"A government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take away everything you have"
Thomas Jefferson

Monday, June 1, 2009

Showdown - What Is He Doing?

Unions vs. Farmers
The Senate Democrats continue to demonstrate their lack of knowledge and regard for upstate's economy and Senator Aubertine as the Senate’s Agriculture Committee does not appear to doing much to change the course.

So far he has failed to stop legislation that farmer's say will devastate agriculture and drive many more of them out of business.

At a press conference in the state office building in Albany, Aubertine said he had received “literally hundreds of letters from farmers and individuals from across the state opposing” two bills that would mandate time off for farm workers and force farmers to pay overtime to their farm hands.

One of Aubertine’s co-founders of the Upstate Democrat Caucus sponsors the bills, and a second, Senator Stachowski, voted for them in Labor committee today, moving the legislation a step closer to becoming law.

But Ag Chairman Aubertine, in response to a reporter’s question, admitted that he had not even talked with Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith to state his opposition to the downstate Democrats who control the fate of the legislation.

“I have not talked to (Democrat leader) Sen. Smith as of yet,” Aubertine said.

Taking careful notes was the head of the NY Farm Bureau, which has labeled the bill’s defeat one of it’s top priorities this year.

Senator Cathy Young, past chair of the Agriculture Committee, didn’t mince words when she leveled a challenge to Aubertine saying Democrats control the agenda and the ability to block the bills even from coming to a vote in the Senate.

“If these bills go through they will cause thousands of jobs to go under and countless jobs at farms, processing plants and farm supply businesses will be lost,” she said.

“Livelihoods will be taken away, and life savings will be depleted. It will be the final nail in the coffin of the Upstate economy.”

“There’s only one way to stop this catastrophe and that is making sure that these bills never see the Senate floor.”

Sheldon Silver, Malcolm Smith and Governor Paterson all appear to be in favor of this legislation and Paterson's father is lobbying for the cause.

Can Aubertine stop this legislation? Does he really want to stop this legislation or just show he does? Why has he not talked to the Majority leader to block this legislation.

History proves he has supported unions before farmers, back in 2003 then Assemblyman Aubertine voted in favor of A02859 which enacts the farm workers fair labor practices act, granting collective bargaining among other things.


14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well many of our local farmers wanted him.Enjoy (hate to say I told ya so BUT...)

Anonymous said...

I believe his strength was more with the "gentlemen farmer" types. You know, retired teachers who also plant a garden. But I don't blame this on him. Let's see what he can do about it.

Anonymous said...

Darrel says he's working (behind the scenes, of course) to convince Majority (read, Democrats) members to oppose the bill.

Apparently that's not working -- it passed with all Democrat votes in committee yesterday and is on its way to the full Senate.

If the head of the Ag Committee can't stop a bill that farm advocates say will destroy farming in NY, what good is he?

Anonymous said...

Darrel shoulsd support this bill. The slave wages paid by big farms should not be sanctioned by in action. For years, large farms repeated the mantra that they are "more eficient" than small family farms. They never were. They depended on cheap labor and abusive practises. If these big operators want to be large corporate style farms, then they should be prepared to be treated like every other industry.

Anonymous said...

He isn't any good at all. He has done enough for Smith that he should be able to go to him and get this bill killed. But then again he admits he hasn't spoken to Smith about it.

Sound just like a story about a job with Patterson. Until he says I have spoken to Darrel in months.

Same ole same ole for Darrel. Keep selling us out in the North County so they keep throwing money at your re-election. They need you more for there downstate agenda.

Anonymous said...

Darrel if you are "ONE OF US" Do something for us for a change. I know it would be something new for you but try it once. See how it feels to make a decision that is in OUR best interest.

Anonymous said...

Right on! Power to the People!

It is high time that the oppressive actions of these "farms" come to an end. The workers deserve fair wages and benefits. If that means that the farms encounter econmic difficulties, we can simply subsidize them at a higher rate.

Anonymous said...

When the Republicans were in charge this bill never saw the light of day out of committee. Why all of sudden, when all farmers dont want this, does it show its face and threaten livelihoods? Because the Leadership in the new majority has no backbone. Aubertine admitted at the press conference he didnt talk to Malcom Smith about this. WHY? That is not a leader

Anonymous said...

"subsidize at higher rate"- there you have it. the big farms live on direct subsidies from the Feds and indirect subsidies in the form of cheap labor and lack of real environmental standards. again, if they want to operate like big industry, they should be prepared to be regulated like it also- then we'll see how "efficient" they are.

Anonymous said...

Days off for the cows too!

Moo.

Anonymous said...

Aubertine may be a great guy, and truly concerned about the district, but he is in the downstate dems' pocket.

But Ag Chairman Aubertine, in response to a reporter’s question, admitted that he had not even talked with Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith to state his opposition to the downstate Democrats who control the fate of the legislation.

Anonymous said...

Ah, screw the farmers. We should have known what we were doing when we put NYC Dems in charge of the entire state. This should come as no surprise. It is just the beginning of the fun we are going to have with King Shelly and his two servants running the show. Farm policy SHOULD be dictated by Queens ladies, er, I mean ladies from Queens.

Anonymous said...

This isn't Ag policy- it's labor policy. People who choose to expand their farms beyond their ability to operate on their own shouldn't be allowed to have a labor pool that is treated differently from other industry workers. Farm workers should not be discriminated against simply because they work for a farm.

Anonymous said...

Doesn't Darrel represent workers, too? Are farm workers not represented?

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