State lawmakers resume effort to get Donald Trump's name off state park in Westchester County
YORKTOWN HEIGHTS, N.Y. -- Donald Trump's current legal woes have spawned another attempt to take his name off a Hudson Valley park.
The sponsor of the state legislation said Thursday the seventh attempt just might be the charm.
William Shakespeare once asked "What's in a name?" to which Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal responds, just about everything.
"I think it's the shame of New York that we have a state park named after a twice-impeached president who incited the insurrection at the capital on Jan. 6, that lead to the death of five officers," Hoylman-Sigal said.
And with a Manhattan grand jury considering criminal charges against the man who vowed to "Make American Great Again," Hoylman-Sigal and Assemblywoman Dana Levenberg have introduced a bill they hope will make the state park system great again.
READ MORE: New legislation proposes renaming Donald J. Trump State Park in Westchester, Putnam counties
They want to strip the name "Donald J. Trump" from a 436-acre park in the Westchester County town of Yorktown that was named after the 45th president after he donated the property to the state in 2006. It would also mean removing the Trump signs on the Taconic State Parkway as well.
"It couldn't be soon enough. The dishonor, the stain, the embarrassment of having a park that is under the care of New York State named after this president is too much to bear, I think, for most New Yorkers," Hoylman-Sigal said.
Some residents, though, still like the name Trump.
"I think they're wrong. They shouldn't do it. Bad idea to change it," said John West of Yorktown Heights, adding, "Because the man took his own time and money to donate this park to New York State."
"I think he earned the right to have the name on the park," another person said.
But others say the Trump name should go the way of his brand that was removed form all those buildings along the Hudson River on the West Side.
"Yeah, take it off, because he's incompetent and he's horrible. He's a horrible individual. He lies. I mean, he's completely nuts," one person said.
"Very good idea," added Richard Elkind. "He's a criminal, I believe. I would have taken it off a long time ago."
"I don't think it should be advertised on the street," a man named Peter said, adding when asked if the name should be taken off, "Yes, definitely."
When asked if the park should be named for somebody else, one man responded, "Park Mike. That's my name."
So who should you name the park after? Here's an idea. How about naming it after former Gov. Mario Cuomo? That way you can take his name off the Tappan Zee Bridge and make people in two localities really happy."
The move came as the state Senate passed another Trump bill -- the "No Citizen is Above the Law Act." It would stop the clock on the statute of limitations for criminal and civil prosecutions for anyone serving as president.
A spokesman for the state Parks Department said it would have no comment on the renaming legislation.
