Common Sense: Counseling the Council
State Senator Marty Golden (whom I serve as chief of staff) and Assemblymember Nicole Malliotakis were quick to denounce the looney City Council proposal to give illegal immigrants the right to vote in local elections. This is one major step beyond last year’s ridiculous proposal from the City Council to give non-citizens the right to vote.
The non-citizen voting proposal, although extremely misguided if only on the grounds that it dilutes the votes of American citizens, is probably legal and has actually been adopted in some of the more socialistic-leaning American cities. The newer Council proposal to allow individuals living in the United States illegally to vote is clearly in violation of the state and federal Constitutions and even if adopted by the Council would be overturned.
Of course, the real problem in my view is that we have a City Council populated by members who would dream up these stupid ideas. And as evidenced by their recent adoption of a 32 percent pay raise that was well beyond the recommendation of an independent pay commission and clearly opposed by the overwhelming majority of New Yorkers, this Council does not care what you or I think.