We Will Never Forget, But Some Have

I worked around the corner from the World Trade Center. When the buildings came down it did not take me long to realize that many residents of my community and graduates of my High School and College had perished. I lost count of the funeral services and street naming memorials. Together with many other volunteers during the first three weeks we collected what was needed and made many runs over to the site under escort.  I know I will “Never Forget.”  I now doubt if I can say that about America.

The twenty second anniversary is less then a month away. When I look at American foreign policy I wonder if the Biden Administration has forgotten. When I hear about American Border security with ample evidence that terrorists move in and out of our nation regularly, I wonder if those who support open borders have forgotten.  When I see athletes and other Americans take a knee when our National Anthem is played, I know that they have forgotten.

The Biden Administration is actually considering sparing the four 9/11 living masterminds the death penalty. Yes, they have forgotten.

Even flying the American Flag in parts of our state is beginning to feel like an act of defiance against the “woke” left. I suspect many reading the wrap up have felt the same.

The Conservative Party is made up of fighters. We will “Never Forget.”

We need to do what we do best. Double our efforts to honor our nation by celebrating patriotic holidays, remembering solemn occasions such as 9/11, flying our American flags and most of all voting for candidates that reflect our morals and beliefs.

We also need to remind younger people in our orbit why we do these things and why it is important.

Speaker McCarthy In New York

 House Republican leadership has shown a strong commitment to keep New York Conservative/Republican Congressmembers in office. Our members were the “Majority Makers” in 2022 and we could very well be in that position again.

Actions, however, do speak louder than words. To that point I wish to thank Congresswoman Elise Stefanik for setting up a special committee that solely raises money to hold and pick up New York State Congressional seats. To date, the committee has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the effort with much more expected.

And a big shout out to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy who has been in the State many times to support our members.  In fact, next Wednesday he will be the keynote speaker at fundraising events for Congressman Brandon Williams in the afternoon in Onondaga County and in the evening for Congressman Marcus Molinaro in Sullivan County. I plan to catch up with him and Brandon in Onondaga.

Conservative Party at New York State Fair

As we did last year the State Party will be sponsoring a table at the New York State Fair for the entirety of the event. I wish to thank Onondaga Chairman Bernie Ment, for all of his tireless efforts; as well as area County Conservative Party organizations with their assistance in funding and providing volunteers.

We could use more volunteers to assist with the table. If you have a few hours please contact Chairman Ment at 315-278-8927.

Our table will be in the Micron Center of Progress.  I will be there on September 23^rd with Chairman Ment and Congressman Williams.  Come by and say hello.

Migrant Crisis is Self-Inflicted

Make no mistake about it, President Biden and his administration created the current migrant crisis facing New York City and State, but it was made significantly worse by Mayor Adams and the New York City Council. 

Mayor Adams and the Council prepped the ground for this disaster by declaring New York a sanctuary city years ago, Governor Hochul manages New York as if it was a sanctuary state, and Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand have been less than useless. Our local and state government have simply failed at every turn.

Over 100,000 illegal immigrants have arrived in New York City with thousands upon thousands more expected with a price tag that’s estimated to be at least $12 billion but will surely balloon. Adding insult to injury, park space is being used to build tent cities and now school space is in question.

This is an unmitigated disaster and the blame lies at the feet of Democrats and woke activists.  Can you name a single Republican or Conservative in this state who supported sanctuary status? I can’t.

Read my full op-ed on the migrant crisis here. Please share it as it is imperative this situation be brought to the forefront as this crisis continues to worsen.

Riot in the Heart of New York City

Today’s New York City cascades out of control often. The recent riot of teenagers in the thousands at Union Square Park by those in hope of obtaining free PlayStation 5’s is a timely example with a difference.

This riot involved older teenagers still in theory within the control of their parents and the rioters showed complete disregard for the NYPD, and private property. The NYPD used extreme restraint, something that our current radical political leadership demands. That usually involves the police backing off out of concern that they do not have the support of civilian management.

When the police cannot protect themselves, it goes without saying that they cannot protect us. This story needs a different ending. One in which parents take responsibility for their teenage children. It involves New Yorkers at all levels respecting the police, and frankly, themselves. 

As an aside, and I suppose it shows my age, I worked every summer from the time I was 14 years old. If I went into the “City” it was on a day off with friends. A rare happening for sure. I did not need free things because I made a few bucks to buy what I wanted (albeit Play Stations are a lot more expensive than clothing and baseball cards).

Jennifer Harrison on Patriots Podium

On Patriots Podium Episode #7, I had the pleasure of having a powerful conversation with Jennifer Harrison. Jennifer is the Executive Director of The Victims Rights Reform Council, and the Founder of the political action committee Victims Rights NY. She is incredibly brave, and given the current state of New York, her advocacy is extremely important. The podcast will premiere on all of our social media accounts Monday, 8/14. However, you can view early on any of the platforms below, feel free to give us a like and share!

