Meet Sean Cooney, Candidate for the NY Senate, 58th District

PinkBFLO meet with Sean Cooney to discuss his candidacy for the New York State Senate.

Background:

Throwing his hat into the ring, Sean Cooney is a young, bright minded, knowledgeable individual that will undoubtedly give Senator Stachowski a run for his money (which we hope will dry up). A native of Canandaigua, NY (since he was 1 or 2), Cooney spent much of his life receiving a Jesuit education. He attended a Jesuit high school in Rochester, later went to college at St. Louis University, another Jesuit school, and attended law school at the University at Buffalo.

Almost immediately after arriving in Buffalo, Cooney became involved in local politics, promoting progressive candidates like Maria Whyte. Since graduating he has stayed active in politics and worked full time for the law office of Cantor, Lukasik, Dolce & Panepinto.

Top Priorities:

His number one priority is bringing economic development to the region, combined with greater accountability for the economic stimulus we currently dole out. Cooney highlighted waste in the current system as a great impediment to the state’s potential benefit in incentivizing private businesses with taxpayer dollars. As it is now, little guarantees are required from the corporations that receive large sums of money or tax breaks. Cooney would like the state to demand some minimum returns, such as “x” number of jobs, ensuring green space, and/or providing access to/for individuals (waterfront development).

Accountability is a running theme for the Cooney campaign. On top of greater transparency and oversight in the way the state spends taxpayer dollars, Cooney wants to see reform in the way Albany operates. He has taken note of organizations and institutions like the Brenan Center, which declared the New York State legislature to be the worst in the country. His fix would employ a variety of methods such as new procedural measures, and perhaps more importantly, a call for a constitutional convention. Such a meeting would allow state senators to call for term limits, which Cooney supports, change the gerrymandered fraught districting, and a host of other issues.

Cooney also see’s great strengthen and potential in Buffalo’s waterfront. Developing the waterfront, in Cooney’s eyes, will create jobs and bring much needed economic activity to WNY.

LGBT Issues:

As an LGBT proponent, Sean Cooney has spoken out on a number of issues important to the community. He’s attended LGBT rallies, meetings, events, testified at public hearings, etc. (seriously I’ve seen him at them, he even stays the whole time and talks to people – crazy right?). What’s great about Sean’s support for the community is that it’s not new. In college he was a member of the Human Rights Campaign (I’m not even a dues paying member; shame on me). Admittedly, he allowed his membership to lapse, but he’s recently rejoined. It’s nice to know that even when he wasn’t thinking about being a candidate for the New York State Senate he understood the importance of publicly standing up for equal rights.

Another LGBT issue Cooney is proud of is fighting for domestic partnership rights for city employees. That measure was recently passed by the City of Buffalo. Cooney would like to see the same bill passed by the Erie County Legislature.

When we discussed why New York State has not passed more LGBT reforms more quickly, and why bills like the Dignity for Students Act, that would aide schools in stopping bullying of LGBT youth, have not been debated, Cooney said it was because we’ve set up a “transactional system of legislating.”  The three men in a room approach, a favorite of Albany’s, is the main obstacle in passing most meaningful reform, both LGBT reforms and political reforms. Currently, a member would have “to go to the leader of their house and have some quid pro quo…so no one is prioritizing [the Dignity for Students Act],” Conney said.

To recap, Cooney:

-       supports marriage equality

-       supports the Gender Expression Non-discrimination Act (and the federal government’s ENDA bill)

-       supports the Dignity for Students Act

-       supports general legislation advancing protections and equality

Budget Crisis:

“As a general rule we should never try to fix our budget problems on the backs of students, poor people, and the sick,” Cooney said. He very concerned of making cuts that will, in the long run, set the state “further back.”

Cooney brings a fresh face to the process and is focused on issues that will bring economic prosperity to the area, a concern for every community in the WNY. We look forward to following this campaign.

You can support Sean Cooney by attending his upcoming fundraiser.