After weeks of chatter, State Assemblyman and Rye resident George Latimer has officially announced his intentions to seek the 37th District New York State Senate seat of Suzi Oppenheimer who said in January she would retire.
Latimer sent the following letter to Democratic party leaders this week:
“This is a time for people to hear the truth – not partisan platitudes – about what must be done in government.
The changes we need – the changes I have fought for all my life – involve sacrifice from everybody, not just from ‘the other guy’.
Property taxes are too high, and I have worked hard to address that major worry many of us face; it always comes up as the #1 local issue homeowners are concerned about.
But I’m also worried that we are going to wreck the good things we’ve created, over many years: our transportation system, our police and fire protection, health care for our seniors and veterans, education for our kids, all because our political system has been captured by cynical politicians who play to people’s anger. Their voices are drowning out the reasonable and rational majority of us. Those politicians are trying to tear down the very things our grandparents and parents fought so hard to build.
I’m not here to sell 'snake oil solutions.' I grew up in a tough, poor part of this County. My parents worked hard and sacrificed, to give me a better life than they had. That’s still possible for the next generation.
And that’s what I’m going to fight for in the State Senate. Join me.”
NY's population went up 2.1 percent from 2000 to 2010. This may come as a shock to you but the number of member of Congress does not change from year to year. So just because NY lost reps doesn't mean the population went down, it means that other states grew more, probably in the sunbelt. I don't know who is supplying you with your talking points but you might want to check your facts before you lose much more credibiltiy. Latimer always comes armed with the facts, he doesn't just shoot his mouth off, you might learn from him.
Oh & don't forget he'll join the Democratic caucus in the Senate, do you know how they handled the majority in 08 & 09? It was the most dysfunctional body in the legislature, why would we want to back to that? For those reasons, nobody should vote for him. Simple as that.
In the mornin' In the evenin' Ain't we got fun! The Rich get Richer and the poor get--children! Ain't we got fun! Should be the Republican theme song. ;-)
You must also be aware that the tax cap fundamentally conflicts with the democratic right to decide an issue by requiring 60% voter support for tax increases above the tax cap limit any year. I trust that you also recognize that the tax cap has no material impact on taxing authorities other than schools because getting 60% on most village, city, county, etc. councils is trivial. And finally, I am extremely hopeful that you recognize that a tax cap without fundamental change to unfunded state mandates will not allow any redress of state spending problems. In short, the enacted tax cap is bad legislation. Sure, the Gov and Republicans who championed it said that first they had to get the tax cap to create pressure to fix the unfunded mandates. But there’s been nothing done to fix the unfunded mandates. As a result, nothing has been done to fix the property tax problem. By the Gov. By the Democrats. By the Republicans. But of course, the Republicans conveniently ignore this fact and try to blame someone who’s stood up for the right course of action – fix the spending problems and the tax problems at the same time. George did the right thing in voting against bad legislation. Just like he did the right thing in walking out on a middle-of-the-night deal that also didn’t fix the retirement funding problem.
2012 will be a great election year for Democrats nationwide, and especially on the East Coast from Maine to North Carolina, and on the West Coast, and along the Great Lakes. This will be due to a number of factors, including the improved economy, the popularity of President Obama, and the political incompetence of Mitt Romney and of the other Republican candidates for President, and the governmental incompetence of the Republicans in Congress who were given their chance 2011-2013 and have cleared failed to accomplish anything except frustration and a reduced popularity of Republicans nation-wide.
Hey, Suzanne thanks for all the pointers on why not to vote for Latimer. The voters in Eastchester, Bronxville & Yonkers aren't as familar with his handywork or should I say hatchetwork (?), now they can see the light! Whatelse can you share or shed light on? Please do tell, you're making my life a lot easier.
I 've watched you say"stick to the facts" and insult others here, unless everybody agrees with you and your wallet. You've got it all under control. Sounds to me as if you are a scared little man, without the ability to see past your nose. There's a bigger picture here. You don't see it. You'll never see it. I am not argueing a belief. I suspect not many people listen to you anyway. I hope Bob pats you on the head for all this ranting, though I suspect that he doesn't give thought to you. I know Assemblyman Latimer cares about his constituents. That's all I really need to know. His record is a good one. Now, go caress your wallet & turn on Faux News, everything will be all better.
Tax Cap shash cap, the towns, if they are in enough trouble, can override it. There was a better idea & the repubs squashed it. All that hatred is bad for your heart Billy -- sure you'll make it to Nov.? I'M DONE HERE. Glad to see that the support for a forward thinking, pragmatic candidate, who listens to his constituents out numbers the Flat Earth Society Right-Wing-Nuts.
The fact of the matter is the Republicans have ceded the seat by running little known candidates and providing them with no financial assistance. Why you might ask would they do this? Because that chamber is controlled by NYC Democrats and always will be. There's no Rebuplicans out there that would vote for the liberal tax & spend policies that Latimer supports, just not happening. Also Republicans realize the importance of maintaining control of the Senate because it keeps a balance of power in Albany where no 1 party dominates. 1 party domination has been a disaster at the local level (think New Rochelle) and the national level (think Obamacare) and we don't want or need it in State government (think 08 & 09 when Patterson had control of both houses of NY government yet he couldn't get anything done). So you think Joe Carvin is voting for Latimer? I'll take you up on that bet any day.
He's a blank page waiting for marching orders from the Senate Leaders, Skelos, Libbous, etc. People are already commenting that he doesn't have anything to say. He's mouthing platitudes. He lives in a gated community, having jumped over the dotted line just in time to remain in the District. Insider trading, my boy. He doesn't get what the little guy is worried about. He's the Commercial Real Estate's Boy in this race. Not gonna go over well. Watch how Diane Roth does - she's going to give Bob a real good scare, even without organized GOP support. Better worry more about her, or your boy won't make it to Sept. 12. He ran a nasty race against Suzi, but people were deeply tired of her. The same people come home to George this year. And the negative calls are turning your vote away from you along the Sound Shore. George Latimer and his record is superior. He ain't gonna run from it, he's gonna use it to prove you and yours are selling people bad medicine...phony solutions that sound good but don't do the job. I remembering you mouthing off in 2010 - all the dems were terrible, all were gonna lose - and your predictions will be just as wrong again.
and tend to all be along the lines of "cry me a river", and "quaking in my boots", and "the pot calling the kettle black" -- in other words you write in silly cliches. I would not point out how poor your grammar is, at least in the posts I've read, although I suspect the others are no better, but for the fact that you attempted to taunt another writer with this remark: Billy 8:14 am on Tuesday, April 10, 2012 "And yet you still cannot disprove 1 thing I've written so go figure, I guess your guy isn't that great after all." I can disprove your spelling, your grammar, and your logic, but let me concentrate for a moment strictly on your facts. Among other errors, you don't have even a cursory understanding of redistricting, and you falsely attribute remarks made by one man to another. One is a major point and one is a minor point, but you are wrong in both instances. More important, when you say you are sure that Assemblyman Latimer will vote to increase his own pay you reveal you know nothing about Latimer's record in the Assembly. If you did you would know that, in addition to the fact that Latimer has voluntarily cut his own assembly budget in the past, he stated publicly that he will not accept a pay raise. Perhaps If you spent even half the time you spend spamming this blog reading the newspapers your arguments might rise above the level of "nyah, nyah".