Hope and Pessimism About Hochul from Mayor, Senator and Activist
A mayor, a senator and an activist each reacted differently to Kathy Hochul’s sudden ascent to New York governorship, as Andrew Cuomo steps down. State Senator Mike Martucci (R-42) was the most optimistic.
“This is a much-needed change,” he said. “I found Kathy Hochul easy to work with and receptive to upstate issues. She’s visited the district several times. Both sides of the aisle are supportive of her.”
He wants her backing for the matching funds required for grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for environmental preservation.
“Other areas get funding, but we’re left to match funding on our own, although the Delaware watershed provides drinking water for New York City. Friends of the Upper Delaware River have been raising private funds to get those grants,” Martucci said.
He noted the June passage of a bill he sponsored to extend Protected Development Rights in western Orange County. However, the bill is only an extension until 2050 of a 2005 Warwick law. It establishes a transfer tax that provides money to pay owners of farms and forested land to keep the land undeveloped by paying them what the land would be worth to develop. Martucci also said he would like Hochul to support funding for schools and municipal governments strained by the pandemic.
In contrast, Pramilla Malick, of Minisink, recalled troubling experiences with Hochul. Malick has led activist groups in protesting gas infrastructure, most notably the long-running protest against the Competitive Power Ventures power plant in Wawayanda, beginning before it was built and persisting for years. The plant continues to run without a Title V permit, a Clean Air Act requirement by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for major sources of air pollutants that emit over 100 tons per year of any air pollutant. Residents as far as Mount Hope have complained about ailments from fumes.
“Kathy Hochul is a conservative. I’m not optimistic about her,” Malick said. “This might make it easier for everyone to sweep the CPV corruption under the rug. The Town of Minisink sent a letter to Tish James asking for an investigation, and Hochul refused, falsely asserting that there was already an EPA investigation, which there was not.”
CPV executives, in 2009, had contributed $50,000 to Cuomo’s gubernatorial campaign. Then CPV plans received state approval amid corrupt deals between state officials and CPV executives that later resulted in convictions.
“We have two reactions,” said Malick. “First, state corruption is deeper and wider than Andrew Cuomo. Second, the devil you know is better than the devil you don't. What's interesting is that the month before the first sexual harassment charges came out, Cuomo had rescinded CPVs notice of complete application for the air permit. In ten years it was the first right thing he did.”
Meanwhile, Port Jervis Mayor Kelly Decker expressed modest hope.
“The city really doesn't and hasn't had a relationship with the Governor's office,” he said. “They only contacted us when he was doing a press conference in the area and wanted people to attend. Perhaps the incoming governor might change that relationship.”