LETTER: Many reasons why DeFrancisco is wrong choice for governor

To the editor:

There were some fun themes in Russ Tarby’s Feb. 7 column “’Night Train’ from Syracuse chuggin’ down the tracks,” but there are plenty of folks who will be hoping for a derailment.

Senator-now-candidate DeFrancisco is a pugnacious advocate for the causes he believes in. And there are some things he has done which almost everyone agrees with. Regarding Carousel Center/Destiny USA, both he and former Mayor Stephanie Miner have been voices pointing out the emperor has no clothes. Things like his early support of Ophelia’s Place are highly commendable. He does play a really good sax, as Tarby pointed out.

But governor? Hold on, now. For years he’s embraced positions that are way out of step with many voters and families. He’s been singing along with the Trump gang on their very sour notes for New York’s taxpayers. Its a very long list, all way over on the far right column of the page.

If you want government to accompany your wife, mother, daughter or sister to the gynecologist, then John’s your man. The state “Right To Life” Committee’s website lists John voting with them eight out of nine times on issues they call important. Quite a few other, sturdier Republicans saw past the flaws of the NY Safe Act and voted for it. That was right after the slaughter of 20 elementary school students and six teachers in Sandy Hook. Sadly, John DeFrancisco wasn’t one of them. Several environmental groups grade John’s record as noticeably lower than other senators. Not good news for we who live near one of the largest sources of fresh water on this earth. And on and on….

By the way, John’s a double dipper. He benefits from the remarkable and convoluted rules that allowed him to retire, collect a pension, and still remain employed, full time. Don’t you wish you could do that?

It’s also worth noting that the GOP does have other candidates available. Joel Giambra was Erie County (Buffalo) Executive. Joe Holland served in Gov. Pataki’s cabinet. Others may come forward between now and primary time at the end of the summer. Both Giambra and Holland hold fewer of these hard-right views and could make a more moderate candidate, which might just lead to fresher debates before we vote in November.