To the Editor:

Governor Cuomo constantly uses the phase “New York Smart” during his daily news pressers. He says things like, the government needs to be smart, the people of NY need to be smart. If you look at some of the decisions that have been made in this state you have to ask…. How smart are we?

• The budget that was passed this past April gives the governor unprecedented powers. For example, he and only he has the power to close prisons with just a 90-day notice to the legislators. Is this smart?

• The state of emergency the governor declared back in March gave him total power over everything in the state. Plus, he is the only one who can end the state of emergency which he has no incentive to do. This has made the legislators irrelevant. We no longer have representative governments in this state. Is this smart?

• Tattoo parlors can be open but the NYS DVM office remained closed? Is this smart?

• At his whim, he will give businesses his permission to open up regardless of what phase we are in. He does this with little or no warning to the businesses leaving them totally unprepared to open. Is this smart?

• Dentist offices can have people in their waiting rooms but hair salons cannot. Where is the science in that? Is that smart?

• The governor has set up a hotline for people to call in and report violators of all of his rules. Citizens squealing on other citizens. Is that smart?

• He signed an executive order ordering nursing homes to take back residents who were hospitalized with COVID-19. Was that smart?

• Due to the economic lockdown, the state and counties have very little revenue coming in but he continues to spend money at alarming rates. Is that smart?

I could go on and on with examples where you have to question how smart we are in New York State. Maybe the smart ones are the people that are leaving the state. When we get through this he will start closing prisons and we will be reaching into your wallet and pocketbook.

Dick Beaulieu

Ogdensburg