To the Editor:
I wanted to take a moment to thank Senator Bill Weber for penning a Guest Op-Ed titled “NY HEAT Act bad for New York.” In the piece the Senator said “activism is and always should be part of politics because it leads to discussions of new public policy topics,” and I appreciated the fact that he put his money where his mouth is so to speak in speaking out against this costly proposal coming out of Albany.
As the Senator correctly noted, activism can be well intentioned but as is the case here it can also push ideas too far – resulting in idealistic policies that aren’t married to reality and in fact simply impose massive costs on NY households with no real tangible benefit. My family can’t afford for our heating bills to go up, as they would under proposals like the NY HEAT Act and the Governor’s “Affordable” Gas Transition Act. In today’s politics too many ideas like this one are jammed through the legislature as elected officials are too afraid to speak out for fear of the repercussions and attacks that come from so-called advocates. Senator Weber showed real leadership in standing up and speaking out against radical ideas that add to our financial burdens here in the community – and for that he should be commended.
Tor Haugland
Town of Newburgh
Town of Newburgh
