“Government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it”-Ronald Reagan
Purpose of Bill: The purpose of this bill is to establish a new Office of Cannabis Management for the regulation of cannabis, to create a regulated and taxed cannabis industry in New York and to provide for various social and economic justice initiatives related thereto.
Party Position: The Conservative Party of NYS is adamantly opposed to this bill that seeks to provide for the lawful possession, use and personal growth of cannabis – marijuana – for adult-use of cannabis that is still currently a Schedule 1 drug under federal law.
It would allow plants to be grown in the home with different stages of growth; and allow for 5 pounds of cannabis in the home and up to 3 ounces outside.
Marijuana use has increased when legalized in other states because it is available and when it is legalized kids and adolescents believe it is harmless, while science has proven it contributes to psychosis and schizophrenia, and sadly it reduces the IQ of those who start using the drug before age 18.
Traffic injuries and fatalities have increased in states that have legalized the use of cannabis, i.e. Colorado.
Second-hand smoke presents another major concern.
Instead of ending the black-market sales of illegal cannabis; black-market sales have increased in states that adopted similar bills as users look for ways to avoid the taxes the state will collect.
Do we truly want to educate our children on the profits of a drug that is considered a gateway drug?
The public costs of cannabis legalization will increase also, for every $1 of tax revenue in alcohol and tobacco tax revenues, society loses $10 in social costs according to SAM-Smart Approaches to Marijuana – the Top 10 Messages Against Legalization.
The Conservative Party urges a no vote on this bill that sends a message to the youth of New York that getting high on marijuana is harmless, funds their schools and will have no long-term effects. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The Times Union is reporting that the new marijuana law may be signed into law this week and two years to implement. Part of the message the Legislature is sending our youth, is that marijuana is okay and 40% of the sales tax revenues will be spent on your education, while 20% will go to drug treatment and public education programs. Great message, isn’t it? We are now on the precipice of educating our children with drug money, while only half that amount will go to drug treatment, mental health treatment and public education. Do you think they have their priorities up-side-down? Read more about what is in this ill-advised bill here.
Senator Ed Rath and Assemblyman DiPietro have teamed to introduce common sense legislation that would permit school districts to open to students for in-person instruction if the school is capable of maintaining 3 feet of distance between students.
The bill has been introduced in the Senate and Assembly. Additionally, it is supported by the New York State Academy of Pediatrics.
“There is increasing data to suggest that schools can safely reopen and that safe reopening does not suggest that teachers need to be vaccinated,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in a February press conference.
The prolonged school closures have left many families confused and frustrated, rightfully so. The goalposts have continually moved while the CDC has given no indication that schools should remain closed. The teachers who continue to boycott returning to the classroom are putting children years behind and keeping many of them in environments that are far more dangerous than the care and supervision of attending in-person school 5 days a week.
“There is no reason for schools that are otherwise compliant with the bevy of safety guidelines and restrictions should be prevented from reopening because they lack the space to keep students 6-feet apart. Many schools simply do not have the physical square footage to be able to realistically comply with this executive order, said Assemblyman DiPietro who introduced the bill in the State Assembly.
President Biden Showing His Age
A lot of political hay has been made of President Biden’s multiple falls going up the stairway to board Air Force One. I have kept away from direct political commentary in as much I find the event troubling on a different scale. The President could have seriously hurt himself. That is something that should concern all Americans.
It is not political theater but a reality that the 78-year-old President has physical issues that could affect him and as such the nation. Just imagine if he had slipped down a few of the steps seriously twisting an ankle or injuring a bone or breaking his hip. It would, for a period of time, cause anxiety from Main Street to Wall Street, as well as in foreign Capitals.
Yesterday, the President gave his first press conference since taking office and far too often sounded incoherent and seemed to lose his train of thought. Midway through answering a question he abruptly stopped and ended the sentence with “uh, anyways.” It was not a funny moment, it was concerning and hit home the fact that the President is of a very advanced age.
President Biden’s job is grueling and demanding, but Americans deserve transparency and a Commander in Chief who communicates with the country often. Only time will tell if Biden is capable to fulfill his duties.
