News and Notes While Eagerly Awaiting the Re-Election of Donald J. Trump as Commander in Chief…..
BACK ON THE HILL
I’m forever grateful that the professional seeds of success in the world of politics and media were firmly planted while I was a student at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. I remember there being a lot of students from Long Island who always identified their hometown by which exit they lived off of on the L.I.E.
Throwing all humility out the window, it is considered one of the most prestigious journalism schools in America. I loved my time at SU, and try to make it back twice a year to bring the boys to a football and basketball game.
This past week my brother in law Adam and yours truly brought my sons Maksym and Emeryk to “The Dome” to watch the Orangemen destroy Holy Cross.
I love going back to The Hill and am a proud SU grad. Tuition back then was $16,000 a year, climbing to a little over $18,000 by my senior year in 1995. Tuition is now over $63,000 annually. For me, it was worth every penny because I went to Newhouse, a highly specialized school that opened many doors for me.
That being said, I can’t imagine the amount of debt students willingly agree to in order to obtain an undergraduate degree nowadays.
Guidance counselors should encourage students to strongly consider a career in the building trades. There are shortages of electricians, plumbers, and construction workers, and plenty of apprenticeship programs where young men and women can earn well over $100K and practically zero debt.
TROUBLED WATERS AHEAD: FLOOD WARNING
News of Republican incumbent Ed Flood being disbarred rocked what should be a competitive race for New York State Assembly. Suffolk Democratic Chairman Rich Schaffer pounced quickly, calling Flood’s disbarment “disqualifying.” If Schaffer plays his cards right, it could prove to be an important tipping point to flip that seat back to the Democratic Party.
This is something I fundamentally oppose and hope doesn’t happen, being a Republican myself. That’s just the reality of the political universe since Flood was embarrassingly disbarred and cannot practice law.
According to data from the New York State Board of Elections, there are approximately 33,449 active registered Democratic voters in that specific Assembly District, with the 25,749 active Republicans even trailing the 27,589 voters who are unaffiliated and not enrolled in a political party.
A sad and losing strategy pushed by the Suffolk GOP is that Flood simply didn’t fill out paperwork and did not officially respond to the allegations from former clients.
Disbarment is not taken lightly. It’s a serious matter. The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court is methodical and judicious concerning stripping an attorney of their law license.
THE CASE FOR DONALD TRUMP
I’m convinced with every fiber of my political being that national polls are way off again, the same way they were in 2016, and Donald J. Trump will return as Commander in Chief by winning 297 Electoral College votes. Harris will most definitely win the popular vote thanks to dark blue, liberal cities that resemble massive dumpster fires. They’ll vote for the Democrat no matter who is on the presidential ballot. That being said, Arizona and Pennsylvania will determine the next President.
The 2024 presidential election comes down to one question: is your family better off now than it was almost four years ago? You’re paying more for gas and groceries and the southern border is wide open. Since the answer is “no” for most Americans, this will propel President Trump back to the White House for a second term.
ROMAINE THE TAX MAN
We shall see the political backbone of the GOP-controlled Suffolk County Legislature, whether or not they’ll trim the budget and block Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine from raising your property taxes, something he wants to do in his proposed budget.
I know how county government operates, having served as the Erie County Comptroller for nine years, working as the independently elected Chief Fiscal and Accounting Officer. Trust me, if a politician with heart and courage wants to cut taxes, they can and will, despite the tired and old excuses of sales tax revenue declining, and being forced to spend on unfunded mandates forced upon counties by New York State.
Give yours truly and my old team of conservative budget hawks a red pen and one day, we would be able to offer suffering Suffolk County families a tax cut and a budget that provides services taxpayers deserve and the government can afford.
REGISTER TO VOTE
Regardless of your political persuasion and beliefs, democracy depends on you casting a ballot for leaders at every level of government. According to the New York State Board of Elections, “Applications must be received by a board of elections no later than October 26, 2024 to be eligible to vote in the General Election.” There’s no excuse to miss voting. Be sure to make your voice heard by casting a ballot. Don’t waste your time being a “keyboard warrior” and complaining on social media about elected officials or how our government is being run. Every vote counts. It matters. Go vote and register if you haven’t already. Time is of the essence..