Assemblyman Joseph Angelino (R,C-Norwich)

Column by Assemblyman Joseph Angelino (R,C-Norwich)

Oftentimes, when talking to constituents, I hear complaints about politicians being in it only for themselves, and that no one looks out for them.

After spending time in Albany as an assemblyman, sometimes, I can’t say I blame them. The most recent example comes from a Majority party legislator from Queens who proposed a bill (A.11090) that would exempt anyone on the state payroll who isn’t being paid due to a late state budget from paying their utility bills. One step further, they would even be exempt from late fees or shut off of service. It sounds simple enough, and of course, we don’t want the hard-working men and women of the state workforce to struggle while they go without pay.

The only problem? The state workforce is being paid. The only ones on the state’s payroll who aren’t getting paid are members of the Legislature. Which, in my opinion, is how it should be. The tone deafness of giving yourself a reward while you are already the highest paid Legislature in the nation, for failing to pass an on-time budget, is simply absurd.

Let me be one hundred percent clear: if this bill ever came to the floor for a vote, it would be the fastest ‘No’ vote of my career, but the point isn’t the premise of the bill, but the fact that lawmakers would have the audacity to give themselves relief from high utility costs, when it is their policies that are driving prices up. The hypocrisy is stunning. My Republican Conference has submitted dozens upon dozens of proposals that would lower utility prices and put money back in the pockets of hard-working people, and each time, the Majority has decided to either vote down our proposals in committee or never bring them for a vote at all.

My colleagues and I, for years, have argued that the forced electrification of New York’s grid would cause utility prices to rise, and we were told we were just fearmongering. We all felt the pain this past winter, long before the war with Iran. And when prices did rise, we brought the concerns of our constituents to the Majority, and they simply ignored us. But now that it’s they who must deal with the high electric bills, of course, they spring into action and propose giving themselves direct relief.

This is why trust in legislators and government is so low, because far too often things like this happen where politicians look after themselves and not their constituents. I know some of my colleagues across the aisle realized how terrible an idea this is and were embarrassed by the legislation. Absolutely no one in the Assembly is a co-sponsor. I hope this bill is never seriously considered, and I hope that if it ever were, the vast majority of the Legislature would vote against it, if only to bring back trust in government.

Every day that I walk onto the Assembly floor and cast a vote, I do it with you in mind and try to represent your needs and concerns the best that I can; we need more politicians, especially from the Majority, to do so as well.

As always, please reach out to my office with any concerns or questions you have. I work for you, and I will never forget that.

Assemblyman Angelino represents the 121st  Assembly District, which includes parts of Broome County, Delaware County, Madison County, Chenango County and Otsego County. Follow Assemblyman Angelino on Facebook.