I was beyond disappointed by the treatment of the striking New York State corrections officers.
They had valid arguments about working conditions and tools at their disposal to ensure good behavior by inmates. the HALT Act prevented those officers from having the option of solitary confinement for those inmates, which resulted in more disruptions. that, along with forced overtime and a generally volatile environment, was more than any of these officers should have to deal with. For many who went on strike, they felt they weren't being heard, and they had no other option.
Now, 2,000 officers have been fired, and Governor Kathy Hochul says they will no longer be able to work for the state in any capacity. Understand that many government jobs, including county jobs, are tied to the state system. As such, these now-fired officers are limited in their options. the terrible treatment of corrections officers by Governor Hochul and the Democrat leadership in Albany continues, even after they are no longer employed by the state. I stand with these officers, who were simply fighting for better conditions and better options to keep inmates in line and safe.
In Erie County we have a charter revision commission whose duty it is to meet every ten years and consider changes to the Erie County Charter. It is a 19-member commission, with each legislator having one appointment. The County Clerk, Comptroller and Sheriff have appointments to the commission, and the County Executive has three appointments. They are an unelected body that can determine what changes they will make to the charter.
The commission held a public meeting in February and another one last week in Amherst, and one this week in Cheektowaga. I attended the February meeting. A representative for Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz made several proposals. Among those was one that would require a simple majority vote for the sales tax extension. Less than five months ago, voters had the opportunity to cast their ballot on that very proposition. They overwhelmingly rejected this measure, by a 22% margin. Since it wasn't the result that this Administration wanted, now Mr. Poloncarz is hoping the Charter Revision Commission will do his dirty work for him. This is unacceptable and shows his complete disregard for the people he was elected to represent. The voters have spoken. Move on.
With the weather improving, we will soon see roadwork get underway. Please watch out for the crews working on infrastructure improvements. Also remember there are many activities planned in Erie County Parks. Just go to www.erie.gov for a list of what's happening at a park near you.
As always, if you have a county-related concern, please don't hesitate to contact my office at 716-858-8922 or by email at Lindsay.Lorigo@erie.gov
