The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo
Governor of New York State
NYS State Capitol Building
Albany, NY 12224 Governor Cuomo: I am writing you in conjunction with Assemblyman Kieran Lalor regarding his concerns about the 3,347 illegal immigrant children who have been sent to New York. Speaking on behalf of local officials, we were not informed that our community would have to take on this responsibility and are not prepared for the strain on our public resources. As a staunch opponent of illegal immigration and the NY DREAM Act, I can’t help but feel this policy of housing illegal immigrants is backdoor amnesty. It seems to be an effort to manipulate the hardworking taxpayers of New York into subsidizing lawbreaking. If we are not funding this additional strain on our community, when should we expect the checks, equipment and resources from the federal government? Accepting these illegal immigrants without a plan, and without telling local officials, is gross negligence. The people of Western New York and New York as a whole deserve to know what your plan is moving forward, and we deserve to know that now. As an elected state official, I am calling on you to make public your short-term financial plan and your long-term policy initiatives. As a former Mayor, I know how hard it is to make that budget every single year. As an assemblyman, I know that none of our budget bills accounted for this. You owe every single New Yorker your plan. Will there be federal monies available for dealing with their problem? How should local communities apply for those funds? Will you be calling a special session to allocate funds? We have many questions about this process because you left us in the dark. I would encourage you to make a decision before the beginning of the school year to avoid the strain on our educational resources. You can reach me via my office number, 716-655-0951, or my email, DiPietroD@assembly.state.ny.us. Respectfully,
David J. DiPietro
Assemblyman
147th District