Kathy Hochul is now the 57th Governor to lead the state of New York.  She is also the first woman to hold that position and if all goes well over the next 16 months she may become the first woman elected as Governor of New York State. Exciting times for sure but also surreal as well.

By surreal we have to be open and honest about what she is literally walking into.  First of all, COVID-19 is far from over and there will be many difficult decisions to be made with the understanding that the decisions at times will be what is the best in a bad situation.

We have serious concerns about the slow rollout of the ERAP funds which are the federally designated funds designed to help low-income tenants catch up on rent arrears.  This well-intended program is naturally complicated as there are concerns about protection from fraud but that also has slowed getting funding out the door similar to the significant issues with the unemployment program.  That being said, NYS OTDA, the agency charged with the rollout of ERAP, is confident that a majority of funds are starting to be distributed and it cannot happen soon enough as we have two impending deadlines that are before us – the eviction moratorium that expires August 31st and the federal deadline to obligate the funds by September 30th.  We have been assured that funds will be obligated in the coming weeks and it is important to know that if a tenant has an obligation under review they are protected from eviction until a decision has been made.  Hopefully, the messages sent by myself and many to OTDA lead to results for the tenants in need.

As you might guess in a diverse state such as New York, there is no shortage of needs and there is a surplus of wants.  The list of priorities for Governor Hochul will be long and far be it for me to say what her priorities are, as she will do today and going forward.  However high on my priority list that I would like to share are the following:

  • JCOPE reform – time to change this system which has not served us well as the watchdog it was intended to be.  To be clear, the executive and the legislative bodies have too much representation and we we need to change the makeup and the procedures of the body so that all are held to a higher standard to ensure accountability yet we also do not want to create a system that is fodder for pushing politically motivated claims.  Needless to say, true independence from the executive and legislative branches is a good start and greater transparency overall is needed. Remember, in recent years we have seen a Governor, Attorney General, and leaders of both the Senate and the Assembly resign their positions. We must do better.
  • Bail Reform – there is room for improvement.  As one who has supported the past bail reforms, we need to have an open mind to make sure that judges regain some of the discretion in order to address those individuals who are repeat offenders.  I still believe that everyone should be treated equally and fairly and justice should not depend on how much money one has. Even though a person is poor they are entitled to the same treatment as someone who is wealthier when accused of a crime. Having money does not make a person less or more dangerous. We do need to be open-minded to address the gaps in the system as the public is surely confused on the matter as are many of those involved in the system.  This is what I hear from community members and those doing the day-to-day work in the field and therefore is something we need to act on since public safety is vitally important for many people.
  • Public Health – Public health is a top priority as well and the needs have only been further highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic.  The NYS Department of Health has been decimated by COVID and other unrelated issues in the past year. I am not finger-pointing now is the time for the Legislature and the Executive to work together to restore trust in the public health system in  New York. Over the last decade, staffing and resources have been reduced significantly and I believe this has contributed to internal stress at NYSDOH.  It is time for a review of how NYSDOH is organized and just as importantly what is the relationship with the Executive and Legislature.
  • Local Governments – I believe the solution here is simple. Let them do their job.  An Executive must let the local governments do their work and not interfere unless necessary. Local officials know their communities the best and they must not be overburdened or have obstacles placed in their way that prevent them from accomplishing goals and representing their constituents to the best of their ability.
  • Opiod/Heroin Crisis – the good news is that the Legislature fought for and succeeded in establishing the Opioid Settlement fund.  This funding, expected to be forthcoming from settlements with drug manufacturers as well as distributors is intended to support the many evidence-based programs in the community especially when it comes to treatment and recovery. Far too often these funds supplant what is in place but with a dedicated new fund, that will not be the case, and knowing how hard the new Governor has worked on the Opioid/Heroin Task force, I am confident she will make sure that the fund operates the way it is intended.

There are many more areas to add to priorities.  Housing, child care, health care disparities, workforce development, education funding, higher education affordability, and much, much more.  Needless to say the Governor, with the Legislature as a partner, has much to do and I look forward to the work ahead with a willing partner!