Common Sense: A snow job

I cannot say that I was pleased with Department of Sanitation’s response to last Saturday’s snow. Although it only amounted to a few inches, it was combined with temperatures in the low 20s and wind, which made for dangerous driving and walking conditions. And it snowed throughout the day which, as a first real snowfall of the season, made things even more treasonous.

For several hours, Sanitation seemed to fall behind with roads becoming very slippery. Fortunately, although steady, the snow was not all that heavy. If it had been heavier, I can only imagine how difficult a Saturday making the rounds would have become for community residents.

Sanitation changed its snow operations plan a few months back with plows, salters and sanders operating as teams in a set zone. In this manner, the end result should be a more efficient and equitable delivery of a snow response throughout the city.

However, logically, such a plan requires the application of sufficient resources. Twice on Saturday, I found myself behind Sanitation trucks doing their normal Saturday garbage pick-ups. It seems to me that pick-ups should have been suspended and all staff applied to addressing snow-related issues.

The city budgets for just such a situation and as much as I do not like to see taxpayer dollars spent on overtime, keeping the streets clear on bad snow days seem like a good use.

The New York State Conservative Party will be holding its annual Conservative Political Action Conference in Albany on Sunday, January 29 and Monday, January 30 at the Albany Holiday Inn. Tickets are required but the full package — which involves two days of speakers, a lunch, reception and dinner — is very inexpensive.

Speakers include Congressmember Chis Collins who was the first congressmember in the nation to endorse Trump and is a senior member of his transition as well as several other congressmembers, state senators, assemblymembers and policy speakers on issues ranging from the budget to assisted suicide. Potential candidates for governor will also be on hand to address the conservative activists.

The event concludes with a legislative reception and dinner at which the State Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan and Assembly Republican Leader Brian Kolb speak and State Chairperson Mike Long presents the party’s legislative agenda. Conservative Party-endorsed State Senator Simcha Felder of Brooklyn will receive an award for having the highest conservative-rated voting record in the Senate.

Additional information of the event plus an opportunity to register is available by going to cpnys.org or by calling the party at 718 921-2158.

The Brooklyn Conservative Party has filed an amicus brief with the court in support of the efforts undertaken by Conservative-Republican Assemblymembers Nicole Malliotakis and Ron Castorina to prevent the City of New York from destroying documents used to produce the IDNYC cards which are being issued to undocumented New York City residents.

The party cites the dangers destruction of the records could pose to law enforcement and public safety. The brief also argues that it is policy on all levels of government to keep records used to produce IDs for a period far in excess of the two years the city has planned to keep them before they are destroyed.