“With the legislative session for 2019 closed out, it’s time to take stock of the impact that downstate Majority politicians have had on Western New York and our way of life. Even a brief overview showcases a dangerous trend that has accelerated the destruction of our values and the seizing of our tax dollars for projects we don’t get the benefits of. From NYC destroying the agricultural backbone of the rest of NY to full-term abortions, we have a gamut of terrible policies and defunct ideas. Barely anything that helps the taxpayer, the hard-working farmer or the small business owner.

“First of all, the progressive tone of this session was apparent from the start and permeated every major bill proposal that went through the majority. A massive focus on illegal aliens started with the Dream Act, taking tax dollars from your wallet to pay for illegal immigrants to go to college, and was the harbinger of much greater affronts to the American way.

However, my peers and I in the Assembly Minority Conference fought tirelessly, garnering support from various national officials, including President Donald Trump, to get the same benefits to the survivors of our nation’s war heroes Gold Star families. This is just a singular highlight of the disparity and dysfunction in Albany, college for illegals but not for the survivors of our fallen heroes.

“What’s worse is, beyond the attack on the American way, the disgusting assault on the sanctity of life. With the passage of full-term abortion and opening up the procedure to be performed by non-doctors, we cannot trust that the right decisions are being made. Every life is sacred and I railed until my voice was hoarse on the Assembly floor to prevent this bill from coming to fruition. The downstate Majority politicians just don’t care about it. It’s just sickening.

“I can go on and on, from the farm bill that destroys the backbone of upstate’s economy to a bill granting illegal immigrants driver’s licenses, and another that drastically loosens our election laws and opens the door to election fraud. Pay increases and benefits for criminals and a fast-tracking of parolee’s, do you see a pattern here? There’s no relief to the taxpayer, the families that play by the rules, the college graduates just starting out looking for a job. The legislature should focus on helping New Yorkers, not illegal immigrants, prison inmates, and NYC liberals.

“This is why I’m fighting to split New York state, to oppose a downstate-dominated state government that tramples our values, takes our tax dollars, and ignores our way of life. It’s time Western New York got its fair treatment, and it starts with getting NYC focused policies and projects out of our hair. We know what we need to do; it’s time that we were allowed to do it.”