Live with Assemblyman Ed Ra
I was pleased to be joined by New York State Assemblyman Ed Ra, the ranking Republican of the Assembly Ways and Means Committee, Tuesday night to discuss the upcoming New York State budget.
The full interview can be seen here. I encourage anyone with a curiosity or interest of the budget and how Governor Cuomo and the Democratic majority continue to spend wildly and tax New Yorkers, listen to this interview. The video will be pinned to the top of our Facebook page for easy access.
New York Conservative Party Gets Boost
On behalf of the state party, I would like to thank the thousands who have joined the party over the last year for trusting in us to advocate on behalf of you. We welcome you with open arms.
With the increase, we now stand at 154,000 active members up from 147,000 in February of 2020.
Additionally, this past election cycle, we received nearly 300,000 votes on the Conservative Party line for President Trump. It is clear many New Yorkers believe in the work of the party.
It is my hope that we can continue to show to our members, and potential future members, that we are on the forefront of every fight worth fighting and supporting good candidates throughout our great state.
Governor Andrew Cuomo, you can never undo the grievous mistakes you made, even giving you the benefit of the doubt that we were in unchartered territory regarding how to handle the world-wide pandemic, your arrogance and belief that you did your best or worse that you followed what the federal government recommended – you eventually realize it wasn’t what they recommended and rescinded the DOH order on May 10 – you have never apologized to the families who could not even be with their loved ones while facing an almost certain painful death. Your actions were not the actions of a leader; they were actions of a man who believes he can do no wrong. Governor Cuomo, it is time to admit you made mistakes; and then resign.
Oh Boy, this should be very interesting, I wonder if she will acknowledge the problems and find a way to resolve them, or is Harris there because she knows nothing about immigration except her very progressive views. Biden taps Harris to lead on immigration amid border crisis.
Did anyone really expect President Biden to say anything different than he said: Biden Signals Openness to Changing Filibuster, Says He Plans to Run in 2024. The openness to changing filibuster is how he proves to progressives that he has their back and that unity means absolutely nothing. He is the wolf in sheep’s clothing!
For Immediate Release
March 25, 2021
Contact: Shaun Marie
518-356-7882
www.cpnys.org @cpnys
STATEMENT FROM NEW YORK STATE CONSERVATIVE PARTY CHAIRMAN GERARD KASSAR
“Governing is About Serving the Public, Not Yourself”
“The aggravating news about Gov. Andrew Cuomo isn’t letting up.
“Now we learn that New York’s chief executive arranged special privileges for family members and close colleagues in the early days of Covid testing — around the time he was penning a book on Covid leadership (after cooking the books on nursing home deaths under his watch) that has reportedly reaped him more than one million dollars.
“When we hear about arrogance in government — when we hear about naked abuses of power — these are the types of things we are talking about.
“That arrogance, in Mr. Cuomo’s case, has seemingly extended itself into predatory sexual behavior against random New Yorkers and members of his own staff.
This is called “Unity” in the Democratic Party: Democrats vow to go ‘bold’ — with or without GOP. Have they forgotten their pledges prior to election day…or do they believe we are unable to hold them to their words? Perhaps they should remember the adage: Elephants don’t forget (neither do conservatives.) As Steve Doocy pointed out this AM on Fox and Friends, don’t they know we have tapes of what they have said in the past. To which we add; they may try and scrub their social media accounts, however, with today’s technology, we are able to keep most of them to remind them of their flip-flops.
NEW YORK STATE CONSERVATIVE PARTY LEADERS FILE COMPLAINT IN STATE SUPREME COURT TO PROTECT CONSTITUTIONAL VOTING RIGHTS OF ALL NEW YORKERS
New York State Conservative Party leaders yesterday announced the filing of a verified complaint with the New York State Supreme Court, County of Niagara, to protect the constitutionally prescribed voting rights of all New Yorkers.
The complaint filed on Thursday in Niagara County, seeks to overturn an unconstitutional action by the State Legislature S8015-D/A10833 signed into law by Governor Cuomo on August 20th, 2020 and now Chapter 139 of the laws of 2020. This Chapter amends Election Law Section 8-400 in clear violation of Article II, Section 2 of the State Constitution. This section establishes specific circumstances in which a registered voter can obtain an absentee ballot.
