NORWICH – With general elections only two months away, Republican lieutenant governor hopeful Chris Moss made a campaign stop in Chenango County on Wednesday to discuss concerns that are at the forefront for local voters.
Moss, presently serving his third four-year term as Chemung County Sheriff, was announced as the running mate for Republican gubernatorial candidate Rob Astorino in May. A leading opponent of the New York SAFE Act and advocate for mineral rights in gas exploration, Moss says he’s running on a platform to restore constitutional rights and make the state more competitive for the development of business and manufacturing.
Moss addressed several issues with residents during a meet and greet in Norwich and Sherburne. Governor Andrew Cuomo has failed to address key priorities during his time in office, he said, putting New York State at a disadvantage in terms of economic growth and stability.
When it comes to New York’s business climate, Moss argued that overbearing regulations are stifling growth statewide. “There’s over 750,000 regulations on the books in New York State,” he said. “That’s ridiculous. We have to deregulate, and we have to stop businesses in New York from leaving beore we can attract new businesses.”
Moss also took aim at the Cuomo administration’s “Start-Up NY” program that gives tax breaks to new businesses in qualified districts, calling the initiative “a joke” and unfair for longtime business owners. “Now we’re regulating the type of business that can come to NYS, where you can locate, and the rules you have to abide by,” he said. “When the state can’t help offset taxes of business owners who have been in business for a long time, there’s an issue.”
On the topic of fracking, Moss said he advocates for the rights of landowners to make their own decision. “Natural gas exploration was big in (Chemung County) when we had a lot of companies move in and getting ready for fracking which never happened ... During that time, we saw our tax revenue go through the roof. And when Cuomo didn’t make a decision, those companies left,” he said.
Moss also spoke against home rule, which puts the decision of fracking in the hands of local municipalities. But it’s the landowners who should have the final say on what they do with their property, he argued.
When it comes to the SAFE Act, Moss said he’s in favor of repealing many of the provisions of the law which he claims stifle constitutional rights. “There are a couple components that are good with the SAFE Act, but I really think we need to start from ground one,” he said. “What we need to do is gear it in the right direction ... When we look at naming certain weapons as ‘assault weapons,’ we need to revisit what we’re trying to accomplish. It’s way too broad and way too arbitrary.”
Moss also voiced opposition to the Common Core state education standards, which went into effect in math and Language Arts for the first time in the 2013-2014 school year. Moss contested that the Common Core does not allow teachers to address the needs of every student, calling it a “cookie cutter method” to instruction.
“Teachers need to be allowed to teach to the needs of the students, not just a manual,” he said. “I think we should be putting our lesson plans and curriculum together at a local level.”
On the issue of property taxes, Moss said more should be done at the state level to provide relief. “Taxes are just too high,” he added. “When we know 400,000 people have left this state in the last four years, you can be guaranteed if it’s not because of jobs, it’s because of property taxes.”
He also spoke in favor of mandate relief at the local government level. The number of unfunded mandates are putting too much burden on local municipalities, especially at the county level, he said, and that’s putting more strain on taxpayers.
“(Cuomo) said when he came out with the two percent tax cap, it would come with mandate relief. It still hasn’t happened ... Mandates out of Albany are killing counties at the local level,” he said. “The state needs to stop mandating programs unless they want to pay for them.”
Moss also shared ideas to address issues on corruption in Albany, citing federal investigations of state politicians including 52nd District Senator Tom Libous (indicted for lying to the FBI) and Governor Cuomo (facing allegations of influencing the Moreland Commission to Investigate Public Corruption).
“What we need to do is go into Albany and clean it up, starting with term limits,” he said. He recommended limits of four two-year terms for members of the Senate and Assembly, and two four-year terms for higher officials including Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Comptroller. “That would go a long way,” he added.