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