By Dan Murphy
Hot button issues have frequently been used here in Westchester, and across the country, to engage or inflame a candidates base into coming out to vote on Election Day. The Westchester election of 2021 was an prime example of how repubilcans used two issues, flights coming into Westchester Airport carrying young migrants, and the educational initiative of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
The flights into the county airport drew national attention last month when the NY Post and Fox News started covering the issue. Most of the migrants were teen agers, who were placed onto buses and then transported out of Westchester to Connecticut, New Jersey or Long Island to meet with family members or guardians.
The flights are believed to have begun in August, and the fact that their arrivals came late in the night and early morning, handed the headline of ‘Secret Flights’ into the story.
Former Westchester County Executive and Gubernatorial candidate Rob Astorino has been highlighting the issue on social media since the summer. “We were told this wasn’t happening but of course that was just another lie. As of this week there are 15 new undocumented kids in our local high school since September, not counting our middle & elementary schools. Are we even in control of our own country anymore?” said Astorino.
Republican candiate for County Executive Christine Sculti, also used the issue to attack her opponent, democratic county executive George Latimer.
But Latimer, nor anyone in county government, or in Town, Village or City government, or in State government, have any control over the flights coming into Westchester Airport. Immigration is a national issue, and under the perview of President Joe Biden and his administration. And the Biden adminstration is taking a great deal of pressure from the American people for the number of migrants crossing the border. And what the people of Westchester have found out is that some of the thousands of migrants crossing the border will end up in Westchester.
Republican candidate for County Legislator, Anthony Giacobbe, almost used the issue to win. Giacobbe, who narrolwy lost to democrat legislator Damon Maher on Nov. 2, 51%-49%, highlighted the issue at the county airport.
“Westchester made national headlines highlighting our weak leadership. They should have at least tried to stand up for us, but instead stood with their friends in the state and federal government hiding an operation bringing thousands of people into our county airport illegally. Mr. Latimer and all 17 legislators should be ashamed of themselves. Stop doing election year photo ops pretending to give out free masks to our school children then allow this to happen in the middle of the night for months,” said Giacobbe, who was interviewed on Newsmax.
One democrat we spoke to said “how many people in Westchester are watching Fox or the NY Post or Newsmax?” The answer to that may be more than you think.”
The next ‘wedge’ issue used by republicans was the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, DEI, education initiative, created by the NYS Education Department for school districts across the county and state. Republicans have used another term for the program, CRT, Critical Race Theory, and a group called Save Our Schools, SOS, Westchester has been attending school board meetings in opposition to the initiative.
SOS Westchester was founded by Angela Sculti, mother of Christine Sculti. Despite the fact that two superintendents in northern Westchester have flatly stated the CRT is not being taught in their schools, one of those superintendents, Lakeland Superintendent Brendan Lyons, was forced to resign, apparently because of the DEI initiative.
But the Westchester County Executive, nor any of the 17 County Legislators, can dictate DEI, or any educational initiative and policy of any one of the more than 40 school districts in Westchester.
So was the use of two, national hot-button issues hepful or hurtful to the candidates that used them? That depends on who you ask,with democrats and republicans split. Most members of both parties are satisfied with the results. “Without any national debate over Biden and his troubles, Latimer could have beaten Sculti by 65-35,” predicted one democrats. Another republican said almost the opposite. “Democrats don’t come out in off year elections, and we came close to picking up two more seats on the county board.”
