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Mostly Cloudy Some New Year’s resolutions I’d suggest for Albany
A few days ago, we rang in the new year, filled with optimism about the new beginnings we hope 2024 will bring us.
Much is made about New Year’s resolutions, often jokingly described as promises made to be broken, but they’re a valuable exercise, because setting goals is important. Whether it’s losing weight, exercising more or quitting smoking, resolutions shouldn’t be empty promises or pie-in-the-sky wishes, but rather achievements to work toward to make the year ahead more prosperous.
As we begin a new legislative session this month, here’s what Albany’s resolutions for 2024 should be.
An immediate step in the right direction should be ending New York’s sanctuary state status and eliminating the numerous taxpayer-funded benefits — including free health care — for illegal immigrants. This single action would save approximately $2 billion in taxpayer dollars and remove a major incentive for illegal immigrants to flock to our state. Additionally, rather than suing bus companies for transporting migrants as a nonsensical gimmick, the city and state should be suing the Biden administration to cover the state’s costs of dealing with the self-inflicted migrant crisis created by the federal government’s failure to enforce immigration laws and protect our national sovereignty.
Next, make our communities safer by repealing the disastrous bail-reform laws that enable and encourage criminals to commit more crimes. There’s more than enough evidence to show that bail reform has compromised public safety and hurt our communities. We need look no further than the incident last summer in which an armed offender with an extensive criminal record, who was on the streets only because of bail reform, walked into the middle of Jerusalem Avenue in North Bellmore with a gun, pointing it at drivers and pedestrians. Only the heroic efforts of the Nassau County Police Department prevented this from becoming a tragedy.
Together with this, repeal the new Clean Slate law, which hides criminal convictions for crimes such as manslaughter, domestic violence, animal abuse, and hate crimes from civil background checks as soon as three years after an offender is released from prison. People deserve an opportunity to put their lives on the right track after paying their debt to society, but employers, landlords and institutions that are responsible for the safety of others also deserve to have that information when deciding whom to trust to work in their businesses, live in their homes and attend their schools.
Prioritizing criminals over public safety needs to stop.
Finally, Albany should resolve to combat the hate and antisemitism that is becoming unacceptably commonplace, especially on college campuses. Passing legislation to require colleges to report antisemitic acts and events on their campuses, and to withhold state funds from those that refuse, would be a positive step. No one should fear harassment or violence because of his or her religious beliefs, especially at educational institutions of “higher learning.”
Our state is headed in the wrong direction. More people are moving out of New York than any other state in the country, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report released last month, and the quality of life has deteriorated for those of us who remain. Adopting these New Year’s resolutions, and following through on them, is essential to putting us back on the right track.
Steve Rhoads represents the State Senate’s 5th District.
