Press release, State Sen. Robert Ortt

State Senator Rob Ortt (R,C,I-North Tonawanda) today issued the following statement regarding the placement of Syrian refugees:

“We cannot let our President’s failed Middle East policies lay the groundwork for such a dramatic threat to our security here in the United States. Our hearts go out to the Syrian people who have been subjected to unthinkable horrors throughout their civil war. But our President stood by while Assad used chemical warfare on the Syrian people and while the Islamic State grew – waging a war of beheadings, mass murders, and rapes. Letting the Syrians kill themselves and accepting those fortunate enough to escape isn’t a policy.

“And now that we’ve seen the danger of ISIS taking advantage of lax refugee policies to penetrate Western countries to launch terror attacks against civilians, it’s clear that a new course is needed. The first step is halting the placement of Syrian refugees in our communities, especially if our government cannot ensure a strict, effective, verifiable vetting process.

“At the state level, I hope Governor Cuomo will involve himself in this process that is so important to the security of New Yorkers. And at the national level, I hope our federal officials will follow Congressman Collins’ leadership on this issue and protect American citizens.”

Press Release, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Office

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced a new proposed regulation that takes action against motorists who persistently evade the payment of tolls and fees.

Under the new proposal, the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles will suspend the registration of motorists who fail to pay five tolls, fees, and other charges resulting from violations on different days, within a period of 18 months, and ignore toll authorities’ repeated notices.

Persistent violators will be required to pay the tolls and fees, or to have the charges dismissed, in order to prevent the suspension of their registrations or in order for their registrations to be reinstated.

“Toll evaders unfairly burden hard working New Yorkers who play by the rules and put additional stress on this state’s transportation network,” Cuomo said. “This new action cracks down on this unacceptable behavior and will keep these scofflaws off the very roads they fail to pay their fair share to maintain.”

New York’s tolling authorities – including the New York State Thruway Authority, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the New York State Bridge Authority and the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority – report that non-payment of tolls, even with violation notices being sent, is a persistent challenge.

The authorities found nearly 35,000 cases where violators accrued five or more unpaid toll violations within an 18-month period, resulting in about $16.5 million in lost revenue annually, passing the burden of maintaining infrastructure and supporting mass transit to motorists who obey the law and pay the tolls.

Prior to the suspension taking effect, the registrant may request a hearing before a DMV administrative law judge. If the registrant requests a hearing, the suspension will not take effect, pending the conclusion of the hearing; if no hearing is requested, the suspension will take effect as declared in the notice, and the registration suspension will remain in effect until the tolling authority notifies DMV that the motorist has paid the outstanding tolls, fees, and other charges.

Tolling authorities will send violators notices for each toll violation, advising them of the amount owed, how to pay, and how to dispute the alleged violation. If the violator fails to pay the tolls, fees or other charges, or have such tolls, fees or charges dismissed or transferred in response to the multiple notices, the tolling authority will refer the violator to DMV.

The new toll regulations will appear in the November 18, 2015 State Register, at which time, a 45-day public comment period begins. The period ends January 4, 2016. All comments received will be taken into consideration before the regulations are formally adopted and implemented soon thereafter.

Cuomo says federal government needs to ensure proper screening and that migrants aren’t a threat

State Assemblyman Steve Hawley, R-Batavia, wants New York to close its border to Syrian refugees until potential threats can be screened and the remaining attackers in the French bombing apprehended.

“This is a matter of New York State security,” Hawley said in a statement this afternoon. “I am concerned that Syrian refugees sympathetic to the terrorist attacks could already be living among us, and we have a duty to protect our citizens from future threats. New York’s highly populated cities are easy targets for terrorists who are now more frequently attacking innocent civilians. The groundswell of support for this measure is growing by the hour, and 25 governors, including several moderate presidential candidates, already have pledged to close their borders until security is increased.”

Hawley expressed the urgency of this matter as authorities are investigating a Syrian Passport found near one of the French bombing sites after the weekend’s terrorist attacks.

“I am officially calling on Gov. Cuomo to close our borders to Syrian refugees until we can properly ascertain threats inside our state and the remaining attackers have been apprehended,” Hawley said.

Governor Cuomo discussed the Syrian refugee crisis during a question and answer session with students at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Cuomo’s office released the governor’s response to a question about NY accepting migrants.

“I think it’s a balance,” Cuomo said. “I think many forces are now trying to politicize this. This is an election season, so the silly season has started and the Governors can say ‘I will refuse to let the refugees in.’ How? How? Where does it say in the state constitution you can refuse a person placed by the federal government? What are you going to have your militia fight the federal government at the borders of your state? It’s a pure political statement. It’s up to the federal government. If the federal government lets refugees in and places them in your state, the Governor has no authority to turn them down.

“Having said that, the question is a bona fide question. We have to protect Americans and not lose our soul as America in the process. Right? The day America says, ‘Close the gates, build the wall,’ then I say take down the Statue of Liberty because you’ve gone to a different place. And read Emma Lazarus and the poem on the Statue of Liberty: ‘Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free.’ Once you say we’re out of business, that’s no longer true. So, I won’t let them win by conceding defeat of the American Dream.

“At the same time, this federal government needs to make sure it’s doing the screening and the people that are coming in are safe and the federal government has to say ‘we are capable of doing that.’ And if the federal government is not capable of doing that, David, then they should say that too. If you really can’t screen, then the answer is ‘We can’t screen’ but their position is ‘We can screen. We can screen effectively’ and if that’s the case, do the screening, make sure it’s right, do it exhaustively, but don’t give up your soul as America.”