On Labor Day, Chemung County Legislator Rodney J. Strange announced his opposition to Proposal Number One, a state constitutional convention.
As is done by law every 20 years, New York voters will again vote on whether or not to hold a state Constitutional Convention. Well-funded special interests and their lobbyists have already joined forces and are ready to spend millions in support of this referendum. This ballot question, however, could trigger devastating changes to the state constitution that would harm regular New Yorkers. Whether it’s the right to a quality public education, protections for our natural resources or defending our personal liberties and freedoms, a Constitutional Convention would give the big-money special interests, political insiders and lobbyists the ability to rewrite the State Constitution for their own benefit. Groups of hard-working New Yorkers from across the political spectrum are working to oppose this hundreds of millions of dollars boondoggle—a Constitutional Convention that would cater not to the people’s wishes, but to the worst of corrupt, Albany special-interest politics.
THE REASONS TO VOTE “NO” ON A CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.
Is estimated to cost taxpayers a staggering $300 million. These are critical funds that should be used for education, fire and police protection, and tax cuts.
Will be run by the same politicians, lobbyists and special interest groups who have gamed the system for their own benefits, and led to rampant corruption in Albany.
Delegates to the convention are paid almost $80,000. They also get to hire their own staff, including their friends and relatives.
There is no timeframe for the completion of the convention process, and therefore the cost could become astronomical.
It would be very easy for extremist groups to hijack the convention, and force their radical agenda on all of us.
Hardworking taxpayers all over NY are voting NO on the Constitutional Convention. But they are not alone. Groups and organizations, many who rarely agree on anything, have come together to voice their opposition to a Constitutional Convention.
Their reasons are simple. A Constitutional Convention will cost taxpayers a fortune, lead to more corruption, and be controlled by big money and extreme interests.
Legislator Strange is proud to stand with organized labor, the Republican, Conservative and Democratic State Committees and organizations across New York State in opposition to Proposal One, a state constitutional convention.
The following is just a partial list of the Groups and Organizations who have joined in a grassroots effort to vote NO on a Constitutional Convention:
Adirondack Council, NYS Conservative Party, Council of Churches,CSEA,Citizen Action New York, Environmental Advocates of New York, Equality New York, New York State AFL-CIO, New York State Alliance for Retired Americans, New York State Professional Fire Fighters, New York State Rifle and Pistol Association, Planned Parenthood Empire States Acts, Right to Life, New York Republican State Committee, Strong Economy for All Coalition, Working Families Party, NYSUT, AFSCME NY, UFT, RWDSU, AFSCME DC37, NYS Public Employees Federation (PEF), 1199SEIU, New York Farm Bureau, AFM Local 802, Albany County Central Federation of Labor, Alliance of South Asian American Labor, Alliance of South Asian American Labor – Staten Island Chapter, Bronx GOP, Buffalo Central Labor Council, Buffalo Branch NAACP, Capital District Area Labor Federation, Cattaraugus Allegany Central Labor Council, CBTU NY Chapter, CBTU Region 1, CBTU Rochester Chapter, Central New York Area Labor Federation, Central NY Central Labor Council of Oneida & Herkimer Counties, Chemung County Democratic Party, Chemung Schulery Central Labor Council, Citizens for a Better Southern Tier, City of Corning Democratic Party, Coalition for Economic Justice, Community Voices Heard, CWA District One, CWA Local 1122, CWA Local 1108, CWW Rochester, Dunkirk Central Labor Council, Dutchess County Central Labor Council, Eastern New York Pride @ Work, Elmira City Democratic Party, Equality Long Island, Ethical Humanist Society of Long Island, Food & Water Watch, Greater Southern Tier BOCES Support Staff Association, Greater Syracuse Council on Occupational Safety & Health, Horseheads Teachers’ Association, Hudson Catskill Central Labor Council, Hudson Valley Area Labor Federation, Humanists of Long Island, IBEW – Local Union 10, IBEW Local 139, Indivisible Patriots of Long Island, Interfaith Assembly on Homelessness and Housing, Jamestown Central Labor Council, Jefferson Lewis & St. Lawrence Counties Central Trades & Labor Council, Kate Mullany CLUW, Labor Religion Coalition, Labor Religion Coalition of the Finger Lakes, New York State Association of Electrical Workers, IBEW Local 10, IBEW Local 43, LGBT Network, LITAC Long Island Transgender, Local 338 RWDSU/UFCW, Long Island Federation of Labor, Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth (LIGALY), Long Island Jobs with Justice, Long Island LGBT Community Center, Long Island Progressive Coalition, Long Island Transgender Advocacy Coalition, Make the Road New York, Metro New York A. Philip Randolph Institute, Micah Institute at New York Theological Seminary, Move Forward Long Island, New York City Central Labor Council, New York Committee on Occupational Health and Safety, New York Communities for Change, New York Professional Nurses Union (NYPNU), New York Progressive Action Network of the Southern Finger Lakes, Niagara Orleans Central Labor Council, North Country Peace Group, Northeast Central Labor Council, NYC & Vicinity District Council of Carpenters, NYC Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, NYS PEF Retirees, NYSUT Local #11-226, Port Authority PBA, Pride at Work – NYC/LI, Pride at Work – Rochester/Finger Lakes, Professional Staff Congress, Progressive East End Reformers, Queens LGBT Community Center (QCenter), Rochester & Genesee Valley Area Labor Federation, Rochester & Vicinity Labor Council, Rochester Metro Justice, Rochester Next Up, Rockland County Central Labor Council, SEIU 32 BJ, Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders-Long Island (SAGE-LI), Staten Island Republican Party, Steuben Livingston Central Labor Council, Suffolk Child Care Council, Teamsters Joint Council 16, Teamsters Local 814, Tioga County Republican Party, Tri-County Central Labor Council, TWU Local 100, TWU NY/NJ State Conference, UAW Local 2110, UAW Region 9A New York Area CAP Council, UFCW Local 1500, United Steelworkers District 4, Upper Hudson Central Labor Council, WESPAC, Westchester Putnam Central Labor Body, Western New York Area Labor Federation, Writers Guild of America, East, Yonkers PBA, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, United University Professions, Police Conference of New York Inc, New York Progressive Action Network, Uniformed Firefighters Association, ALIGN: The Alliance for Greater New York, New York Immigration Coalition, Greater New York Labor Religion Coalition, Rural and Migrant Ministry, Worker Justice Center of NY, Inc., SEIU Local 200, Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, IBEW Local 86, IBEW Local 3, IBEW Local 41, IBEW Local 139