Politicians Feuding on Social Media in Western New York

What should have been a normal weekend in Western New York turned into a rather weird one when several local politicians got into an X (formerly known as Twitter) spat in regard to Erie County's policy surrounding who is allowed to be out on the roads if there is a travel ban instituted.

On Friday, December 15, 2023, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz announced the process that Erie County would undertake to determine exactly who is considered Essential Personnel when there is a weather-related State of Emergency in effect.

Buffalo and Western New York learned a very terrible lesson about who should and should not be out on the streets during a weather emergency just about a year ago when dozens of Buffalonians died in the Buffalo Blizzard of 2022.

Read More: Are You An Essential Worker In Erie County, New York?

Strife in the area after the announcement of this policy blew up on social media after Poloncarz posted this tweet.

While it's clear that the County Executive was being sarcastic with his post, to make a statement (sarcastically) suggesting people not to call for emergency help when dozens of people died when the county was not able to provide emergency services is in poor taste.

Read More: Can Your Job Force You To Work During A Driving Ban In New York?

Once that tweet was posted, it didn't take long for trolls, detractors, and everyday Western New Yorkers to chime in on the statement. That, of course, includes the Republican Party in Erie County, NY, who subsequently posted this tweet in response.

All of this online feuding is just a prime example of how toxic our politics have become over the last few years.

Ultimately, we all do not want to see a repeat of what happened a year ago. Hopefully, we can come together to figure out the best way to do it.

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