(Binding Arbitration) Dear Governor Pataki, I am a Deputy Sheriff with the St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department. I am writing to you concerning the Binding Arbitration bill awaiting your signature. This bill is very important to all Deputies in the state, for this will provide the members of the Sheriff’s Departments with the same protection afforded to all other POLICE officers in the state. Deputy Sheriff’s are Police officers by definition of the Criminal Procedure Law and should not be discriminated against just because we are Deputies. Deputy Sheriff’s perform the same job as any municipal or state police officer only at the county level and we should receive the same treatment under the law as we do in the eyes of the law. This is not about money, it is about discrimination and not being treated fairly by our government. While other departments go to binding arbitration when they can not settle a contract with their respective local governments the Deputies are forced to accept what is given them with no recourse. Consider Deputies a race of people being discriminated against, accept we cannot protest the oppression, we must work and hope that someday we to can be treated with the same respect as the rest of or brother POLICE officers. Please do not leave this bill unsigned in hopes that our county governments will allow us this protection and pass their own laws providing Deputies with equal rights, for that will not happen. If the African American’s civil rights had been left in the hands of bigots and racists do you think they would have equal protection under the law? Sincerely, Concerned Deputy