To the Editor:
Westchester County Executive George Latimer would be an excellent candidate for Lieutenant Governor under any circumstances, but the recent arrest of Lieutenant Governor Benjamin makes his appointment as Lieutenant Governor, if Benjamin chooses to or his forced to step down, and the candidate for Lieutenant Governor vital to both the Democratic Party and New York State.
No credible Republican came forward to challenge George Latimer for re-election last November and no wonder: He has performed his duties as County Executive during the worst crisis of our lifetimes without fuss or fanfare. The non-candidates included Latimer’s predecessor, Rob Astorino, who in addition to serving two terms in White Plains was also the Republican Gubernatorial candidate against Andrew Cuomo in 2014, and hopes to be the Republican nominee for Governor this year.
Rob Astorino is bright, personable, articulate, wears suits well, looks ten years younger than his actual age…even speaks Spanish fluently…and surely has no shortage of ambition. Yet even a formidable candidate like Astorino knew that George Latimer, who defeated him by a landslide in a brutal, bruising campaign in 2017, was unbeatable last November.
Kathy Hochul is the “accidental governor”, able to ascend to the governorship because disgraced former Governor Andrew Cuomo probably wanted a female running mate from upstate. It is logical she would want to select a Lieutenant Governor from downstate, as is Mr Benjamin.
However, with Benjamin probably off the primary ballot and the remaining two primary candidates left-of-center and probably ill at ease with the Hochul agenda, the need for a downstate moderate with proven ability to work across party lines is even more important.
George Latimer is recognized as a centrist who has appointed Republicans to his administration, lives and works in a suburban county, and has built his reputation by serving his constituents, not by bashing Donald Trump. Indeed, Latimer has probably said ‘Donald Trump’ as often as he has said ‘Rumplestiltskin’.
After the sorry spectacle of Andrew Cuomo and the recent news about Lieutenant Governor Benjamin, New York state...and the Democratic Party...need and deserve a Lieutenant Governor who can campaign and serve without blemish.And that person is George Latimer.
Jim Vespe, Mamaroneck
To the Editor:
It’s no secret that Congress is polarized. Rarely does an issue receive strong bipartisan support. That’s why it’s so striking that 4 out of 5 voters agree that we must do more to safeguard our democracy from presidential corruption.
No president, regardless of party, should be able to exploit weaknesses in our political system for their personal gain. That’s where the Protecting Our Democracy Act comes in. If passed, it would prevent future abuse of presidential power and corruption, increase transparency, and ensure presidents of either party can be held accountable.
If the average person used their office for personal gain, they’d go to jail. If the average person could pardon themselves, there would be no rule of law. Therefore, no president should be above the law. It’s just common sense.
I’m urging Congress to pass the Protecting Our Democracy Act. It’s time we put safeguards in place to prevent a corrupt president of any party from abusing the power of their office.
Sincerely, Carmen Miranda, New Rochelle
