THE BLAME GAME: LAWMAKERS RESPOND TO EXPIRED RENT REGULATIONS
by City and State
City and State spoke to seven lawmakers in Albany about the expired NYC Rent Regulations and here is what each had to say after the rent regulations expired last night.
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx)
You know, I’ve been very clear from the day I got elected speaker, it’s rent, rent, rent and more rent. ... Sen. Flanagan is trying to raise what he thinks gives him leverage. ...
State Sen. John DeFrancisco (R-Syracuse)
“Let me put it this way: You never say never in this business, that’s No. 1. But No. 2, we’re trying to get an agreement. We had a real bill, that if the negotiations started, the bill that was for an eight-year extender, the time frame of the extender could change, certain provisions could change, but you’ve got to get true negotiations where everyone’s participating and trying to get to a result.
State Sen. Martin Golden (R-Brooklyn)
“We passed it. We say the Assembly should have stayed and passed it. I mean, the Assembly went home. Shame on them.” This is not a game. We’re talking about people’s lives.
Assembly Housing Committee Chair Keith Wright (D-Manhattan)
“ i'm Disappointed, angry, annoyed, vexed—what’s another adjective? I think it’s totally irresponsible that the folks in the Senate would allow this to happen. I think it’s political and legislative malpractice.”
Assemblyman Dick Gottfried (D-Manhattan)
The fact that the Senate allowed that to happen, I think, reflects a real lack of concern for the welfare of tenants. I think the governor has a real responsibility to play a much stronger role to get the law, not just renewed, but strengthened.
State Sen. Adriano Espaillat (D-Manhattan)
“For a conference whose leader in the (Senate) Housing Committee doesn’t have one unit of affordable housing to hold hostage the whole City of New York and the entire state where there are rent-regulated apartments I think is unbelievable.
State Sen. Brad Hoylman (D-Manhattan)
“There’s a real, palpable fear that Albany isn’t going to do its job and I think we’ve let a lot of people down.
The entire city and State article with more of what the elected officials said can be found at the link at the beginning in yellow.
Editors Note:
So who is to blame for Albany's dysfunction now?
We also see how much things have gotten worse in Albany with the two new current leaders of the State Assembly and State Senate, for as long as they both shall remain leaders of their respective houses.
