Discussion with Legislators
Local legislators address numerous topics at chamber forum
LATHAM, N.Y. >> The main ballroom inside The Century House was filled with people there on Friday to hear the thoughts of four local legislators.
Assembly members John McDonald III, D-Cohoes, and Jake Ashby, R-Castleton, as well as state Senators, Neil Breslin, DBethlehem, and Daphne Jordan, R-Halfmoon, took questions on various topics including the fast pace of the 2019 legislative sessions, economic development, AIM funding, and the 2018 election results.
The hourlong panel discussion is hosted each year by the Rensselaer County Regional Chamber of Commerce and is moderated by Matt Ryan of public television station WMHT’s “New York NOW.”
Ryan started the panel discussion off by asking the legislators what they learned from the local, state, and national election in 2018.
Breslin spoke about the addition of 15 new Democrats in the state Senate. After last year’s election, Democrats now control both the state Senate and the state Assembly chambers, along with Governor Andrew Cuomo being a Democrat.
“For the most part, both Democrat and Republican, they’re there for the right reasons,” said Breslin, who is serving his eleventh term as a state Senator in the 44th Senate District. “I think we’re beginning to get rid of people who are there for the wrong reasons, for their own self-interests, so I’m happy to be a part of the Senate this year, happier than I’ve ever been before.”
Conversely, Jordan said she learned a couple of lessons from the election last year.
“Elections do have consequences, and so we can see it now where we do have just oneparty control in our New York state government,” said Jordan, who is serving her first term as a state Senator in the 43rd Senate District. “There really is no check and balance now other than to be vocal and to advocate for your own district as best as you can and I will serve as that check and balance.”
Speaking about the fast pace of the 2019 legislative sessions, Ashby and Jordan said that they do not agree with most of the legislation that has been pushed through.
“I do disagree with much of [the legislation that is being pushed through],” said Ashby, who is serving his first full term in the 107th Assembly District after winning a special election last April and the general election in November. “I wish that we would have more of an opportunity and the ability to finetune it and make some changes to it, rather than have it really be jammed down our throats.”
“There’s fast and then there’s breakneck speed and I think it’s been breakneck speed,” added Jordan.
One other topic of discussion was the recent news that Amazon decided not to create a headquarters in New York City. The legislators all thought that happening was bad for the state and that they wished that the deal did happen.
“I’m disappointed,” said Ashby. “I think it’s a loss to the state, and I think it speaks to the business climate of the state.”
“From my perspective, this was a very large missed opportunity and something that doesn’t come around every five to ten years,” added McDonald, who is serving his fourth term in the 108th Assembly District.
When asked about 30-day amendments to the proposed state budget, each legislator spoke about the need for AIM funding, which stands for Aid and Incentives for Municipalities and is something that many local municipalities rely on to help their local budgets. Cuomo originally was thinking of eliminating the funding, but has reconsidered since many legislators and local officials have been speaking up about the need for it.
“Regardless of what side of the aisle you’re on, we all were like ‘how could you be doing this when you also want to put a permanent tax cap,” said McDonald. “It’s a unified issue for sure.”
“Your local governments depend on this money when they make their budget every year,” added Jordan, who noted Rensselaer County municipalities such as Berlin would lose out on $9,207, Brunswick would lose out on $78,000, and she said East Greenbush would lose out on $73,000 and that North Greenbush would lose out on $104,000.