difficult not to question Mr. Hawley's priorities when he'd rather spend his time tilting at a silly political windmill.
"He is earning a paycheck
"He is earning a paycheck that we fund, and he should be doing more than just wasting time."
Every politician falls under this assessment, and wasting time, and OUR money, is key to their progress.
"or SOMETHING, to help solve the growing problem of the hideous, leaky and rapidly crumbling mall in the center of Batavia -- a dangerous eyesore that degrades our entire downtown area."
Why don't the mall owners take care of their own without expecting a tax payer funded welfare handout?
Concerning the mall roof
Concerning the mall roof leakage, I would suggest to the parties in this matter (the city & the merchants) that it would be in BOTH their interests to solve the quandry of WHO is responsible ASAP.
As any contractor (or engineer) 'worth their salt' can tell you, water leakage can, and eventually WILL, lead to the quite possibility of catastrophic damage.
If, heaven forbid, that roof should collapse, and maim or kill one (or several) persons, I'm not sure EITHER entity is insured to the point of paying any resulting damages. One, or BOTH entities might just find themselves on the wrong end of hundreds- of millions $$ lawsuits.
And, attorneys for anyone maimed or killed won't wait for this 'We own-They own' matter to be solved. Nope. They'll name BOTH parties in their lawsuits, and it won't take the courts 20+ years to decide who's responsible.
It's time that BOTH entities get off their asses and get this 'dispute' solved. Trust me, you'll be further ahead if you bite the bullet now, and accept responsibility, soley or jointly. Because, the alternative might be the total obliteration of one, or both, parties.