"To the editor ("Daily Freeman")" Letter to the Editor Andi Weiss Bartczak

To the editor ("Daily Freeman") Andi Weiss Bartczak

On Election Day, we will be deciding whether to start a NYS Constitutional Convention process.  As a progressive, I would love to update our state constitution to improve protection of rights not recognized in our present state constitution.  How about an environmental bill of rights?  How about the right to change party registration up to a month before a primary?  Early voting?  Sure we have too many levels of courts, insufficient home rule.  Why doesn’t New York City have the power to govern itself?     

Unfortunately the way delegates will be chosen pretty much insures that state legislators and their pals would be deciding what kind of a constitution would be offered for our vote in a future election.  Opening the Adirondacks to developers?  No free public schools?  And those delegates get the same salary as our state legislators, over $70,000 per year.

 The alternative is that we improve our constitution piece by piece, starting with electing sufficient progressives.  There are two constitutional amendments on the ballot this November, so we do change the constitution.

  So please vote no on the question of a constitutional convention this November.

Andi Weiss Bartczak

Gardiner, NY