Cat Robinson is the Democratic candidate for the 10th district in the Broome County Legislature. Previously she worked for 20 years in the mortgage and lending industry and ran her own business.
What are the biggest concerns you have with your district and how do you plan to approach them?
“One of my biggest concerns is the failure of our infrastructure. It’s fairly typical in extreme inclement weather to expect a power outage. In district 10, every time there is the slightest weather change, it seems that we are sitting in the dark. Many of our citizens are seniors and elderly folks, who are deeply affected by these power outages, be they an hour long or several days. I’d like to take a look at our infrastructure, especially the power grid, and make sure the funds available to us in district 10 are being properly appropriated, and that we are spending wisely.”
How do you plan to engage with members of your community and address some of their concerns? More specifically, how do you plan to do this for Binghamton University students?
“The best way we can do this is to communicate and listen. I find so many politicians in office for their own political or financial gains. I intend to approach this office, should I be victorious, with the same care, compassion, communication, dignity and honesty with which I have approached my entire life. We cannot improve the lives of our voters, if we do not generally care about them. Our youngest citizens are our greatest hope. The best we can do is let them know that someone is listening and someone cares, and I would take your concerns and turn them into action whenever possible. I also don’t make promises I can’t keep. It’s not fair to anybody to do that. I will listen, communicate and take concerns back to the legislature. That is how we affect change, for everyone.”
What do you believe has the highest priority when allocating funds from the county budget?
“Giving someone the opportunity to put down roots is the way we make our community stronger. That is why one of my platforms is affordable housing. Are we investing in our communities by giving people the opportunity to live there? We need to have affordable housing, both in a rental situation and in a purchase situation. As someone in the real estate community every day, I see the shortage of housing. One of my platforms is not only senior housing, but affordable housing for all citizens of district 10 and Broome County. Although I am new to the political field, I’ve spoken often about retention of our [area’s] students, and the way we do that is to first provide them with affordable housing. If someone plans to live here once they complete their university studies, where do they live? The first question we have to ask ourselves is, where do they live? I also love our thriving all [sic] arts and cultural community. I’d like to see a continued investment in art and culture. Once we get folks settled into affordable housing, let’s give them something to do, something amazing, something enjoyable. LUMA is a prime example.”
Many students and community members are concerned about the increasing prices of housing in the area as well as many reported infractions made by landlords. How do you plan to address this?
“As someone deemed ‘the problem solver’ in a local real estate office, I have spoken often with code enforcement officers, and requested many [Freedom of Information Law (FOILs)] and read through pages and pages of violations. The real problem is the difficulty in forcing someone to comply. Some of the FOIL results I have read contain violations that are years old. These violations are still there. I know absentee landlords only exacerbate the problem. That is not something I can tackle alone, but it is something that we need to look at at all levels of local government. I think there needs to be a greater commitment to enforcing these laws and getting commitments from the property owners to correct violations. As far as the rising cost of housing, to a degree this is inevitable. That said, a shortage of housing during the pandemic and post-pandemic has driven purchase prices to an all-time high. As with real estate as a whole, this is cyclical. The cycle is already starting to correct itself, and I believe that in some cases housing prices will come down. That said, we also have to look at rental costs. It’s not so much the cost of renting a home or apartment, but the wage disparity that makes it almost impossible to do so. Housing prices are high, and wages have not increased to meet that. I am not sure the effect I can have on that at the local level, but if there is something I can do to help close that gap, I certainly will do it.”
What do you offer the students and youth of Broome County and why should they vote for you?
“I bring a fresh perspective. I have never been in a political office, and frankly I never believed that I would until I woke the day after Election Day in 2016. I won’t give you the elevator speech. Let me tell you about Cat — the human being. I’ve lived many years as a vegan, with a real focus on climate change, and each individual’s impact on our Mother Earth. I’ve spoken frequently with like-minded individuals about what the world looks like when we pass the baton to a younger generation. I have a real commitment to improving the world we leave for the next generation and the generation after that, and all generations to come. And that’s not politics. That’s just being human.”