NY politics

Redistricting in New York becomes the prerogative of the courts and masters

/ Ken Kruly

Basic Government 101 tells us that there are three co-equal branches of government on the federal and state level.  The work and powers of the branches overlap occasionally.  For the most part the branches stay in their own lanes.

Not so, at the moment, in New York State.  The state Court of Appeals has mainly removed the Legislature from the process of the post-census redistricting of congressional and state legislative lines and handed that power, by order of a state Supreme Court Justice in Bath to one person, who was unknown to most everyone until recently.

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There’s a new bean-counter in town; fewer Working Families Party endorsements

/ Ken Kruly

Erie County government has been quieter lately.  Covid metrics have dropped dramatically.  Preventive measures have been relaxed.  The state of emergency in the county has ended.  Stefan Mychajliw is no longer Comptroller.  There is much to be thankful for.

The Covid matters and the term in office of Mychajliw are intertwined; the reason is that the former comptroller chose to link the pandemic issues to his job.  It was not just that Mychajliw spoke out about the issues, which is his right.  It is that his politicking while in office centered not on matters financial so much as matters cultural.  He railed against vaccine mandates and mask-wearing mandates and regularly, constantly it seemed, used his public office and the attention it receives to promote a political agenda that does not factor into the County Charter defined role of the comptroller.  He attempted to parlay that activity into election to other offices, first for Congress and then for Supervisor of the Town of Hamburg.  He failed in both races.

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