Day Vetoes County Summit Idea From Legislators

NEW CITY, NY — County Executive Ed Day vetoed an idea from Rockland lawmakers to hold a summit in 2020 to discuss the county's future.

The Future Summit was the brainchild of County Legislator Nancy Low-Hogan, who called for a carefully moderated process that could go beyond the anti-Semitism and name-calling that has been plaguing Rockland recently in connection with the issue of land use and development.

County Executive Day vetoed it. He said the county's Human Rights Commission already works on these issues and conducts events about the topics.

“My administration is always open to good ideas but before any law is introduced and passed there must be a basic level of due diligence performed," he said in a statement about his veto."Why would we turn to someone from potentially outside our County to address the issues that our Human Rights Commission is already working on? Why would we spend additional taxpayer dollars on something we already do?"

For a start, he said, county lawmakers and anyone else who is interested in the future of Rockland should attend the Fair Housing Symposium happening Oct. 16 at Rockland Community College.

He also expressed skepticism about the Legislature's motives.

"I am curious to see who takes action when it is not an election year," he said.

Low-Hogan responded that the commission didn't have the expertise or the time to deal with "the disturbing trends that are tearing apart the very social fabric of our community, here and elsewhere.

"To suggest that Rockland does not need a Summit – meaning a serious community-wide intervention - because the Rockland County Commission on Human Rights is handling the problems we face, is dead wrong. The Human Rights Commission is a department located within the Executive branch of County government and the Commissioner reports directly to the County Executive," she said. "This is not a criticism of the Commission, but rather an acknowledgement that the problems in our County are bigger than all of us and that they require special, neutral expertise and intervention. As it is, the Commission is struggling under the weight of dealing with fair housing issues and suspended HUD funding."

When she first introduced the idea of a summit, Low-Hogan said recent events showed the county on a path of extreme division. She thought bringing in an outside moderator would be a neutral center given the distrust among the most stridently opposed factions. She hoped local residents, government officials, non-profit leaders, school and college leaders, faith leaders, business leaders and members of the local press would participate in setting the agenda, focusing on problem areas and identifying solutions.

"Our county is facing a clear crisis in overdevelopment and its effect on our environment and community character, as well as a rising tide of anger, hatred and anti-Semitism. Whether these two are related, in what ways, and finding solutions to fix the problems – these will be among the topics of the Summit," Low-Hogan said at the time. "We need to work together collaboratively and collegially to mitigate the negative impacts of development, as well as ensure that hate-mongering is not tolerated."

In an Op-Ed on Nyack Patch, Ken Sharp said Low-Hogan and Day were both wrong. In his piece, Six Steps To Saving Rockland, he said:

their thinking is too limited. Day deflects all of Rockland's problems on others, saying Ramapo is the cause of all Rockland's woes. While Ramapo is a convenient scapegoat, they are not the be all and end all of all Rockland's problems.
Nancy Low-Hogan seems to be interested in peace talks between Ramapo and, well, anyone who sees Ramapo and its residents as a threat. This is a great idea, but also falls short of what we really need.
Honestly, it would be so much easier if the only problem with Rockland was finding peace between the Orthodox Jews in the County and those that vilify them, but that is too simplistic an answer for all the problems that Rockland is saddled with.

The Fair Housing Symposium Oct. 16 is on the topic of "Housing Rights for Persons with Disabilities under the New York State Human Rights Law." It takes place from 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at RCC's Technology Center, 'Ellipse' 145 College Road, Suffern, N.Y. 10901. Pre-registration is required.

SEE:

• Court Tells Controversial Ramapo Development To Start Over
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• New Report Shows NY Code Enforcement 'Hellscape' In The HV
• Firefighters, Officials Call for State to Intervene in Ramapo, Spring Valley Code Enforcement
• Spring Valley Building Inspector, Businessman Indicted
• Yeshivas Drop Fight Against Rockland Fire Inspections
• Rockland County Reports Progress Taking on Slumlords
• East Ramapo Parents Sue to Compel State to Act
• County Executive Throws Down the Gauntlet To Ramapo, Other Rockland Developers
• Political Signs with Anti-Semitic Undertones Appear in Rockland
• Video Compares Rockland County to Nazi Germany
• County GOP's "Storm" Video Unleashes Political Firestorm
• County Lawmaker Calls For Summit On Rockland's Future
  
• Six Steps To Saving Rockland