Not diverse by any means
Does “diversity” somehow mean something different in Saratoga County? Last June, Gov. Andrew Cuomo directed municipalities to review policing and address bias against communities of color. A little late to the party, Saratoga County announced in early December that it had assembled a panel to review the sheriff ’s office. The committee contained, they said, a “diverse group of local stakeholders.”
It’s an eight-member panel. Seven members are white. Those seven are also all county administrators or elected officials.
This is a diverse group?
It should hardly need to be said that a committee judging the relationship between law enforcement and communities of color should include members with a variety of perspectives — people within the county government and out of it, people of different racial and cultural backgrounds. The idea, after all, is that communities should strive to hear neglected voices and see from other points of view.
So far, the county’s effort seems half baked. Almost like Saratoga County officials have no intention of seriously addressing systemic racism.
Everyone who lives in, works in, or visits Saratoga County has a stake in public safety. They all deserve better than this.
No comparison
Picture, if you will, two people standing side by side: a Shaker High School student and Donald J. Trump. One of them has contributed meaningfully to the national defense bill. The other is an impulsive, petulant child, and president of the United States.
In 2019, a Shaker student, Nathan Wang, brought a legislative proposal to the office of U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko. It suggested giving grants to schools and other organizations that boost K-12 education on artificial intelligence. Mr. Tonko embraced the idea of encouraging youth to pursue degrees in AI engineering as a way to shore up national security. Now the measure has been added to this year’s National Defense Authorization Act.
Mr. Trump, meanwhile, has sulked, fumed and vowed to veto the crucial defense bill because it doesn’t include his latest attempted act of vengeance: killing liability protections for social media companies because he’s sore at them for fact-checking his lies.
Thank you, Mr. Wang, for reminding us that there’s a new generation of adults and leaders waiting in the wings.
Mr. Heastie must act
Jevonni Brooks-dennis, one of the top staff members in the Legislature, has been implicated in the drug-trafficking case against her husband.
Federal prosecutors say Ms. BrooksDennis, chief of staff to Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, and her husband, Orlando Dennis, deposited more than $600,000 in cash into their accounts from 2015 to 2019 — “unexplained wealth” that fueled an extravagant lifestyle beyond the means of the couple’s stated salaries.
Mr. Dennis was arrested on federal drug charges in January. Ms. BrooksDennis has not been charged. But because of the influential position Ms. Brooks-dennis holds, Mr. Heastie has a responsibility as speaker to look into this matter on behalf of the Legislature and the public. And while that investigation unfolds, Ms. BrooksDennis should be put on paid leave.
These allegations must have shaken Mr. Heastie’s trust in his senior aide. If he does not acknowledge that, it risks shaking others’ faith in Mr. Heastie’s judgment.