The Conservative Party maintains that this Chapter makes a permanent change in the State Constitution and as such requires approval of the electorate by placing such amendment on the November ballot. The Legislature and Governor by adopting said piece of legislation have circumvented that process.
The authority that allowed the Governor to open the process of absentee ballots to all voters in 2020 was limited to the authority granted him through the broad temporary emergency powers adopted by the Legislature in the Spring of 2020. Those powers expire with the pandemic.
The State Constitution belongs to the people of New York as a safeguard against runaway governors and legislatures which we clearly now have. The Constitution spells out the rules for absentee voting in great specificity not to inhibit voting, but to protect the integrity of every vote in this state. Those who wish to make changes in these areas are free to do so through a vote of the electorate, but never through legislative action. They simply don’t have that power.
The State Conservative Party successfully challenged the constitutionality of other attempted changes to New York Election Law by the Governor and Legislature in 2020.
Every registered New Yorker should exercise his or her right to vote in every election, but it is imperative that the voting safeguards put in place by our State Constitution be observed to guarantee maximum ballot security. When rules are changed willy-nilly, public confidence in our election processes wane, and that can be a dangerous thing. This complaint seeks to protect the democratic rights of New Yorkers, and we are hopeful for an affirmative outcome by the Court.
Statewide News Service
Recently, I joined the Statewide News Service to discuss Governor Cuomo, his toxic workplace environment, sexual harassment, and abuse allegations and finally the recall and initiative referendum legislation.
Embattled Governor Cuomo is running out of friends willing to cover up his sexual harassment and abuse allegations. However, it appears he still has the cover of President Joe Biden.
Reports from in and around the White House are that the President and Vice President are split on how to respond to the scathing allegations surrounding Cuomo. Biden has remained loyal to Cuomo saying an investigation should be carried out, while it is rumored Vice President Harris is ready and prepared to call on the Governor’s resignation.
On Wednesday, the Washington Examiner wrote this story featuring myself and Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro.
I am happy that national publications have continued to follow the Governor Cuomo scandal closely and I hope that they also continue to remember that it does not end with the claims of sexual harassment and assault, but with the nursing home death cover up.
It is important that we continue to remember all those lost and the lies that came out of Albany in an effort to diminish the whistleblowers and those calling for the truth.
Live with Ed Ra
On Tuesday, March 23, I will be joined live with New York State Assemblyman Ed Ra. Assemblyman Ra is the senior Republican on the Ways and Means Committee and will be joining me to discuss the egregious New York State Budget that is moving forward in the State Assembly and Senate.
We will be live at 7:00pm Tuesday and we look forward to seeing you join us. As always, just visit our Facebook page where you will see the interview.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Bill O’Reilly, 212-396-9117
Bill@NovemberTeam.com
NEW YORK STATE CONSERVATIVE PARTY LEADERS FILE COMPLAINT IN STATE SUPREME COURT TO PROTECT CONSTITUTIONAL VOTING RIGHTS OF ALL NEW YORKERS
Buffalo, NY-March 19…New York State Conservative Party leaders today announced the filing of a verified complaint with the New York State Supreme Court, County of Niagara, to protect the constitutionally prescribed voting rights of all New Yorkers.
The complaint filed on Thursday in Niagara County, seeks to overturn an unconstitutional action by the State Legislature S8015-D/A10833 signed into law by Governor Cuomo on August 20th, 2020 and now Chapter 139 of the laws of 2020. This Chapter amends Election Law Section 8-400 in clear violation of Article II, Section 2 of the State Constitution. This section establishes specific circumstances in which a registered voter can obtain an absentee ballot.
The Conservative Party maintains that this Chapter makes a permanent change in the State Constitution and as such requires approval of the electorate by placing such amendment on the November ballot. The Legislature and Governor by adopting said piece of legislation have circumvented that process.
The authority that allowed the Governor to open the process of absentee ballots to all voters in 2020 was limited to the authority granted him through the broad temporary emergency powers adopted by the Legislature in the Spring of 2020. Those powers expire with the pandemic.
