“I’m not answering any of The Post’s questions,” Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie announced this week when he ignored a question from our Albany chief, Zach Williams. It seems the speaker is offended by an editorial that blames him, by name, for increasing murders of and by urban teens thanks to the Raise the Age bill.
Boohoo. We haven’t seen a top politician become so insignificant since Bill de Blasio pulled a similar stunt. You’re in good company, Carl.
As Heastie knows all too well, our reporters are not responsible for editorials, let alone headlines. And if he has a problem, he knows who to call to complain.
And no, that’s not Heastie single handedly responsible for Raise the Age: It passed both chambers of the legislature, and then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo drew it.
But the speaker was a major force in passing it on and has defended it so assiduously that it is perfectly fair to treat him as its owner.
Indeed, he becomes passionate about it: the science, he argues, shows that teenage male brains are not yet fully developed; guys literally lack the adult capacity for self-control, so subjecting them to adult punishment is just plain wrong.
Most guys anyway doing learn enough self-control to stay out of trouble. But increase the age she pushes in.
It sends virtually all defendants to family court, where they sit down with juice and cookies (literal) before being sent home with perhaps some follow up from a social worker.
The clear lesson: antisocial actions have no real consequences, even if you get caught – until you actually kill. How the hell are you, sir Which the way to deal with “undeveloped brain”?
In addition, gangs led by much older men abuse the boys’ immunity and recruit them as armor bearers and armor bearers. Was that what you intended, Carl?
Again: teenage murders and manslaughter victims, have doubled in the city since RTA went into full effect. Law enforcement officials across the state are seeing the cause and effect. Albany District Attorney David Soares would be thrilled to walk the speaker through – if Heastie deigned to listen.
But the speaker won’t confirm each of the voices warning that RTA is outraged disaster for the children he says he cares about so much. Even though the 47th Precinct, right in his precinct, is one of six that accounts for more than a quarter of all shootings in the city.
Forgive us, Mr. Speaker, if our frustration with your blockade produced a headline that you find disrespectful. But we have our own children on the street; we can’t feel very guilty about getting personal when you show every sign that you don’t care about their safety.
