Common Sense: Mike Connors

The Brooklyn Conservative Party recently held an event at the Pearl Room honoring Bay Ridge attorney Michael Connors with an award named after longtime Conservative Party activist Jim Gay. National Review Magazine’s investigative journalist Jillian Melchior was the guest speaker.
Jillian had only recently returned from Iraq where she has been investigating and reporting on Iraqi and U.S. activities against ISIS as well as the devastation this so-called Islamic State is causing to the people, its culture and even its monuments and holy places.

Mike Connors — who only two weeks ago had also been honored by Holy Angels Academy with an alumni award — has made a point of communicating his strong support of conservative causes on his weekly public affairs radio show “Ask the Lawyer.” Mike has also been a strong supporter of veterans organizations and groups dedicated to preserving and teaching American history and values. Mike has also been an active supporter of many local elected officials including State Senator Marty Golden (whom I serve as chief of staff), Assemblymember Nicole Malliotakis and Congressmember Dan Donovan.

Christine Sisto, a member of the party’s executive committee and associate leader in the 64th Assembly District, received an award named after Alice Gaffney. The award is determined in a secret ballot, so it came as a surprise to Christine, who was most deserving.

State Senator Golden and Assemblymember Malliotakis were in attendance and both spoke.

Congressmember Donovan was in Washington voting in favor of legislation to put in place a moratorium on the admission of Syrian refugees until a better method of vetting them could be established. Clearly, this was a most important vote and I am pleased that Congress moved so quickly and decisively with an overwhelming vote. Now, if only the president would get on board.

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Assemblymember Malliotakis in her remarks spoke briefly of her role as presidential candidate Marco Rubio’s New York State chairperson. Earlier that week, she had an opportunity to meet with Rubio and several of his senior advisors. She was pleased to report that Senator Rubio had become the first top tier Republican presidential candidate to support the renewal of the Zadroga Act which is so important for the many 9/11 emergency responders who have now become ill.

On this important issue, I am happy to report that — since Dan Donovan, Peter King, Marty Golden and Nicole held a press conference with many police unions, urging Congress to renew the law — in addition to the key support of Rubio, House Speaker Paul Ryan has also indicated his support for the renewal.

This makes me very optimistic that by the December 11 deadline, the Zadroga Act will have been renewed. And, hopefully, it will be a permanent renewal, not simply a five-year extension. If you are going to claim that we “Never Forget,” the health of those who became ill helping victims on that horrible day must be a line in the sand.

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I want to wish all my readers a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving!!! It’s a wonderful day for families to get together and give thanks for all our blessings. Hopefully, we can all put the urge to shop for Christmas behind us for this one day and look for sales on Friday and Monday.