Beware of False, Unsubstantiated Mailings That Are Clearly Political
Opinion Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the author/producer’s interpretation of facts and data.
Do you question the truth of what you get in the mail? Do you ever wonder just who is behind these mailings? Do you look for reliable facts and experts to back up the contentions in these mailings?
If you answered no to any of these questions, I have a bridge in Brooklyn or prime swampland in Florida I can sell to you, at a bargain price.
Recently, I, like many other New York State residents, received a large red postcard from a group named “Homeowners For An Affordable NY” boldly stating “YOUR SENATOR is sponsoring a bill, Good Cause Eviction, with a group of self-described Socialist politicians that will devastate housing in New York.” That’s a pretty bold statement and it’s up to voters to discern fact from propaganda.
Here are some tell-tale signs of misinformation in this mailing. It seems overly contentious and makes spurious attacks. I wanted to find out more information about this group; however, the website www.hfaany.com gives no information about the membership of the association and no way to contact them directly.
Whoever is funding this (propaganda) campaign, must have some very deep pockets. They provide no sources, facts or experts identified to back up their claims, only a quote from that beacon of journalistic independence, the New York Post, accusing “lefty” politicians of traveling to Austria to study housing policy. They then link this policy to peoples’ concerns about high crime rates and claim it will worsen the housing crisis. The high-powered, politically connected, multinational public relations firm that conceived of this transparently rhetorical campaign must be laughing all the way to the bank.
Let me share a different perspective. As a Westchester County-appointed member of the Housing Opportunities Commission, I am committed to educating, advocating and advising on the topic of the need for fair and affordable housing in Westchester County. Our 11 members include bankers, housing administrators, planners and concerned citizens, NOT self-interested ideologues. We have commissioned studies and needs assessments regarding the affordable housing crisis and provide statistics based on census data showing just how many Westchester residents are paying rents and mortgage costs that they cannot afford.
My personal belief is that the landlord-tenant relationship is a contractual one where each party has certain rights and responsibilities that must be determined and monitored by government. HFAANY seems to say that a landlord having to provide a good cause for evicting a tenant is a violation of their property rights, that landlords should have no obligation to follow the terms of a legally binding contract. They claim, without any proof, that the only way to resolve the housing crisis is to let the free market rule, regardless of the impact on individual families.
Common sense and equity must reject the proposition that government protections are a sign of rampant socialism. If you want to see more homeless families on the streets, then you should oppose the Good Cause Eviction legislation.
Melvyn R. Tanzman
Mohegan Lake
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