Congress has bought themselves another 45 days to get their act together and present a budget that will satisfy both the Republican-led House of Representatives and the Democrat-led Senate. This is a challenging task, no doubt, and one that requires that awful political concept of compromise. Compromise is the exact thing missing in New York. With one party politics ruling the discussion, compromise and collaboration go out the window and with it goes common sense. Let’s take a look at a couple of examples.
The legalization of marijuana has proven to be a disorganized mess both in terms of public safety and the budget, which has lawmakers pressuring Governor Hochul to pass the Cannabis Crop Rescue Act. Farmers bought in to the plan to legally grow cannabis for the purpose of legally selling the crop to legal dispensaries throughout New York State. Farmers prepped their fields, sowed their seeds, cared for the plants, and harvested a healthy crop only for it to lay in waste rotting away because the handful of licensed dispensaries aren’t enough to move all that marijuana.
Taxes collected from the sale of cannabis at licensed dispensaries were supposed to fund the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM). With the rise of unlicensed pot shops we’re not collecting the tax revenue needed to fund the OCM and are now looking to provide some sort of financial relief to farmers since they are victims of the failed plan. We’re losing revenue and need to spend more money to fix it – the game plan of the New York State legislature.
Business leaders across the state are pushing back on the Climate Leadership Community Protection Act noting the significant cost it will place on small business owners and taxpayers. Proudly advertised as the the most aggressive plan to combat climate change by Democrats, the move to full electrification is presenting several flaws. From a grid insufficient to meet the demand to lack of non-fossil fuel energy sources, rolling blackouts in New York will be a common occurrence.
From an investment perspective, small business owners just don’t have the funds to be able to make a switch to operations fully powered by electricity. The rise in minimum wage and responsibility to repay the unemployment trust fund have eaten away at profits. Businesses will opt to leave New York and continue their business elsewhere; and it won’t only be businesses that go elsewhere. Tourism will suffer if gas stations are few and far between. Less revenue in the form of sales tax and higher costs of electricity – sounds like the game plan of the New York State legislature!
Both policies were developed and implemented by State Democrats, with no input from Republicans. No compromise, no collaboration, no common sense. If voters continue to allow one party to rule New York we’re sure to see things get worse. Restoring a balance of power to the Assembly and Senate is the only way to bring back meaningful discourse which will lead to compromise and a better future for all New Yorkers. It’s time to get New York moving in the right direction!
