Updates from NYSTPBA President Tom Mungeer, September 16, 2022
NYSTPBA Newsletter Updates from NYSTPBA President Tom Mungeer WiFi Survey It has come to my attention that in the year 2022 there are still Division facilities that do not have reliable cellular service or WiFi access. How the hell do you operate a 21st century law enforcement operation, albeit an elite one, without these basic necessities? Note to self: bring plenty of quarters for the pay phone at SP Ellenville the next time there’s a critical incident there. Please advise your Delegate if your station does not have the aforementioned services in order for us to evaluate how widespread the problem is. Academy Class The NYSTPBA Board visited and spoke with the current 219-member Academy class this week ahead of their Oct. 19 graduation date. These young Troopers are desperately needed in the field and I will give credit to Gov. Kathy Hochul for following through on her commitment to build up the strength of the Division. The next class - the first off the new list - enters the Academy at the end of November. Good News At a time when society finds it acceptable to call for defunding the police, it’s nice to see someone supporting our mission. Thank you to New Era Cap Company CEO Christopher Koch for donating $110,000 to the NYSTPBA Signal 30 Benefit Fund. New Era, a Buffalo-based company, provides the baseball caps for Major League Baseball. In addition to the generous monetary donation, New Era also donated 500 Buffalo Bills caps for distribution to the attendees at the NTC picnic. I would like to thank First Deputy Superintendent Steven Nigrelli for his help in facilitating this relationship. In the News The NYSTPBA was featured prominently in an article in the New York Post about our political endorsement of Joe Pinion, who is running to unseat Chuck Schumer in the U.S. Senate. https://nypost.com/2022/09/15/ny-state-troopers-backing-schumer-challenger-joe-pinion-in-november-election/?utm_campaign=iphone_nyp&utm_source=mail_app The Enemy of My Enemy is My Friend Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo filed an ethics complaint with the state court's Attorney Grievance Committee earlier this week against Attorney General Letitia James over her handling of the sexual harassment investigation last year. In the 48-page complaint he wrote, "James cynically manipulated a legal process for personal, political gain. I refer evidence to your Committee that AG James purposefully inserted herself in an investigation which posed a clear conflict of interest and then misled the public to create a political situation forcing my resignation, in violation of the relevant Rules." Well, he still has $10 million in his campaign account, so it’ll be fun for the unforeseeable future watching these two beat the shit out of each other. Grab your popcorn! Rewriting History Speaking of that campaign cash, he spent $60,000 on Facebook ads over the past month in an effort to recast why he left office, essentially trying to rewrite history. “Cuomo’s resignation is #MeToo excess, not success” I just threw up in my mouth. More Free Shit Although I paid off my college loans decades ago while earning $24,308 annually, I’d be remiss not to advise that Governor Hochul signed legislation yesterday that will allow tens of thousands of public servants in New York to apply for significant debt forgiveness. She stated, “$16.3 billion in student debt will be canceled in this state alone. That’s a clean slate, that means New Yorkers can rebuild their lives. Over 2.2 million New Yorkers will see some type of relief and that’s life-changing.” To see if you are eligible for this relief, visit the Public Service Loan Forgiveness site at https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service and apply before the deadline on Oct. 31. Rumor Control The report of my death was an exaggeration. - Mark Twain Polls The latest Emerson College/Pix11/The Hill survey finds Governor Hochul leading Lee Zeldin 50% to 35%. I doubt the accuracy of this poll as it also found that President Joe Biden has a 52% job approval in New York. However, since he’s promised to pay off their student loans, younger voters probably love him. Quote of the Week Just look at the current condition of New York City and New York State: There’s mayhem in our streets, in our courts, in our jails. We’re headed in the wrong direction. The handwriting is on the wall. Lee Zeldin is the best option for voters. - Democratic NYC Councilman Robert Holden, who represents parts of Queens and is apparently fed up with the crime wave plaguing New York City. This email is an automated notification, which is unable to receive replies. To send a comment to the NYSTPBA, please contact us at nystpba@nystpba.org .
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