Or Maybe I Will Run Myself
By Frank Spotorno
I think we can all agree that there are many of our fellow New Yorkers who are struggling, living paycheck to paycheck, and don’t have the money to pay their supermarket bill or their prescription medications. And many are afraid of taking the subway and living their lives the way they did before COVID.
I live n Yonkers, but travel to Queens during the week, so I see firsthand what is happening. Unfortunately, I see a lot of our politicians trying to make headlines and pass laws that will not help everyday New Yorkers. Or they refuse to see the problems facing all of us:
Some examples of this dysfunction are:
- George Santos legislation. In 2016, I ran for Congress against Joe Crowley in the Queens district now represented by AOC. I was vetted by my party and by my opponent. George Santos was not vetted by his party, and if the democrats had the goods on him, they couldn’t get the major NYC media to write about it. Now Westchester County government has passed a law which will have a committee, or civil servants, review the resumes of candidates for office. I read a letter in this paper last week from John Vorperian which I agree with. He writes that any attempts to legislate against another George Santos is a waste of time and tax dollars. That is the job of both political parties and the media.
Two more blatant examples of “notice me” legislation:
- The proposal to change the name of the Mario Cuomo bridge, back to the Tappan Zee Bridge. First, does anyone care? I see the new signs when I drive across the new bridge, but that’s the only time I think about it or take notice. Is this simply an attempt to punish former Governor Andrew Cuomo?
- The proposed removal of Donald Trump’s name from a park on the Westchester-Putnam border. This is another example of highlighting something that nobody knew about or cares about., I decided to go up to the park after reading the story about it in this paper. And I agree with the headline, this is another waste of time. Yes, a lot of Westchester residents dislike our former President. But I don’t, and the majority of residents in Putnam don’t want the name changed.
My real question is how do any of these ideas affect the lives of everyday New Yorkers? Does it help them stay safe? Or afford to pay for their food prescriptions?
Three real problems that I am asking our leaders to address immediately are:
- Fentanyl-and Overdoes -My stepson overdosed on an Opioid pill that was laced with Fentanyl two years ago. He didn’t know he was taking Fentanyl, and he didn’t want to die. Like millions of Americans, he was in and out of rehabilitation and was fighting addiction.
I don’t think the answers are to provide “safe spaces” where addicts can get high, or turning the other cheek towards the drug dealers who are selling this poison. Where is the Fentanyl coming from and how can we stop it from coming to New York? That is a difficult question, but I don’t hear a lot of suggestions or answers.
- Crime and Bail Reform: This is an issue where I disagree with my State Senator from Yonkers, Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins. I think judges should be given the discretion to set bail and put repeat offenders in jail. The visual of having someone shoplifting 13 times, and walking out of court and doing it again and again, is demoralizing to those of us who play by the rules and pay our taxes.
I take the subways in NYC, and people are afraid when they get on. But they have no choice, they have to get to work or go to school. But the criminals now have the control, and that cannot continue. I agree with Governor Hochul, who sees that something needs to be done. I don’t want someone going to jail, or dying in Rikers, for possession of a small amount of drugs. But in my conversations with police, there are a few hundred repeat offenders in Yonkers, and a few thousand repeat offenders in NYC, that are committing most of the crimes. Something needs to be done.
- Economy jobs: As a proud Union member, I have always believed in demanding that construction jobs that use public funds, or have tax incentives, be built with union labor. In New York City, and in Yonkers, that it not what is happening, even though there is a prevailing wage law that mandates it. In my travels to hundreds of construction sites, I find undocumented migrants taking the jobs of taxpaying union members. I don’t see any Jobs Plans, or Jobs Programs, from anyone in government.
Instead of suggesting that we change the name of Trump Park or the Cuomo Bridge, I would recommend that our elected officials begin to address these problems, and there are many more. Many voters are getting frustrated when they see their lives getting more difficult, and the responses from our leaders doesn’t help them when they sit at the kitchen table and figure out what to cut next.
Please-Do Your Job, Fix Our Problems and Help Your Constituents. Or Maybe I Will Run Myself.
