Politics & Government

Letter to the Editor: Borgia Is Grandstanding On Indian Point

The writer is challenging the incumbent Westchester County Legislator in District 9.

To The Editor:

Legislator Borgia (D-Ossining) held a press conference Friday at Indian Point promoting her Indian Point
Jobs “Resolution”. While a resolution is a nice gesture, as the Majority Leader, she knows that a
resolution does not carry the force of a law. A “Resolution” is merely the Board of Legislators stating its
position on an issue… not much different than proclaiming it Joe Girardi Day to honor his 10 years of
managing the Yankees.

WHERE WAS BORGIA FOR CORTLANDT
*On January 6th when local government officials were blindsided by the news of the closure of Indian Point.
*On February 24th when she moved to squash the County Executive’s plan for a lawsuit against the state.
*On April 20th in her video rebuttal to the State of the County address, made no mention of the Indian
Point closure or its impacts on our community.
*On May 8th, she voted against the action against New York State, Riverkeeper and Entergy for failing to file a SEQRA.

ABSENT, until she realized that she had an opponent who has made Indian Point his priority, and now
eleven days before the election, she is political grandstanding.

Who doesn't support protecting these workers who will soon be out of work? Everyone supports that. The
only mechanism that has any teeth in it is the lawsuit filed against NYS, Riverkeeper and Entergy to force
NYS to comply with SEQRA (State Environmental Quality Review Act), Borgia voted “NO”.

SEQRA gives citizens, and all interested parties, an opportunity in a forum governed by law and the
courts. It requires NYS to demonstrate how it will mitigate any adverse effects of the closure, including
the economic impact of 1,000 laid off workers. Once findings and mitigation are made part of the record
in a SEQRA, the state must follow it or the court will order them to do so.

In a Lohud article dated 08/14/17, in reference to her Sanctuary County Act, Catherine Borgia made the
following statements regarding "Resolutions".

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Borgia called that figure an exaggeration and said the safe haven argument was “fear mongering,” with
the law providing protections for law enforcement. She said she wasn’t in favor of adopting a “fakey
resolution with no teeth” that would be a public relations move without real protections.

So the question begs: Why NOW does Catherine Borgia propose her own “fakey resolution with no teeth”
and without real protections? Clearly this could potentially be one of the most devastating economic and
potentially environmentally significant event our county will experience! Maybe because election day is
a little over a week away… and it IS just a public relations move.

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I urge constituents to call Catherine Borgia at 914-995- 2812 and tell her to stop putting politics over
people and demand an environmental impact statement.

This will be my fight. This is my vow. I am a life-long Cortlandt resident, and this is my priority.

Robert J. Outhouse
Westchester County Legislator Candidate – District 9

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