For the Express
At the end of April, I, with the support of the “Concerned Citizens For A Better Herkimer County,” sent a letter to our Herkimer and Oneida County State representatives asking them to initiate a bill which would give the people of this state the ability to ask for a public referendum on any capital improvement project with a cost of $5 million or more funded by taxpayer money. The basic premise is that it’s our money and we should have a say in how our politicians spend it, at least on the most costly of projects. Within two weeks I got a response from both Senator James Seward and Assemblyman Marc Butler stating what the present law is in the context of our present system of elected representation. Senator Seward actually stated that if such a bill is presented he would consider supporting it. Well, I am aware of the law. That is why I was asking them to change it. Senator Griffo in Oneida County didn’t have the courtesy to respond. I guess since I am not one of his constituents he didn’t feel the need to do so. RoAnn Destito, on the on other hand, not only responded with her willingness to help but actually pointed out that a similar bill was presented in the middle of May by Assemblyman Mark Schreoder from Eire County. This bill not only would allow for public referendums but also give people the power to initiate laws. It would give back power to the people of the State of New York by changing the constitution of the state. It is bill number A11049 and I encourage all to read it by going to the State’s Website at: http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg and typing in the bill number. This bill is presently in the Judiciary Committee and hopefully will be discussed after the August recess.
If you believe that you should have a say on how your money is spent, please call Assemblyman Schreoder at (518) 455-4691 and let him know you support his bill. Just as important, let Senator Seward and Assemblyman Marc Butler know they need to support this bill. Call Senator Seward’s office at (518) 455-3131 and Marc Butler’s office at (315) 866-1632. Last week I called both of them to ask for their support, leaving messages with their staff but as of yet have not heard back. I cannot stress how important this piece of legislation is, so much so that last week I attended a Tea Party meeting in Utica asking for their support and was enthusiastically received. Not only did they welcome such a bill, but openly stated they will do their part in seeing that this bill does not die by calling members of the state legislature. Put yourself in the shoes of our state officials. Do you think they want such a bill to pass? Of course not; it means they will have less power and control over our money. The process of getting this bill enacted into law will take several years and I am sure will be faced with strong opposition. But it is imperative that as many people as possible know about this bill and let our state elected officials know we need their support. Do your part and call.
As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions. Please contact me at (315) 866-3474 or email me at Joechilelli@yahoo.com.
Joseph Chilelli is a former county legislator.