Letter to the Editor

Shameless Democrats take the low road

By John Lown, Maybrook
Posted 1/26/23

  New York state government’s legislative session in Albany runs from January to June. However a special session was called for December. The legislators scurried to Albany to get their …

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Letter to the Editor

Shameless Democrats take the low road

Posted

  New York state government’s legislative session in Albany runs from January to June. However a special session was called for December. The legislators scurried to Albany to get their Christmas gift and what a wonderful gift they received. They passed legislation giving themselves a whopping $32,000 pay raise or 29% hike, bringing their annual salary to $142,000 dollars. This pay boost makes them the highest-paid state legislators in the nation ! Just a few years ago they gave themselves a huge $30,500 pay hike or 38% increase going from $79,500 to $110,000. 

This latest pay raise bill is strictly partisan legislation. Not one Republican lawmaker voted for it. The Democratic leadership, namely Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie from the Bronx and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins from Yonkers, sponsored this shameful legislation. They rammed it through to its passage along with the Democratic majority of both chambers following suit. Some Democrats along with all the Republicans opposed the outrageous pay raise, calling it tone deaf and misguided in light of New Yorkers struggling amid historic inflation and recessionary fears. 

To make matters worse, the Democrats conveniently passed the pay raise bill after the midterm elections were already held, averting any accountability whatsoever. What a stinging slap in the face to every NY taxpayer. They acted like thieves in the night ! In this instance, the Republican legislators followed their moral compasses while the Democrats tossed their compasses in the trash. Governor Hochul is expected to sign the bill into law, not wanting to fall out-of-favor with the legislature’s Democratic leadership.

Postscript: Remember people, state legislator is a part-time position. They are in Albany actually working in session 60 to 70 days during the January to June legislative term. The 2023 legislative calendar has the state lawmakers scheduled for 60 days in session. People, that’s 60 days for the entire year ! Yes indeed, the Democrats gave the legislature an extravagant Xmas gift but took the low road to get it.

Second Postscript: This is an update subsequent to my writing this letter. Governor Hochul signed the pay raise bill into law on December 31.