“The State Constitution belongs to the people of New York as a safeguard against runaway governors and legislatures which we clearly now have,” said State Conservative Party Chairman Gerard Kassar. “The Constitution spells out the rules for absentee voting in great specificity not to inhibit voting, but to protect the integrity of every vote in this state. Those who wish to make changes in these areas are free to do so through a vote of the electorate, but never through legislative action. They simply don’t have that power.”
The State Conservative Party successfully challenged the constitutionality of other attempted changes to New York Election Law by the Governor and Legislature in 2020.
“Every registered New Yorker should exercise his or her right to vote in every election, but it is imperative that the voting safeguards put in place by our State Constitution be observed to guarantee maximum ballot security,
”Chairman Kassar continued. “When rules are changed willy-nilly, public confidence in our election processes wane, and that can be a dangerous thing. This complaint seeks to protect the democratic rights of New Yorkers, and we are hopeful for an affirmative outcome by the Court.”
NYS Conservative Party Chairman Jerry Kassar discusses recall and Initiative and Referendum legislation: Listen to the Soundcloud interview with Marc Gronich, Statewide News Service, here.
President Biden: Why is it that “political empowerment” and/or pacifying the Progressives means more then what is right for America? Rich Lowry describes: How Trump Got Control of the Border.
Stacy Abrams, this is for you! Rasmussen Reports: 75% Support Voter ID Laws. And this of for all the Congressional/Senate Members who are considering increasing taxes on all of us who are doing their best to survive the economic restrictions placed on us by government: Nearly Two-Thirds Oppose Higher Taxes. Votes have consequences. We will not let your constituents forget how you voted.
This article, Justices’ Title VII ‘on Basis of Sex’ Ruling Spawning Unintended Consequences in Lower Courts, is a must read. Unfortunately, it is very discouraging as it explains the unintended consequences of certain judicial decisions. Should this trend not be stopped, young ladies may never win in a sports competition if a transgendered male is competing. Isn’t it possible for transgendered competitors to compete with other transgendered competitors; it may be a smaller competitive field, but it would be one that is far more equal.
From the LA Times (it is good to see the LA Times remember President Ronald Reagan) Op-Ed: Look to the Reagan administration for the answer to the China challenge. Good advice for President Joe Biden, “…These efforts must apply Reagan’s fundamental insight — to win against a rival of China’s magnitude requires sustained pressure against the true sources of the adversary’s power. (emphasis added.)
NY legislature proposes nearly $7 billion in new taxes on wealthy. See our response here. For your information, in 1970 New York State had 41 Congressional Districts, when reapportionment takes place next year, we will lose at least one, possibly two seats, bringing us down to 26 (possibly 25) Congressional Districts. The land mass of New York has not changed; people leaving in droves has reduced our representation in Congress. (The Assembly, by contrast, has 150 Members, set by the NYS Constitution, and that number has been consistent since the 1938 Constitutional Convention was adopted.) Spending in NYS is driving taxes up and driving people out. Perhaps the time to reduce the number of Assembly Members has come.
For Immediate Release
March 15, 2021
Contact: Shaun Marie
518-356-7882
www.cpnys.org @cpnys
Despite Infusion of Washington’s Cash; Democrats in NYS Plan Nearly $7 Billion in New Taxes on New Yorkers Statement by Chairman Gerard Kassar
Brooklyn, NY — The Democrat controlled New York State Legislature, despite the infusion of fresh federal aid to NY ($12.6 B directly to state coffers) is poised to pass one-house bills that include a massive tax increase on businessmen and the wealthy; a 22.6% increase in spending over last year; 10.5% more than Governor Cuomo’s proposal.
Increasing the taxes on businesses and the wealthy will only further the exodus that has steadily increased over the past 10 years. New York state cannot afford any additional losses. This impractical plan will end up costing every New Yorker. Spending is the problem. If these Bills are enacted, the Democratic-controlled Legislature is shouting that New York is closed for business and encouraging New Yorkers to move to a state where they have better control over the money they earn.
