State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie heads back to Albany with some verbal and visual input on issues of concern in the 99th Assembly District, represented by fellow Democrat James Skoufis.
One headache, destined to get worse, is Route 17 Exit 131 in Central Valley, just off the Thruway and a gateway to the Mid-Hudson Valley and the popular Woodbury Common Shopping outlets, noted Skoufis.
“As it continues to be a problem and as was discussed, it’s going to be an even bigger problem with a casino coming, with other economic development coming in this immediate area, so we do need to get this done,” Skoufis said.
Several local residents and officials agreed, and during impromptu chat with the two lawmakers, they noted near-gridlock conditions on 17 and Route 32, on weekends, especially as holiday shopping draws near. They have been pleading for some kind of a fix, for years.
Heastie said it “comes down to dollars and cents” in deciding how much might be available for specific projects.
“You know one of my colleagues says this is a local concern and he has members of the committee who say this is a local concern,” Heastie said. “So really, just gives a visual, you know, to me, that this is something important to him and the district that he represents, so the negotiations and discussions that I have with the Governor and the Senate, it just helps us to kind of, I’d say, push these things forward a little bit.”
Other stops on Wednesday’s tour included meeting privately with business leaders in Cornwall, a walking tour of downtown Goshen, and visits to Soon’s Orchard, the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor and Stewart Airbase, where Heastie and Skoufis were joined by Assemblyman Frank Skartados.
