Michael Parietti

Mike Parietti seeks Democratic Nomination for Congress in the 17th District

Michael Parietti
Michael Parietti


“After much reflection, I have decided to seek the 2022 Democratic
Nomination for Congress in the newly drawn 17th Congressional District.
The new 17th district will now include all of Rockland County, all of
Sullivan County, and large parts of Orange and Westchester as well. It has
a very different geography than before, with an entirely new political
center of gravity, and its very own set of pressing priorities.

If elected, I will seek common sense, practical, solutions to the most
important problems we face, and reach out to lawmakers from all walks of life to share dialogue, build consensus, and effect positive change. My top priorities, among many, will be tax relief for homeowners and senior citizens, protecting and improving our public-school systems, and the overhaul of RLUIPA, aka the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act.
RLUIPA is a federal law that was passed in 2000, with little or no public debate. It has been misinterpreted by the courts and abused by developers and religious groups throughout the Hudson Valley to advance high-density housing and other forms of land use that controvert legally enacted zoning statutes. This is often done by bludgeoning municipalities small and large into submission with the threat of lawsuits that entail massive legal costs. The bottom line here is that RLIUPA is being used in ways that were never originally intended.”

Michael Parietti