Dem Chair Calls Out Young for Distributing Campaign Style Literature with Taxpayer Money

Norman Green (left) and NY Sen. Catherine Young (R-Olean, 57th Senate District)

JAMESTOWN – The chairman of the Chautauqua County Democratic Committee is taking Sen. Catherine Young’s (R-Olean) office to task for sending out campaign-style mailers using taxpayer money, less than a month before the General Election.

Chairman Norman Green, who also serves as one of the two county Board of Elections commissioners, says residents in the Southern Tier this week received one of two campaign-style mailings from Young’s Senate office. Green notes that Young is also currently running for reelection, and both mailings were sent out at tax payers expense. The mailers trumpeted young for “Defending Our Constitutional Rights” and is “Strengthening Our Rural Communities.”

“I estimate the printing and postage of any district wide mailer to be about $50,000,” Green said. He also said that using taxpayer money to send out what amounts to campaign literature so close to the general election puts Young at an unfair advantage against her opponent, Democrat Lee Hyson of Frewsburg.

“There are a lot of things wrong with Albany. From my perspective, the insurmountable odds of having a fairly contested election against an incumbent is the number one election issue we face,” Green said. “There is absolutely no reason that the taxpayers should ever pay for self-promotion mailers, but particularly this mailing should be prohibited at our expense within the last month before an election. To ensure that we have qualified candidates come forward, we need to provide a level playing field for each election in the future.”

Green’s complete statement is provided below.

Meanwhile, Sen. Young’s campaign spokesman, Bob Driscoll, calls Green’s comments a partisan attack and “nonsense.”

“Norm Green’s statement is patently false, and is fabricated partisan nonsense,” Driscoll said. “It is unfortunate that he and our opponent are playing politics and this is a desperate attempt to mislead the public. The facts show that these newsletters were properly sent within the timeframe, and every rule was followed.”

Driscoll also explained that Green’s comments were an effort to cover up Hyson’s lack of public appearances and engagement during the campaign.

“While Senator Young is fighting hard and working on behalf of the people in her district every day, her opponent has been virtually nonexistent,” Driscoll noted. “Not only has he aligned himself with the radical New York City-controlled Senate Democrats, there are questions about how much he has even lived in the district over the past 16 years…. He even hasn’t been here for most of the entire campaign.  According to his Facebook page, over the past more than seven months he has only attended about seven events in our communities. Contrast that pathetic record with Senator Young, who is closely in touch with her district and attends up to seven events in just one day.”

Sen. Young and Hyson are the only two candidates appearing on the ballot for the 57th State Senate District in this year’s election. The General Election is Tuesday, Nov. 8.

Norman Green’s Full Comments Regarding Sen. Young’s Mailers

In today’s United States mail, voters across the southern tier received one of two campaign style mailings from State Senator Cathy Young.  One would have to know what to look for, but examination finds that each carried the U.S. Postage Paid indicia from the New York State Senate.  While the mailings were not labeled or identified that they were mailed at tax payers expense, they were.   (Only federal candidates are required to label mail as to who paid for it.)

Less than 30-days before the General Election, Senator Young sent out these campaign style mailers at tax-payer’s expense.   I estimate the printing and postage of any district wide mailer to be about $50,000.  The mailer trumpeted that Senator Young is “Defending Our Constitutional Rights” and is “Strengthening Our Rural Communities”.

The excuse that we would no doubt receive from Senator Young and Assemblyman Andy Goodell, who had some recent mailings of his own, is that this is legal and every incumbent does it and probably they will even defend the messages as important and timely.  Of course it’s timely for their re-election bids, too.

The sad truth is that Senator Young is facing a wonderful and fully qualified citizen candidate, Lee Hyson.  He is a young man, a private contract engineer who is hired to work all over the world for some of the world’s biggest corporations.  He is part of a new generation of leadership and has great fresh new ideas including term limits.  I will be voting for him, of course.

Senator Young is rated consistently as one of the most powerful people in Albany.  She delivers for the district, is well liked and provides great constituent service.   She will be re-elected.  She did not need to do this over the top mailing to get re-elected.  Maybe this mail will take her election totals from 64% to 65% of the total vote?

There are a lot of things wrong with Albany.  From my perspective, the insurmountable odds of having a fairly contested election against an incumbent is the number one election issue we face.  There is absolutely no reason that the taxpayers should ever pay for self-promotion mailers, but particularly this mailing should be prohibited at our expense within the last month before an election.  To ensure that we have qualified candidates come forward, we need to provide a level playing field for each election in the future. 

Bob Driscoll’s Response

Norm Green’s statement is patently false, and is fabricated partisan nonsense.  It is unfortunate that he and our opponent are playing politics and this is a desperate attempt to mislead the public.  The facts show that these newsletters were properly sent within the timeframe, and every rule was followed.  While Senator Young is fighting hard and working on behalf of the people in her district every day, her opponent has been virtually nonexistent.  Not only has he aligned himself with the radical New York City-controlled Senate Democrats, there are questions about how much he has even lived in the district over the past 16 years.  He has said in many news reports that he has been in Southeast Asia and other states for most of that time, and only recently moved back to the area to run for Senate, which is a violation of the state constitution and state law.  He even hasn’t been here for most of the entire campaign.  According to his Facebook page, over the past more than seven months he has only attended about seven events in our communities.  Contrast that pathetic record with Senator Young, who is closely in touch with her district and attends up to seven events in just one day.  Senator Young is going to keep delivering on behalf of the people in her district.