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The Daily Mail Copyright 2022, Columbia-Greene Media Volume 230, No. 86
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TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2022
Attorney sues to toss Assembly maps By Ted Remsnyder Columbia-Greene Media
NEW BALTIMORE — Attorney and child victims advocate Gary Greenberg is set to file a lawsuit in New York State Supreme Court in Steuben County on Tuesday asking the court to throw out state Assembly district maps drawn by the state Legislature. The suit is set to be filed six days after the State Court of Appeals ruled that congressional and state Senate maps drawn by the Democraticcontrolled state Legislature are
unconstitutional. In the April 27 ruling, Chief Judge Janet DiFiore wrote in a footnote that the court could not throw out the state Assembly maps, despite their “procedural infirmity,” as the original case did not challenge the state Assembly maps. Greenberg, who ran for the state Senate as a Democrat in 2020, will challenge the maps in a case where he will be the sole plaintiff. “I’m a voter and a citizen in the state and I’m tired of the corruption that goes on in Albany,”
Greenberg said Monday. “The legislature and the governor were supposed to set new redistricting every 10 years and do it by the constitution, which was changed back in 2014 after the voters decided that they wanted more input in the districts. This was totally ignored. “What came out of the process of the Senate and the Assembly and what the governor signed were unconstitutional, gerrymandered maps. It went to court and the highest court in New York state threw the state Senate and congressional maps
out. But no one had asked for the Assembly seats, but the appeals court stated in a footnote that if they were asked they would have thrown out the Assembly maps because the same process was used with the illegality of the other two maps.” In 2014, New York voters passed the New York Redistricting Commission Amendment proposal, which created a redistricting commission to draw up congressional, state Senate and state Assembly districts. See SUES A8
FILE PHOTO
New Baltimore attorney Gary Greenberg is set to file a lawsuit in state court on Tuesday challenging the New York State Assembly maps drawn by the State Legislature.
By Ted Remsnyder Columbia-Greene Media
3 deaths push Greene COVID toll to 129
CATSKILL — Greene County confirmed three new deaths related to COVID-19 on April 29, representing the highest one-day total in the county since three deaths were recorded on Nov. 29. On April 28, the county recorded its 126th death tied to COVID, as an unidentified male in his mid-90s died. The man was vaccinated at the time of his death but also had underlying issues. On Friday, the county announced three additional deaths related to the virus, with a trio of unidentified men passing away in the hospital due to COVID-related illness. Two of the men were in their mid-80s, with one man in his mid-70s at the time of his death. All three had received at least two COVID vaccine shots at the time of their death. The latest round of virus deaths continued a trend in the county that has seen COVID claim the lives of mainly elderly residents. “I think the issue is are they passing away because of COVID or are they passing away with COVID?” Greene County See COVID A8
FILE PHOTO
Greene County confirmed three deaths related to COVID-19 on April 29, the highest one-day total in the county in five months.
Officials: Real estate boom drives soaring rents By Maura Rosner Columbia-Greene Media
JUAN FIGUEROA/TNS
High demand, no availability.
The cost to rent an apartment in Greene and Columbia counties is skyrocketing and government leaders said Monday they believe it is because of the recent boom in real estate. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s estimates for population and components of change, Greene County saw a 1.19% increase from April of 2020 to July of 2021. Greene County was second to Sullivan County in population growth, following the pandemic’s exodus from New York City and the surrounding metro area. It is estimated that 48,499 people now live in Greene County. The Census Bureau estimates that 568 individuals have relocated to Greene County, but how this has affected the problematic housing needs in the area is up for debate. “My No. 1 goal is to create more
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affordable housing,” Mayor Kamal Johnson of Hudson said Monday. “Citizens contact my office daily inquiring about affordable housing and there is nothing available. Workingclass and local people are being displaced to the outskirts. Long-term Greene and Columbia county residents have been forced to relocate to cities like Albany and Troy.” The Census Bureau’s median gross rent estimates are based on 2020 data. In 2020, the median gross rent in Hudson was $924, Albany $992. Catskill (town and village combined) had a median gross rent of $925. The real estate market indicates significant increases to these numbers. Rent prices in Albany are up between 2% and 7%. Catskill rent prices are up between 6% and 23%. “Real estate has ballooned over the See RENTS A8
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