Senator David Carlucci (D-Rockland/Orange) announced on Tuesday the creation of a Bipartisan Senate Task Force on Hurricane Sandy Recovery, a newly established panel of both Democrats and Republicans from New York’s hardest-hit areas. Senator Carlucci will be among a handful of legislators that will play a critical role in the rebuilding and planning of New York in the weeks and months ahead.
Each Task Force member is uniquely qualified to pinpoint those neighborhoods and businesses that are most in need of storm recovery assistance. As federal and state recovery dollars begin to materialize, Senator Carlucci will play a pivotal role in developing short and long-term plans that will help Hudson Valley communities get back on their feet.
Senator Carlucci will also tour those communities hardest hit by the storm and hold hearings in both affected areas across the New York metropolitan region. The Task Force is responsible for identifying areas most in need of recovery assistance, reviewing rebuilding and storm planning policies that will remove roadblocks and ensure better storm-preparedness, and develop legislative solutions to the forthcoming recommendations made by the NYS 2100 Commission, the NYS Respond Commission, and the NYS Ready Commission established by Governor Cuomo.
“The creation of a Senate Bipartisan Task Force in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy is an important step forward in helping to rebuild the lives of all New Yorkers affected by the storm," said Senator Carlucci. "It is critical that my Senate colleagues and I hear directly from residents who were impacted throughout the Hudson Valley. By putting the politics aside and through our Senate hearings, we will be able to determine how we can provide the right tools and resources to rebuild a stronger New York.”
Ten members will comprise of the Task Force, including New York State Senators Dean G. Skelos (R-Nassau), Sen. Jeffrey D. Klein (D-Bronx/Westchester), Sen. Andrew Lanza (R-Staten Island), Sen. Malcolm Smith (D-Queens), Sen. Martin Golden (R-Brooklyn), Sen. Joseph Addabbo Jr (D-Queens)., Sen. Jack Martins (R-Nassau), Sen. Diane Savino (D-Staten Island), Sen. Charles Fuschillo (R-Nassau), and others.
Carlucci is at most qualified to help clear debris from lawns, but I'm not even sure he knows how to operate any actual equipment associated with this task since he's lived with his parents most of his "adult" life.