Editorial: Castelli’s Work Ethic, Cooperation Merits Re-election in 93rd Assembly District
Most elected officials talk about bipartisanship, but only seem to practice it when it’s advantageous for them or when there’s a unanimous vote.
Then there’s Robert Castelli. He is one elected official who “gets it.”
A legislative body doesn’t really work properly without compromise. Congress is Exhibit A of how government dysfunction fails to serve the people. More locally, the Westchester Board of Legislators has sometimes fallen into a similar trap.
While working with members of the opposite party doesn’t guarantee a strong elected official, it is a good place to start in this age of slash-and-burn, hyper-partisan politics. Since February 2010, when he was sworn in to take over what was then the 89th Assembly District from Adam Bradley, Castelli has displayed an enthusiasm for his job and a willingness to do what is right for his constituents before what is right for his party.
As much as he might bicker with Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, the Republicans’ favorite whipping boy, Castelli supported the Manhattan Democrat’s bill to extend rent controls because there are about 4,700 rent-controlled apartments and thousands of residents in his district that needed the protection.
He was one of the first Republicans to oppose hydraulic fracturing, at least until it can be scientifically proven that it won’t harm the water supply and the environment. Castelli supported legislation that will force an independent health study, likely delaying hydrofracking for the foreseeable future. Others in his party, particularly some upstate representatives, would like to see the economic benefits brought to regions that could certainly use the stimulus.
Even before he took his oath of office, Castelli was calling for a repeal of the payroll tax and a forensic audit of the mismanaged MTA.
Castelli has also been endorsed by the Sierra Club and the League of Conservation Voters, support that raises eyebrows when its bestowed on a Republican.
To be cynical, you can conclude that as a minority member in a lopsided Democratic Assembly, Castelli has nothing to lose by traveling the collegial route and positioning himself more moderately. While that could be true, if it was that easy, we would see more bipartisanship at all levels of government.
To be sure, there are those who might be upset at some of Castelli’s stances. He voted against the Marriage Equality Act in June 2011 and has opposed a series of gun control measures, including microstamping, which proponents argue would help law enforcement authorities at crime scenes trace bullet shell casings to the firearm.
As a former state trooper, and more recently, a criminal justice professor, it seems doubtful that Castelli would place his law enforcement successors in peril in order to get the backing of the state chapter of the National Rifle Association. Castelli prefers to fight gun violence with tougher enforcement, although that is not necessarily feasible in the tax cap and service-cutting era.
In the two years he has served on the White Plains Common Council, David Buchwald has been an earnest elected official who enjoys reaching out and helping his constituents.
He is a moderate Democrat, displaying common sense and fiscal responsibility while maintaining a progressive position on social issues, such as woman’s reproductive rights, equal pay and tighter gun control.
Buchwald is an enthusiastic supporter of ethics reform and campaign finance reform. He was able to push through ethics legislation in White Plains in the wake of former Mayor Bradley’s legal troubles.
Similar to his opponent, he fully supports a full repeal of the MTA payroll tax and supports measures to help small business. Infrastructure projects would help boost jobs and the economy. He would like to see full ban on hydrofracking.
There is no doubt that on all of these issues Buchwald is sincere. However, his characterization of Castelli as a right-wing extremist is a problematic exaggeration, which smacks of some desperation. He has spent too much time in this campaign detailing Castelli’s shortcomings rather than introducing his strengths to new voters outside of White Plains.
Certainly, Castelli is right of center on some issues but should everyone who voted against legalizing gay marriage automatically be painted as a Tea Party member?
On his full body of work and willingness to seek cooperation first, Castelli gets the nod for another term.
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.
