Again, I feel it is time to hand out my ‘Founding Fathers Award’ to a man that best deserves it. In light of the senate voting in favor of cloture to further advance the ‘Grand compromise’ bill on illegal immigration yesterday, there is a leader on the side of the American workers. This bill is a slap in the face of every single American citizen. The man that I speak of is, Steve Levy who is my County Executive for the county of Suffolk here in NY State.
I first want to say that Steve Levy builds a consensus amongst Democrats, Republicans and others here in Suffolk County. He truly represents every citizen in this county no matter what party they belong to and those that do not belong to anyone party. He remembers those that elected him to office. He is truly the man of the people.
As a newly independent voter who is not aligned with anyone party, which I felt was the last straw so to speak because it is backed by many Democrats and Republicans alike, there is a Democrat that I am proud of and his name is Steve Levy.
Way before this ‘Grand compromise’ bill, he stood up to the powers that be in defense of our lever voting machines and at a later date, Joe Mondello who is a powerful Republican enjoined him in this fight. To see two party leaders working on behalf of all citizens is politics at its finest
Steve Levy has stood in the way of a hiring hall to be built in which illegal aliens could gather to find work all at tax payer’s expense. As a resident of Suffolk County, NY, I want my tax money to help my fellow citizens and it is only Steve Levy that understands this.
As a result of this move, the powers that be in Albany, NY are not only looking to punish, Steve Levy for his bold move but the residents of my county. They are looking to withhold $300 million in sale’s tax revenue. To these Albany lawmakers, stop playing politics. They want Steve to cave and having met Steve on a number of occasions, I can tell you they are in for one hell of a fight. You see, Steve Levy is a fighter. That is one of the many reasons why I voted and campaigned for him. To those in Albany, NY, I stand shoulder-to-shoulder in my support of County Executive, Steve Levy.
President Bush once challenged the insurgents in Iraq by saying, “Bring em on!” and the same can be directed at Albany legislators that look to punish my fellow Suffolk County citizens. Do you want a fight? I will enjoin others to vote you out of office. If you are a Suffolk lawmaker that is seeking to punish, Steve Levy, I will take your name to the public telling them whose side you are really on.
In fact in this one Newsday editorial, County Executive, Steve Levy states, "This is not a story about immigration. This is about legislative blackmail."
While Newsday excoriates Levy calling his move a “hamhanded attempts to deal with the problem of undocumented immigrants.” Let me make one thing perfectly clear, these are not immigrants, but people that knowingly broke our laws and entered into this country illegally.
Newsday also cited the opinion of Assemblyman Adrianno Espaillat (D-Manhattan) in which he denounced, “the use of selective enforcement campaigns against immigrants in Suffolk County." Again, these are not immigrants but illegal aliens. As a tax-paying citizen of this county, it blisters me that some elected official from Manhattan can stick up for these illegals at the expense of tax paying American citizens. I along with many other voters voted for Steve Levy to represent our needs first and foremost.
In watching ‘Lou Dobbs Tonight’ yesterday, they even made mention of County Executive, Steve Levy. When they did, it made this citizen of Suffolk County proud.
In this Lou Dobb’s transcript dated yesterday, this is what was said of Suffolk County Executive, Steve Levy, “Romans: Now, one county government that's been tough on illegal hiring finds itself in the midst of a fight with state legislators. Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy on New York's Long Island currently fighting for more than $300 million in sales tax revenue that could be in jeopardy, he says, because of his refusal to support a day labor center for workers in the country illegally. So a real fight over his action at the local level, at the state level, he says his opponents are going after.”
Lou Dobbs goes onto add, “Well, to be very clear, at least a couple members of the state legislature saying because he wouldn't build a day labor center or wouldn't support them, they're going to punish Levy and all the residents of his county. That's the kind of nonsense we're watching here.”
The item that truly bothers me is that my own senators, namely Senator Hillary Clinton along with Senator Chuck Schumer voted in favor of this ‘Grand compromise’ bill on illegal immigration. I want to know whose interests they are serving. It surely is not mine, nor the other voters who in good faith voted for them to represent their voice in Washington, D.C. As I have been speaking with my fellow citizens here in Suffolk County, all are angry that these esteemed senators could act in consort against them.
As a Suffolk County resident, while on one hand praising Steve Levy by awarding him my ‘Founding Fathers Award’, in the same breath, it angers me that both of my senators have ignored the will of the people. The first time that this bill went down, it was done so when President Bush was away at the G-8 summit. During that time, many good citizens came to the aid of their country by putting pressure to bear on these elected officials in Washington, D.C. and we won this battle. With his lagging poll numbers how these senators yesterday voted in favor of this cloture could do so is beyond comprehension.
To those elected officials in Albany, NY that are blackmailing every single citizen of Suffolk County, NY by withholding this tax revenue, you have certainly forgotten who elected you in the first place. Every single one who has sought to punish Steve Levy and the residents of this county should hang their heads in collective shame.
This fight is not yet over and it is up to all good men and women to come to the aid of their country and stop this bill dead in its tracks. It is up to all of us to contact our elected representatives and tell them, they work for the tax-paying citizens of this country first. It is up to all of us to say, enforce the existing laws already on the books and to secure our borders and ports.
In closing, I now hand over my ‘Founding Fathers Award’ to my County Executive, Steve Levy who is remembering who voted him into office in the first place. Those that voted for him are ‘we the people’. He has stood by the citizens of this county ever since he was elected.
Author’s email address is, xmjmac@optonline.net
