Gov. Hochul must take a firm stand with Eric Adams on the NYC migrant issue
For all their vastly different styles and the inevitable institutional clashes, Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams are natural allies against the mad progressives.
The first half of that sentence was conspicuous in this week’s tense exchange of letters between their offices, but the second half lurks in the background.
City Hall sent the first letter to the state, outlining Gotham’s urgent needs amid the refugee crisis and urging the state to pay two-thirds of the cost of housing the newcomers “in the absence of meaningful federal funds.”
A letter came back (apparently leaked to the New York Times in advance, making it look like a political attack) in which he flatly rejected the mayor’s request.
Signed by an outside attorney, it said Adams had failed to respond to government offers for space for a total of 3,000 beds (the city is now home to nearly 60,000 illegal immigrants). Plus (almost as many “local” homeless people), accused him of being slow in helping newcomers tackle work permit paperwork, and more – and specifically claimed that Albany had already received $1.5 billion in aid dollars.
Outside attorney Faith Gay is the first clue to the real problem.
Hochul had to hire her because the attorney that taxpayers are already providing, Attorney General Tish James, said she was last week would not Representing the government here (as required by the state constitution) because James thinks Hochul is wrong about the ‘right to housing’.
This so-called right, untouchable by Gotham’s leftists, exists only in the city and only thanks to a decades-old court agreement that Adams is now trying to change, as it’s proving to be a city-town suicide pact — fiscal poison amid the migrant wave.
In response, the Legal Aid Society and other forces behind the “right” have gone to court to enforce it Conditionbroad.
The could This would force the state to step up for the city, but would also force other cities and communities to launch gigantic, expensive homeless services like NYC.
Counties now refusing to accept migrants may have little choice.
Call for a voter revolt to soften the Empire State’s red wave of last year.
The legal basis for the “law” derives from (a tendentious reading of a generic passage in) the Condition Constitution, so the courts could decide that.
As a result, Gay opposes Adams’ migrant efforts: She doesn’t want anything on the public record that could give impetus to the new lawsuit.
A politically adept lawyer would have handled this better, but James has again refused to do her job because she don’t want to upset the left.
Neither does Hochul, who never wants to get excited anyone except maybe die-hard Republicans.
But if she doesn’t want that, the town hall seeks help in desperation somewhereAs she champions the “statewide right to shelter,” she needs to do more to support Adams’ push to reduce the city’s obligations — and give Adams more of the money he needs.
Adams has dealt with the crisis inconsistently, but he faces a perfect storm.
If Hochul doesn’t step forward and form a strong alliance with him, it will hit them even harder.
