State Senator Joe Robach: We need more government, not less
The D&C had a piece about Joe Robach sponsoring a bill to split New York State into 2 states. Rochester would be in the new “State” that would not include New York City. Basically, Joe Robach wants to add a new state legislature, Governor, AG, comptroller, 2 new federal Senators, some new House of Representatives and all their supporting staffs.
Looks like we have more distractions and excuses from Joe Robach and probably the wedge issue the upstate GOP needs as they move forward into the 2010 election cycle when the State Senate is up for reelection: Let’s blame New York City.
per Robach
“We’re completely overwhelmed … by the policies of New York City,”
This, from a guy who says his job is a waste of time.
“What my day consisted of was going to conferences, attending press conferences to see what people were saying and I called constituents in Rochester. I went into session to almost immediately stand at ease for a conference of my colleagues on the Democratic side for several hours,” he said.
The best part of the article? (my bold)
Studies show that New York City and its suburbs, where the state’s richest residents are concentrated, pay more in taxes than upstate residents do. But Robach said that by starting over and rolling back taxes and programs supported by downstate lawmakers, upstate could run a cheaper government.
The financial relationship between upstate and downstate was detailed in a 2004 study by the Center for Governmental Research, which found that upstate’s rural and urban communities “are significant net recipients of revenue from downstate.”
Revenue flows from downstate to upstate, yet, Joe Robach wants so split New York State. I suppose that was soooo 2004 but the study also says it was consistent with a similar report in 1999.
How about Joe Robach and his fellow Albany lawmakers put aside their personal agendas and petty differences and actually pass laws that make New York State a better place? How about Joe Robach actually do the job he says is a waste of time? How about Joe Robach stops finding excuses?
Now, let’s not put too much hope that this bill will actually pass given that the prospects of the bill are summed up in the lede.
Legally, it would be years in the making.
Financially, it might not make sense.
because
Even if it were to pass in the state Legislature, every county legislature in the state would have to agree to put it on their ballots and, even then, the referendum would be nonbinding. And if New Yorkers ultimately did agree to a divorce, an act of Congress would be required to admit the new state to the union.
Of course, his job is a waste of time when you focus on bills that, even he says, are a long shot.
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Another ploy by Joe
Time for joe to go away
Unfortunately, this is very effective with voters. I know from campaigning myself that you cannot shake them of the GOP-planted idea that all of their tax dollars are sent downstate (and you don’t have to dig too deeply to figure out that that is code for a whole lot of ugly stuff). Robach, Volker, Ranzenhofer and the like have been floating this idea forever because it plays into prejudices they have helped to build. The only thing that is different this time is that the article (kudos to Jill Terrieri) went into great detail about how its a politically impossible proposal (the U.S. Congress would admit another state to the union, even if we could accomplish all the other steps?!?) as well as a fiscally suicidal one. I guess that’s progress, of a sort.
Clearly, Robach needs the distraction this offers. To call it cynical is an understatement.
I can’t agree that the D and C article was that effective. Why did they even cover it or put it on the front page.
a few lame criticisms hardly do justice to the stupidity of this proposal.
People like Robach bring this up like clockwork every six months or so. At least this time the D&C included enough info to show that it’s a foolish (and most likely deliberate) distraction. That’s not to say people will see that, and I agree that the placement doesn’t help.
Maybe it takes focus off the unicameral debate cuz that would put a lot of these useless pols on unemployment