Stirpe, Ayoub talk state spending, criminal justice in 127th Assembly race
A Republican political newcomer is difficult a Democratic assemblyman in the 127thth Assembly unit this election season.
Karen Ayoub mentioned she did not envision herself operating for public workplace, however the Manlius Republican mentioned she’s rising more and more involved about Central New Yorkers, from younger individuals attempting to get began to seniors who cope with inflation.
“I’m very worried about everything this winter,” Ayoub mentioned. “Energy is going to be so expensive to put gas in your gas tank to get to work and then heat your house so you don’t get cold, I’m very worried for anyone on a fixed income.”
Ayoub mentioned she is an auditor by coaching, with 12 years of expertise in public finance. She desires to make use of that ability set in Albany to assist rein in state spending and decrease the tax burden.
“I think we’ve just gotten a little disconnected from the fact that the money coming in the door is our hard-earned tax dollars, so there’s not an endless supply of it,” she mentioned. “We keep working harder and harder. , earning more revenue, which provides more of a tax base, and it’s a cycle.”
Democratic Assemblyman Al Stirpe agrees that occasions are robust. He mentioned that is why he and his fellow lawmakers have been working to offer aid.
“We had a $2.2 billion property tax deduction check that we sent out, in the $400 to $960 range, so hopefully that helped a little bit,” he mentioned. “We eliminated the sales tax on gasoline.”
Stirpe serves as chairman of the Small Business Committee and mentioned the state has awarded greater than $1 billion in grants to small and micro companies to assist them climate the pandemic. He mentioned he hopes voters will give him one other time period so he can proceed the work he has carried out and put together for the long run.
“The news about Micron and building 30,000 new housing units and changing roads and doing all of that, it’s a very exciting time,” Stirpe mentioned. “I want to be there, I want to have a seat at the table. and make sure we get the resources we need to make this work.”
Another sizzling concern this election cycle: criminal justice. Ayoub is taking goal at controversial parole reform laws, saying lawmakers ought to belief judges and their discretion.
“The intentions of free bail were good, but I don’t think legislating something and then bringing it back because it doesn’t work and trying to fix it is the way to do it,” Ayoub mentioned.
Stirpe mentioned judges nonetheless have loads of discretion below the present guidelines, and probation reform has carried out what it was alleged to do.
“There are no more thousands of people sitting in jail for months or years awaiting their trial, which ended up ruining their lives more or less because they would lose their jobs. They would lose their housing. They would lose their families,” he mentioned.
Ayoub mentioned the truth that she is a political newcomer means she may have a recent perspective in Albany, and he or she believes it’s time for change.
“I hear frustration in the inability of our representatives to talk to each other,” she mentioned. “Everybody (is) going into their own corners and people are feeling like they’ve lost their voice and being heard because there’s too much worry about which party is going to win. We have to stop that.”
But Stirpe mentioned he thinks of his years in Albany as optimistic, and he vows to work throughout the board to get issues carried out.
“Experience is a great thing,” he mentioned. “You also know how things work, and you’re also able to offer more things to your community.”
127th The district of the Assembly contains the cities of Cicero, Clay, Manlius, Tully, Fabius and Pompey.
