Archive: Opinions

Barbara Lifton—who represents us so well in the NYS Assembly as a champion of public education and environmental sustainability, healthcare  for all, real campaign finance reform and progressive taxation—definitely deserves  reelection. We need her!

NYS needs a governor who sees that job as one of leadership to address all residents’ basic needs, not Astorino’s conservative ideology nor Cuomo’s personal ambitions and closed, dictatorial and vindictive style. I have listened to Howie Hawkins well-articulated vision for New Yorkers — for example, a 'green New Deal' with economic democracy, civil rights and racial justice; healthy food, protected farms, sustainable ag and food justice; net neutrality and digital democracy; higher state minimum wage including tipped workers; criminal justice reform and workers’ rights; healthcare for all; real campaign finance reform and progressive taxation—and can enthusiastically vote for him (rather than facing the usual 'lesser of two evils' choices).

Proposition 1 addresses the required every-10-years statewide redistricting – not by creating an independent redistricting commission (the courts removed the word 'independent' from the ballot language as being inaccurate!) but by doing the opposite: making the NYS Legislatures’ ability to draw district lines part of the NYS Constitution! Bad idea. Vote 'NO' on Prop. 1.

Dooley Kiefer
Town of Ithaca

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