YouTube:              Apple Music:             Spotify:            BuzzSprout:

If you want to find out more about Jennifer and her organization, you can go to: victimsrightsnypac.com/home

Parole Board Continues its Dangerous Ways

It is truly sad when the NYS Parole Board becomes one of the greatest impediments to public safety. Unfortunately, this has been the reality since Andrew Cuomo replaced George Pataki appointments during his tenure with left wing, criminal advocates that now dominate every parole board hearing.  A policy that continues under Governor Hochul.

Many violent criminals have been returned to the streets with recidivism being a very serious problem. Worse yet, cop killers have been given parole with growing frequency.

A few days ago, the public was informed that Scott Cobb, who participated in the assassination of Police Officer Eddie Byrnes during a contract killing by a NYC drug kingpin is being released by our “woke” Parole Board. 

Cop killers should be subject to Capital Punishment. Since that cannot happen in NYS with our present government leadership; A guaranteed life without parole should be the standard.  That too is being subjected to a reworking by the NY Legislature and Governor.

With this release, the Parole Board in the past six years has released 36 cop killers.

I knew Eddie Byrnes’s brother, Larry, who served as the NYPD Deputy Commissioner for Legal Affairs. I worked with him during my years working in State government.  He told me that the direction of his life was completely changed by the death of his brother.  It was a big part of the reason why he chose the NYPD to focus his legal career eventually becoming the Deputy Commissioner.

Larry passed away a few years ago, but the memory of both Eddie and Larry lives on. The release of any person who takes a life in the commission of a crime hits me hard. The parole of Scott Cobb has hit me a little bit harder.

Read my full release here.

Hunter Biden’s Big Setback

You did not need to be conservative to know that the Biden family influence was working overtime at the Justice Department to cut Hunter Biden a deal in which he believed all his problems would go away.

The Republican House Majority said not so fast. They brought to the attention of the American people, through a formal hearing process, the many potential criminal issues that the Justice Department deal could not cover.

A Judge agreed. Immediately knowing that the Justice Department clarification (albeit under the illumination of the House hearings) had collapsed what he and his attorney’s thought was blanket coverage, he withdrew from the agreement.

Hunter Biden has not yet been brought to justice. Nevertheless, this is an important step.

Now there is increased hope that the role of the President in protecting Hunter will become fully public and the American people can get a true understanding of this father/son relationship as it involves all sorts of sordid business activities by his degenerate son.

Brianna Lyman Headlines State Party Mixer & EJ McMahon as our Podcast Guest

Brianna Lyman part of a new, young generation of conservative leaders headlined a well -attended mixer the NYS Conservative Party held this past week in Goshen.

Brianna, a journalist with the Daily Caller and a regular guest on Newsmax, received a standing ovation. The Fordham University graduated who hails from Dutchess County covered a wide range of conservative issues including the role a 25 year old female journalist can play in growing the movement. You can view her speech here.

Follow her on the Daily Caller and if you see her name coming up on a Newsmax show, it is worth taking the time to hear what she has to say. 

This week, we had EJ McMahon, a Senior Fellow and founder of the Empire Center, as a guest on our podcast. EJ, as always, was amazing as he has a depth of knowledge in history, politics, finance, and economics that is unrivaled in New York.  Our podcast was an informative discussion that covered many areas.

Watch EJ and myself on this weeks podcast here.

Here They Go Again

It is possible that President Trump is not your first choice for President. Even so, the new revelation coming from Mr. Trump that he is a target for a likely criminal indictment over the January 6th events further makes the case that the Federal government is conducting a witch hunt.

Numerous legal experts, including many that lean left, have commented that charging the former President for texts and public statements surrounding the invasion of the United States Capitol is a stretch.  The communications in question and under review do not make the case for what the prosecutors are claiming. In fact, Mr. Trump was public in using the same media calling for protestors to stand down and remain peaceful. Prosecutors do bend the truth for their own benefit. Charging a leading Presidential candidate who was President at the time in question with a form of insurrection is not going to sit well with most Americans – some of whom are not supporting Trump this time around.

Special Prosecutor Jack Smith needs to be reminded that even former Presidents have their rights. 

NYC Absurd Shelter Laws

A New York Post story about a new sixty-day shelter limit for single undocumented migrants seeking asylum shows the complete absurdity of the city’s longstanding sanctuary policy as well as Biden/Hochul immigration policies.

The obvious first question is where do those who have met their time limit of sixty days go? The city’s answer is to have them reapply. That is a true head scratcher of an answer providing no solution but very appropriate for a large bureaucracy.

According to published reports, Adams having met enormous resistance around the state to his efforts to move the migrants to other locations, is spending taxpayer dollars at the border with flyers and advertisements urging border crossers to go anywhere but NYC since we have run out of available shelter with no jobs being available. Border patrol has thus far refused to distribute those flyers.

