Thiele: Fed aid critical to surviving pandemic: Government services devastated

Assemblyman Fred Thiele Jr. (I-Sag Harbor) is calling on Congress and the state’s Washington delegation to provide “fair and adequate funding” for state and local governments to meet the demands imposed on them by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“State and local governments have been on the front lines assuming the tremendous cost of combating the virus,” Mr. Thiele said. They are “reeling from the financial devastation of the virus and are experiencing severe losses in revenue, he said.

As chairman of the Assembly’s Local Governments Committee, he pledged to fight for funding he said is vital to providing municipal services on which taxpayers depend, Mr. Thiele said.

“Not providing aid to municipalities means that the government is neglecting to aid our first responders, police, fire services and teachers, and is risking widespread layoffs and the halting of these critical services,” he said.

Federal assistance is “absolutely vital to maintaining essential programs,” Mr. Thiele said. Without the aid, the state faces “catastrophic budget cuts,” he warned.

“We must ensure that local governments are equipped with the necessary resources to continue to combat COVID-19, mitigate its long-term impacts and protect the health and safety of our citizens,” the legislator said.