LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

We have a big choice to make

Posted

To the editor:

As local elected officials, our job is to enact good laws in the legislature and the city council, and to fight hard for the communities we represent. We have had a terrific partner in those efforts: Democratic state Sen. Jeff Klein.

Sen. Klein was a key player in enacting into law many important pieces of progressive legislation, including the $15 minimum wage, the most comprehensive paid family leave law in the country. He also enacted pre-kindergarten for 4-year-olds, free SUNY and CUNY college tuition, the strongest gun laws in the country, “Raise the Age,” and much more.

We know his detractors refuse to acknowledge this, but that doesn’t change the facts.

Is there more work to do? Of course. He is committed to codifying Roe v. Wade, women’s health care, single-payer health insurance, the Dream Act, and more. Those who falsely claim, for political gain, that he has blocked these initiatives simply aren’t being truthful.

We are beyond pleased that the Independent Democratic Conference has dissolved, and that all Democrats from the two conferences have united. The IDC is gone. It’s time to move on.

Those who demanded that the IDC rejoin the regular Democratic conference were not satisfied once they actually got their wish. They claimed it was too little, too late. It seems they really weren’t concerned about political unity and achieving a Democratic majority, only retribution.

A majority in the state senate is 32, but the 23 members of the regular Democrats and eight former IDC members only add up to 31. Yes, 23 plus eight still equals 31.

There were those who falsely claimed that if only the IDC members were to join the mainline conference, there would be a majority to pass progressive legislation. Obviously, that was not true.

This spring, 23 plus eight happened. And guess what? The truth was exposed. The majority was still not 31. Unfortunately, the unity this spring did not result in any of those progressive bills passing. We still need one more Democratic senator.

As elected officials, no one wants a Democratic majority in the state senate more than us. We want to see the issues we fight for become a reality. At a time when Democratic unity is crucial to achieving a Democratic majority, millions of dollars are being spent on intra-party fights that, even if successful in all eight former IDC districts, will not result in the election of even one additional Democrat.

Our resources should be laser-focused on defeating Republican state senators so we can actually achieve a Democratic majority.

We are committed to helping to elect Democrats in Republican-held districts. That is the true road to a Democratic majority, and to changing New York. Resources are not unlimited.

There is a simple choice: Fight among Democrats, or fight against Republicans. For us, the answer is easy.

We hope you will vote for Democratic Sen. Jeff Klein, and then join us in electing Democrats and defeating Republicans in November.

Jeffrey Dinowitz
Andrew Cohen

The authors are an Assemblyman and city councilman who represent parts of Senate District 34.

Jeffrey Dinowitz, Andrew Cohen,

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