Blog Posts - May 2012

Indian Point -To Be or Not To Be

By Michael Smith, on May 18, 2012

A Westchester County legislator walks into a Nuclear Regulatory Commission hearing for the relicensing of Indian Point…. it sounds like the setup of a joke doesn't it? Anyway, the legislator was me and I said I was in favor of relicensing Indian Point, for which I was promptly booed and hissed at. After asking the assembled large crowd to show a little respect as I would intend to show them, most of them listened.

I believe that Westchester County currently is very reliant upon the energy from the Indian Point facility. I also had the opportunity within the past several months to tour that facility, and I was impressed, albeit from a layman's perspective, with the safety processes and controls they showed me at the plant. From what I understand, the elimination of Indian Point as an energy supplier for our region immediately would cause already high utility rates to increase from over 40% to as much as 100% higher. It is to simply not feasible for the economy of this county to bear that fiscal consequence immediately.

Talk Is Cheap – Get to Work

By Michael Smith, on May 13, 2012

The abortion clinic access bill that passed in the Westchester County legislature by a 10-7 vote Monday will expectantly be vetoed by County Executive Rob Astorino and never become law.

Despite all the rhetoric and false statements from the bill’s proponents as detailed by Legislator Judy Myers, this proposed legislation is a clear infringement upon freedom of speech. For county legislators to pander to special-interest groups at the expense of our constitutional rights is regrettable. This legislation is, unfortunately, like much of what has transpired during this legislative term, poorly drafted and rushed to a vote without an adequate review. It is politics over substance and competence.

Absolutely Disgraceful Behavior

By Michael Smith, on May 1, 2012

I witnessed a demonstration of absolutely disgraceful behavior by some members of the Board of Legislators today.

During a public committee meeting, some legislators demonstrated their personal animus towards an elected public official in a reprehensible manner. I was embarrassed to be witness to it. If these legislators had any modicum of integrity they would quickly apologize to this individual. I will not be holding my breath.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with disagreeing with someone else's point of view.  In fact, through discussion and debate, even with passionate participation, we have the possibilities at time to develop better solutions.  As an elected official of the Westchester County Board of Legislators, however I would expect that during discussions, a certain base level of professionalism be exhibited at least in public by its members.

Today that was not the case. This elected official, an invited guest to the committee meeting, was successively rudely interrupted and openly mocked. Certain legislators seemed more interested in settling past personal scores than solving problems.

Perhaps my largest disappointment was the fact that the elected leader of the Board of Legislators sat idly by and allowed certain members of our legislative body to engage in this disgraceful behavior.  In my singular opinion, the county BOL could serve our taxpayers so much better if it operated under engaged leadership.

The leadership of this body must get its own house in order and its own caucus, at minimum, to act professionally in public if he has any aspirations to truly lead this county in the future.

The public official so rudely treated today has questioned on multiple occasions the need for county government. If on self-assessment, any of my fellow 16 legislators believe that today's unfortunate demonstration was appropriate, they individually may be one of the best examples as to why the county legislature should not exist.

In reality however, all we need is better representation. In Westchester, we certainly deserve it.