Rent regulations be damned, the NYS Senate spent its final day before summer vacation debating nonsensical issues of no real concern to the majority of the people they are in Albany to serve!
Why? Because unlike you and I who would face serious repercussions were we to ignore our responsibilities in any privately run enterprise, a place where the bottom-line is critical, in the public sector no ramifications seem to exist.
Unfortunately for we the people, in politics, the only issue that seems to be the primary focus of the politicians and the delineator between success and failure, is reelection.
New York City Rent Regulations Expired On Monday
While the rent regulations bill expired on Monday and the Albany legislative session was to end yesterday (it was ultimately extended ‘at least’ one day), the NYS Senate spent its last day holding ‘a heated debate over whether to name the wood frog New York’s official state amphibian’.
And in a classic case of politics as usual where one body wastes a day debating non-critical issues, ‘it didn’t appear the Democrat-controlled Assembly would take up the bill’ (Note: The wood frog won 32-31).
Now for those not following the rent regulations bill in New York, here’s a quick review of the issue from an article here on Monday titled ‘The Clock Is Ticking on New York City Rent Regulation Laws!‘
‘…During an event in Yonkers, Cuomo called rent regulations “the most explosive issue that the Legislature is dealing with.”
“If the rent regulations expire in New York City you’d have hundreds of thousands of tenants who theoretically could see their rents rise dramatically or who could potentially face eviction. So this has caused a lot of concern, as it should,” Cuomo, a Democrat, said at the event…‘
Here now is a synopsis of yesterdays debate from an article in Newsday…
‘…While Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and legislative leaders remained stalled on a rent control law that affects 2 million tenants, state senators held a heated debate over whether to name the wood frog New York’s official state amphibian.
It brought charges and countercharges of whether the bill was “asinine” or whether lawmakers were being disingenuous by spending time on it rather than more serious matters. Or if the frog was too “ugly,” in one senator’s words. Or whether the legislation would “empower” environmental regulators to use the wood frog “as a weapon to dilute property rights”…
…Though rent control expired at midnight Monday and the session was supposed to end Wednesday, lawmakers still hadn’t resolved how to renew it. Assemb. Keith Wright (D-Harlem) proposed punting the issue, introducing a bill to extend the current law until February. Assembly members called it a “last resort” if lawmakers couldn’t resolve it this week…’
Sadly, while I would like to continue this discussion, unlike many of our representatives in both Albany and in Washington I have to go to work!
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Article author Michael Haltman is the President of Hallmark Abstract Service in New York.
HAS is a provider of title insurance in New York State for residential and commercial real estate transactions.
For anyone either buying or refinancing a property your attorney will likely recommend a title insurance provider, although you always have the right to choose your own (click here to learn more)!
If you have any questions you can reach Michael by email at mhaltman@hallmarkabstractllc.com.
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