Hours after Dutchess Coun­ty Legislature Chairman Rob Rolison received the Repub­lican endorsement, the New York Republican State Com­mittee sent robocalls and mail­ers to the residents of Dutch­ess County blaming Sen. Terry Gipson for the energy tax. This awful tax was part of the 2014 budget, written by Dutchess County Executive Marc Moli­naro and shepherded through the Dutchess County Legisla­ture by Chairman Rolison.

Every Democrat, and only one Republican, voted against it.

Sen. Gipson had absolutely nothing to do with writing, submitting or voting for the Dutchess County Legislature’s awful tax increase.

In reality, the reverse is true. Sen. Gipson has already sponsored three bills in Albany to relieve us of the mandates that our longtime Republican state representatives did little or nothing about. Sen. Gipson has voted against every tax increase and every unfunded mandate presented by his col­leagues and voted for more than $800 million in tax cuts for businesses and residents in the state, including cutting the 18-a utility tax.

In short, we just witnessed the Republican Party deliber­ately mislead the people of Dutchess County by blaming Sen. Gipson for something the county executive and county Legislature are solely respon­sible: the Dutchess County budget. The energy tax is theirs and theirs alone. Repub­licans have been making the decisions in the state Senate and in the county for decades.

Their decisions have led to our current economy, our unem­ployment and our downgraded credit rating. Our condition is their responsibility. They should at least stand up and own it.

Elisa Sumner
chairwoman, Dutchess County Democratic Committee Dover