Stop the Blame Game

What You Should Know
By Senator Rev Rubén Díaz
32nd Senatorial District

You should know that the rent control expiration date has come and gone, and Governor Andrew Cuomo is bragging that he will keep the legislators here in Albany until we reach an agreement. To all of you who don’t know how this place works you might say, “Bravo, Mr. Governor!” But to those of us who know all of the ins and outs and all of the games people play here we ask, “Who are you fooling?” 

My dear reader, you should now that nothing happens here until the three men get in the room. They are, Governor Andrew Cuomo, Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan and State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie. Not until they get into that room and come out with an agreement, we the Legislature are powerless.  Therefore when the Governor said “I will keep the Legislators here until they come up with an agreement,” he is trying to spin the failure of the three of them by blaming the Legislators. Knowing that the rent laws would end, they had a whole year to negotiate and talk about it, but they waited until the last minute to play their game and try to fool all of you. Don’t buy it! 

At the last minute, they say they will talk, and that they need a two day extension. They are trying do in two days what the three of them neglected to do for the whole year and now that they see their failure, they are trying to blame the whole Legislature by threatening to keep us in Albany, getting a $175 per diem, doing nothing, waiting for the three of them to get into that room and wasting the taxpayers money. 

Pardon me, Mr. Governor, but I need to correct you so to be clear. You should say: “I’m going to keep Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and myself here in Albany until the three of us come to an agreement on rent control guidelines, and everything else.”  Then, Mr. Governor, you should call us back to discuss and vote on the three men’s great agreements.

This is what should be done especially to save taxpayer money, because we Legislators won’t be able to vote on anything until the three of you get an agreement.  It is not fair for New York State taxpayers to be punished and waste their money in paying the Legislature to wander the hallways aimlessly wondering what is going on, while the three of you are taking your sweet time. 

My message to New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo, Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan, and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie is to stop the blame game and stop wasting taxpayer money to pay us to do nothing.  Send us home, and you three stay until you come to an agreement. 

This is Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz and this is what you should know.