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By Brian Quinn--bquinn@batavianews.com:
DiPietro continues to promote Assembly bill to split NYS into 3
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| David DiPietro |
Each region would have separate court and prison systems, and the proposal provides only for a state sales tax. The state Senate version of the bill is sponsored by Sen. Robert Ortt, R-North Tonawanda.
On Thursday, DiPietro, R-East Aurora spoke to members of the 2ANYS Genesee County Chapter at the Bethany Community Center in East Bethany. He is scheduled to make a presentation Tuesday in Orchard Park. Neither East Bethany nor Orchard Park is in his district, but DiPietro said he’s been asked to speak around the state.
“We concentrated on the bill and where it’s going. I did my presentation (in East Bethany) and took questions. We’re getting incredible feedback off of this. Especially now with the governor and his executive powers, people have had enough,” he said. “People are waking up to the fact that we’re dominated by downstate, by New York City. They want to get out from under New York City control. Their values and their judgements don’t line up with the rest of the state.”
DiPietro says New York City representatives in Albany have the power to exempt their city from laws they pass. They vote to pass laws and include, in the laws, exemptions for cities of over a million people, he said. The assemblyman said the mandates on rural school districts are another example.
“They (superintendents) don’t need mandates from Albany, dominated by New York City. Those school superintendents can give you an earful about all the things they have to do. These people (legislators representing New York City) have no idea about rural school districts.”
According to the bill, Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties would all be in the New Amsterdam Region. DiPietro said fellow Assemblyman Steve Hawley, R-Batavia, of the 139th District, proposed a bill to have a study done on splitting the state into regions.
“People have a lot of questions and he’s got the bill to do the study to answer a lot of the questions,” he said. “My bill is the first one to put it in writing to split the state. We actually can do this. We’re going to take this across the state and we’re going to ask towns and counties to sign onto this.” The Bethany Town Board on Feb. 8 passed a resolution to support dividing New York into three regions
“After several discussions with taxpayers in our community, we stand united in the Assembly Bill A5498 and Senate Bill S5416,” Town Supervisor Carl Hyde Jr. said in a letter to community leaders. “We feel it is in the best interest of New York state to address, discuss and pass these two bills, which will divide New York into 3 autonomous parts. It is time to take control of our financial future.”
In its resolution, the town said, “The Town Board strongly encourages the other municipalities of Genesee County, the Genesee County Legislature and the New York State Senate and Gov. Andrew Cuomo to pass this legislation.” Splitting the state into three regions may have popular support, but to get it passed, supporters will have to make the case to assemblymen representing New York City why the bill is beneficial to them, DiPietro said.
“A lot of times, just because you have popular support doesn’t mean elected officials listen to it,” he said. “It’s in committee. The Democrats are refusing to let this out.” The 147th Assembly District includes the southern portion of Erie County and all of Wyoming County. DiPietro said he’s been to Wyoming County and talked about the bill with people there, but that COVID-19 has set things back by about a year. “I’ll do it again,” he said of visiting Wyoming County to talk about the legislation. “We’ve got to get back to normal and once we do, I’ll take it around the state more.”
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