The old proverb is, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
But leftists never met anything working well that they didn’t want to destroy.
Now, this top Biden ally is mobilizing to export big city problems to the suburbs.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) has proposed a housing plan requiring municipalities to build more affordable housing for those with lower incomes.
But House Republicans from the Empire State say the plan would have a devastating impact on suburban communities, particularly on Long Island.
Congressman says Hochul housing plan would devastate Long Island
Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY) represents Long Island and says, “Not only does this proposal seek to supersede local authority to regulate zoning, but its impact would have disastrous consequence for quality of life on Long Island. Our community simply cannot handle a monumental increase in population density. More people means more vehicles added to our already congested roads, higher student-to-teacher ratios, overcrowding of our beaches and recreational spaces, and overloading our already strained sewer and waste water systems. Local municipalities are in charge of zoning because they understand local needs and challenges.”
Garbarino isn’t alone in his opposition.
Other Empire State Republicans agreed with his stance.
Rep. Mike Lawler, representing New York’s 17th Congressional District in the Hudson Valley, said, “Gov. Hochul’s radical plan to wipe away local control of zoning in the pursuit of increasing housing stock in the Hudson Valley and on Long Island sets a dangerous precedent of state overreach and destruction of local control. For centuries, communities across New York State have had local control of their zoning, allowing for responsible development in conjunction with infrastructure investments. With one fell swoop, Gov. Hochul is brushing aside centuries of precedent in a misguided attempt to placate the progressives in the State Legislature.”
But for insufferable leftist scolds like Hochul, cramming lower-income residents into cheap commie-block apartments and diluting the political power of those who elected Republicans like Garbarino and Lawler in the first place is a feature, not a bug.
Hochul’s plan is to build 800,000 new homes over the next decade and would require municipalities with MTA rail stations to rezone the surrounding area for “higher density residential development.”
In a press release, Hochul said, “New York faces a housing crisis that requires bold actions and an all-hands-on-deck approach. Every community in New York must do their part to encourage housing growth to move our State forward and keep our economy strong. The New York Housing Compact is a comprehensive plan to spur the changes needed to create more housing, meet rising demand, and make our state a more equitable, stable, and affordable place to live.”
Locals worry about the practical impacts of rezoning the area half a mile around train stations.
Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine said, “How about the infrastructure to support it? How about electrifying the rail? How about making sure the roads work? How about making sure that there are sewers?”
Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik said, “Kathy Hochul is expanding her authoritarian power grab over our New York communities. She must end her dangerous proposal to take away local control over zoning and work with local municipalities instead of putting her wants over the needs of our communities.”
But for Hochul and those of her political persuasion the heavy-handedness is the point.
Completely disrupting communities is all entirely worth any pain caused to residents if it is done in the name of “fairness” and “equity” and if the implementation of these plans causes more harm than good then that’s okay too, because most of those affected didn’t vote for Hochul anyway.
The problem with blue state governance is that the regular folks are left with little recourse in a one-party state.
Look for the blue-state exodus to continue for the foreseeable future.
Stay tuned to Blue State Blues for any updates to this ongoing story.
