Barclay Holds Town Hall Meetings In Oswego County

PULASKI, NY – New York State Assemblyman and Republican Minority Leader Will Barclay held a town hall meeting Saturday, May 15 at the H. Douglas Barclay County Courthouse in Pulaski, along with another meeting in Central Square that same day.

During this time, Barclay expressed his views on Governor Andrew Cuomo, how the pandemic was handled, the state budget, the state’s bail reform policy, and the Democratic majority in Albany.

“It’s an eventful time, and all of us are coming off an unprecedented year,” Barclay said.

The process of reopening New York was the focus of a number of queries, with attendees voicing concern about the coronavirus pandemic’s effect on the economy of Northern New York.

“The handling of the pandemic has been a disaster in my mind,” Barclay said ”The Governor is saying that he has provided terrific leadership during the crisis, but we have 55,000  Covid deaths in the state, the second highest in the country.”

Lack of faith in the Governor was also expressed with regard to the nursing home deaths investigation. Barclay expressed his concern that the Governor’s handling of the nursing home crisis was a major mishandling of very sick New Yorkers.

“The Governor has to be able to own up to that, and we are going to keep pushing until he is held accountable,” Barclay said.

Speaking about the recent  state budget negotiations, Barclay said, “I am a little disheartened right now, and I am a little frustrated, as this budget is hard to defend.”

The size of the budget when compared with the state’s population is of concern to the Minority leader.

“You have to question if that number is sustainable,” Barclay said.

Barclay mentioned that he is worried about the state’s propensity to overspend. Population loss due to high taxes is also of concern to the assemblyman.

“We have lost over one million people in the last decade,” Barclay said.

Bail reform is another issue concerning Barclay.

“The murder rate and shootings are up, and I am worried that this will eventually affect even the rural areas,” Barclay said.

The Assemblyman feels strongly that bail reform is an issue that more negatively affects the Upstate region.

Commenting on the Democratic majority in Albany and its effect on the promotion of the conservative agenda,” Barclay said. “I call them like I see them, and I try to make decisions that will best support my constituency.”

Barclay said his workload has increased since being named minority leader. The Pulaski Republican said he is spending more time traveling around the state and listening to the concerns of citizens. In his travels, Barclay has encountered voters who sometimes defy the stereotype of different regions.

“I have spoken to people in New York City that would not label themselves as conservative, but have labeled themselves as fiscal conservatives,” Barclay said. “We used to have a Governor that was somewhat pragmatic, but now we have shifted so far to the left, with New York City being so far left, that the Governor can’t push back on some of these poor ideas.” 

Asked by a constituent about the possible re-routing of 481 around downtown Fulton, Barclay said that this is an issue that comes up from time to time, and that when the highway was built, the Mayor of Fulton at the time pushed for the road to go through the City of Fulton as an economic benefit to the city. Barclay said that he did not know where the funds to move the highway would be found.

“I am always going to be there to offer my voice and my thoughts on issues,” Barclay said.

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