There Are Rules!

by Contributor | May 9, 2016 3:16 pm

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

Source URL: https://oswegocountytoday.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/there-are-rule/

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