May 14, 2008 5:31 PM
As many of you know by now 1105 passed the Suffolk Legislature with 12 votes last night. It took me so long to post, because I am still extremely baffled at how most legislators admitted there were fatal flaws and no way to enforce the bill, but passed it anyway.
I figured I would highlight some of the quotes from our legislators who voted politically instead of morally, so you could see your tax dollars hard at work:
Legislator Edward Romaine: "We give the Presiding Officer too much power"; "We saw the committees stacked this year"; "people come here to work out of desperation"; "we're not going to solve the immigration issue here, it is above our pay grade" - Voted YES
Legislator Jay Schneiderman: “We should try to work on a less offensive bill that works for the entire community”; “I thought the bill could be clearer in regards to due process …and needed a provision on racial profiling”; “We don’t need to set a precedent that will haunt us” & “If we are voting on a bill that deals with following the law, then we should make sure we are following our own” (in regards to how the bill was discharged out of committee) - Voted YES
Legislator Cameron Alden: “I do not believe this bill is enforceable” - Voted YES
Although very few had the courage to stand-up AGAINST 1105, the Legislators that did spoke words of truth…even though retribution could be in their future:
Legislator Vivian Viloria-Fisher: “People voted for the County Executives 2025 while holding their noses and it has not had a significant impact - This bill will also have no impact and not be enforceable”; “This creates another wedge in our community”; “We keep seeing these bills that do nothing yet impact the community”; “These bills are not solving problems”; “Don’t kick the underdog - this is not the way to go forward and look at the bigger picture” - Voted NO
Legislator Thomas Barraga: “This bill is fatally flawed”; “…with everything that is wrong with the economy, why would you want to create a bill that hurts us”; “When 80% of the people that come to the podium tell you this isn’t an anti-immigrant bill….it’s an anti-immigrant bill!”; “We have 20 million undocumented people in this country and they aren’t going anywhere - do you want to force them into crime, gangs and drugs?”; “This bill does not appeal to the angelic side of humans - it appeals to the dark side”; “Americans are mad because life didn’t turn out the way they wanted it to and it’s a lot to emulate the successful, it is much easier to blame”; “It’s not what we stand for in Suffolk County and it is not the image we want” - Voted NO
Legislator Jon Cooper: “If this wasn’t about immigration, then you would be in favor of my bill”; “False documents are so widely available, this bill won’t work”; “This will lead to discrimination in the workplace”; “It is wrong to put the onus on small business owners”; “There is no practical enforcement to this bill” - Voted NO
And against the bill and abstaining….
Legislator Kate Browning: “This bill is dividing our unions in a time that we don’t need them to be more split; United We Stand, Divided We Fall”; “This bill is not enforceable”; “It’s a do nothing bill” - ABSTAINED
That brings me to Legislator Ricardo Montano, who had successfully fought for an injunction to prevent the vote in April, only to have an appellate judge vacate the order because they felt he had not gone through all legislative means. Legislator Montano refused to vote on the bill due to the fact the he believed it was an illegal vote. I commend Ric for standing-up for his principles and not faltering in his beliefs. I am awaiting news on how today's court date went.
I recommend calling or emailing the legislators that showed courage and thanking them. I would also recommend calling those that didn't stand for their principles and let them know next time they should put their political rhetoric to the side and vote the way they know is right.