The answer lies with the failed Biden policies that have taken a porous border and turned it into an open border.  The United States ,as shown by President Trump, can successfully close borders and mitigate the illegal migrant crisis. Democrats like Adams intuitively know that is what needs to be done.

Biden needs to think “America First” read my full statement for more information here.

Join us in Orange County

The State Conservative Party will be holding a young professionals mixer Wednesday, July 26th, from 6-8 pm at Delancy’s Restaurant in Goshen NY (40 Park PL, Goshen NY, 10924). We will have an array of legislators in attendance, as well as media personality Brianna Lyman, who will join me to speak about her path to being a national conservative commentator. I also expect a lively discussion on many topics of the day as we enjoy a cocktail or two and some food.

A little background on Brianna: Brianna Lyman is a brilliant young political commentator and breaking news reporter for the Daily Caller making regular appearances on Newsmax. She will talk to us about the media and their role in politics. We are thrilled she made herself available to us and look forward to having her. The event is free (although the bar is not). Please RSVP to Andrew Davis (Andrew@cpnys.org, or call/text 845-522-1915 if you have any questions). We hope to see you there!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Bill O’Reilly, 212-396-9117
bill@novemberteam.com
July 19, 2023

New Shelter Rules in NYC Show Absolute Absurdity of Biden/Hochul/Adams Immigration Policy: New York State Conservative Party Chairman Gerard Kassar

Brooklyn-NY…“Today’s New York Post story about new shelter limits just imposed by the City of New York demonstrates the absolute absurdity of the Biden-Hochul-Adams  immigration policies. More than 90,000 foreigners have been shipped to the five boroughs in recent months — that’s what happens when you declare a ‘sanctuary city’ —  and nearly 55,000 are now seeking shelter in City facilities, prompting Mayor Adams to limit stays for single adults to 60 days, after which they’ll be able to reapply for shelter that probably won’t exist. Additional non-citizens arrive each week by the thousands, despite the Mayor’s warnings that New York can’t take any more.  

“New York City has its own problems; we can’t fix the troubles of the world. New Yorkers have crises, too, and many need shelter, but now they’re being forced to wait in line for people who just got off a bus, and who will keep arriving until Washington finally does something about this. While New Yorkers stumble over trash piles and broken city sidewalks, almost a billion of their tax dollars are going to non citizen services. When will this insanity end?’’

###

Siena Says What We All Know

New Yorkers are afraid. They are concerned that their property will be stolen or they will be the victim of a violent crime.

The Siena College survey released this week showed that a clear majority of New Yorkers from almost every part of the state consider crime one of their top three issues. You do not need to reside in Rochester, Buffalo, Albany, or New York City to believe your community is not as safe as it was just a few years ago. Just as shocking, most New Yorkers have been touched in someway by crime in their lives, many very recently.

The Democratic Party has moved far left on public safety issues with crime victim rights being overtaken by criminal rights.  We can thank the Democrats in Albany as well as in local big city governments with implementing cashless bail, disclosure laws that hinder prosecutors, defunding police, anti-policing initiatives and just this past session a “clean slate law” which simply undoes the record of a convicted felon and washes away the reality that they seriously broke the law. And this is to name just a few.

Law enforcement professionals are retiring in record numbers. New Yorkers are moving out of state because of crime, taxes and over regulation.

Siena said what we all know. The only way to reverse the damage done will be by electing conservatives to state and local offices who have an interest in public safety. With your help that is what we plan to do.

Read my full statement on the Siena poll here.

New York’s Third Department is Politics as Usual

As you probably have heard New York’s Third Department Appeals Court in Albany ruled 3 to 2 to scrap New York’s Congressional lines returning the responsibility to the Independent Redistricting Commission and eventually the Legislature. The lines that currently exist were drawn by a Special Master Court appointed by a Supreme Court Judge, upheld by the Appellate Division in Rochester, and by the Court of Appeals.

The Albany Appeals decision will go up the ladder to the State Court of Appeals. There is something to be said for the certainty of government. The constant back and forth on redistricting leaves the general public depending on the ebb and flow of a working government in the lurch. This is unfair and destabilizing for those represented and the broader nation. It would be foolish to think this Court was doing anything other than the bidding of the Democratic Party, House Democratic leadership, and the Biden Administration.

We will continue through the process and work to have our day in court. However, as the Party Chairman, I continue to focus on beating the Democratic Court assisted steal at the ballot box. 

Read my press release here.

Congresswoman Tenney on Patriots Podium

You can preview my conversation with Congresswoman Claudia Tenney by clicking here.

Claudia has been a beacon of conservative philosophy in Albany and Washington for many years. In our interview we discuss a wide range of issues from defense and foreign policy to Governor Hochul’s poor stewardship of our state.

I personally have known Claudia for over twenty years. You can count on her voting right as much as you can expect her to explain why she voted a certain way.

I hope you will take a look.