To The Editor:
Remember the saying “Rules are meant to be broken”?
This past week I was present at a political gathering that was attended by some of Oswego County’s elected officials and also several of our state representatives.
During the gathering one of the state representatives asked me a question regarding a resolution and a request for the state to change a home-rule law. This representative and the majority caucus are looking to change a rule that each and every elected official in the state must follow.
You all have read about it so I won’t go into the boring details.
I will go into the conversation with this state rep.
After his first comment I responded with “You can’t change the rules of the game after it has already started.”
He then asked a question regarding the speed limit.
When this state rep stated that the 5 legislators should have the rules changed for them, I asked if the rules should be changed for convicted state representative Silver. He didn’t mean to do what he did.
He was taken back a little.
I said no they shouldn’t be changed Mr. Silver got what he deserved. He broke the rules and he has to pay for breaking the rules.
There is no elected official that should have the rules changed to suit them.
What this all comes down to is following the rules and what happens when you don’t.
I doubt it very much that there isn’t anyone that hasn’t broken a rule or law once in their life.
We all know the rules and all understand what happens when we get caught when we break them.
If you get caught speeding you pay a fine. If you get caught stealing you get arrested. A good lawyer can get you out of these but you are still paying for not following the law (rules).
There is no way around it.
If you get caught holding in football you get penalized. If you commit too many fouls in basketball you must leave the game.
There is no help for you here.
You must again pay for not following the rules.
If you have three strikes called on you in baseball you are out. Here if you are the six-year-old younger brother and you get called out, your big brother can step in and tell the other team that you can have one more strike.
The last one is what the state representatives are trying to do for 5 legislators in the Oswego County Legislature.
They are trying to play big brother and change the rules of the game.
What they are saying is the rules apply to everyone else but us. We can change them to suit us whenever we want to.
What I’m saying is that everyone has to play by the rules and you can break as many as you want for as long as you want.
However, when you get caught you have to pay for what you have or haven’t done.
Now, if you want to change the rules for the future, fine, but not for the past.
You didn’t follow the rules and you must pay.
Oh wait a minute you are politicians and you have the majority so you get to do what you want when you want.
Then you wonder why the public doesn’t trust you.
I will vote against going backwards.
Legislator Frank Castiglia
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Rules are rules, If people feel they have to be changed—ok, but not after the fact. The rule that was in place when the infraction happened is the rule. I do know some of these people personally and I have no problem with them, but the rules are the rules. There are more important problems than this for our representatives to be discussing—-5 verses 1000’s.
There is a wee bit of difference between signing a pledge card and what Silver did. You are making much ado about nothing.
Mike..I agree with the much ado about nothing..but why is the majority caucus and three State Reps. wasting taxpayers dollars on this. Follow the rules and move on. Don’t waste my tax dollars on trying to change something after the fact. The difference between Silver and the rule these elected officials broke is that he did his for a long time if he had been caught the first time it would have been a slap on the hand .
Frank…AKA TTCUSTER (use your own name please) The rules as you say …WERE changed. This was the first time the BOE SENT the cards in the mail. Several legislators NEVER received the cards because the address was wrong. For someone who is so concerned about saving taxpayer money.what do you think it is going to COST to have an election when there was not suppose to be an election for Oswego County legislators. Legislators are a two year term…mistakes were made…they will no longer mail the cards. This INFRACTION is much ado about nothing. GET OVER IT. The public elected 5 legislators to a 2 year term.
I always use my name…come on Frank aks ttcuster start to use your name instead of hiding. If you have something to say …say it…you usually do
Louella, First and foremost I don’t use any AKA I’m not TTCUSTER. And I wish you wouldn’t use my father’s name again in any of your posts…I have never used any member of your family in any of my posts to you…Second…you as always are in the dark…In case you haven’t heard there is going to be an election this year it’s called a presidential election.only names offices have to be added..And if you have anyone to thank for this mishap being brought to the surface it is your own party…it wasn’t one of our caucus that FOIL’d a Oath of Office Card info…of course these are all new legislator and they didn’t know they had to have their oath of office cards signed and turned in 30 days after taking office.. Also your own party leadership ;should have been checking to make sure everyone had their cards and had to have them signed. I guess it takes a HS Diploma to do that. They were all there at the first meeting in Jan….Just keep siding with the people that keep changing the rules to suite themselves …Oh that’s right you have to so they can keep getting you jobs…but they can’t force the people to vote for you can they…
Let me get this straight – Louella is saying that everyone should be allowed to break the rules… Hmm what kind of world would this become whether it is much to do about nothing. If you break the rules you need to be held accountable – no matter who you are Louella.
Are you one of the five that broke the rules – that is what your post sounds like……
L.L. seems to use the Hillary rule/play book.
Remember “At this point what difference does it make?”.
Good points Wendy and F. Letrat….nothing has changed..