Harckham’s Performance Shows That He Cares About His Constituents
Pete Harckham is a real altruist.
The reason I’m calling Sen. Pete Harckham an altruist is his unwavering support of our day-to-day needs. I’m not talking about complicated issues and politics.
Pete cares for us. Let me give you a few examples that warm the heart because they are basic, essential necessities of everyday people, adults and children.
In 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, Pete secured $250,000 in state funds for an adaptive use playground for children. This is a playground for those who need a wheelchair, ADA accessible and multisensory or developmentally-friendly equipment. It was the first of its kind in northern Westchester.
This wasn’t the first of Pete’s projects for children needing facilities with more accessibility. He provided grants to the Yorktown Community Nursery School to make walkways and entrances and for an indoor playground in the Lakeland School District for special needs students.
Pete has also done so much for people suffering from substance abuse. He helped lead the way to increase inpatient substance abuse treatment from 14 to 28 days. Recognizing that addiction is an illness that doesn’t get enough attention, it was critical to overcome previous insurance limitations that left patients without sufficient treatment. Addiction is a disease. With proper attention, patients can be cured rather than criminalized.
In 2019, the Trump administration rolled back protections in the Clean Water Act. This travesty affected about 50 percent of the streams within New York State. Harckham’s bill ensures proper access to waterways that are used for drinking water, fishing and recreation.
And I haven’t enough space to cover the many COVID-19 activities Harckham has sponsored, such as the food banks in Bedford, Peekskill, Yorktown and elsewhere along with fighting for unemployment benefits and essential safety protocols.
Pete Harckham is a caring and thoughtful man helping us through hard times.
Andrea Black Jeffries
Yorktown
