It’s time for a change in New York state government, and a Republican candidate like Marc Molinaro could be exactly what’s needed.

New York needs a governor who can work with the federal government to make a positive difference for communities across the state. Today, our partisanship style of politics has become more tribalistic across the country, and the Republican and Democratic parties are unwilling to work together.

“You want the other side to lose just as much as you want to win,” said Emily Thorson, a political science professor at Syracuse University.

For New York, this means the focus in November should be on electing someone in line with the party of President Donald Trump, someone ready for change and someone able to work with the federal government. Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) has shown himself to be anti-Trump and, in turn, anti-progress.

The New York gubernatorial election has big implications for Syracuse. Decisions about Interstate 81, which have been pushed aside by Gov. Cuomo for years, are at stake.

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Republican gubernatorial candidate Marc Molinaro has concrete plans for I-81’s replacement. He’s advocating for a consolidation between a tunnel option and street-grid option. And Molinaro’s likely to be willing to work with both sides of the aisle, as a Republican coming from a traditionally Democratic state.

Voters need to turn away from media reports and focus on the candidates themselves. Many voters rely and focus on only what news outlets shows them, absorbing sources that lean strongly one way or another, politically.

“One of the critical functions of the media is kinda telling the public what to think about or telling them what is important,” Thorson said, though.

With the gubernatorial election fast approaching, New York residents have the opportunity to look at preferred policies of individual candidates rather than the biased portrayals displayed in news shows.

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Molinaro can make positive changes for Syracuse, and even wants to set term limits for governors, senators and assembly members. He supports the prevention of political stagnation and recognizes how Gov. Cuomo has been too caught up in personal concerns to accomplish state goals.

A Republican who can work with the federal government and respect traditionally liberal ideals of New York could be what our state needs.

Matching the party of the president eases policy making efforts. New York needs Molinaro.

Bethanie Viele is a junior biology with a focus on environmental sciences major and religion minor. Her column appears biweekly. She can be reached at bmviele@syr.edu and followed on Twitter @viele_bethanie. 

Published on October 16, 2018 at 7:42 pm