A late state budget is better than a bad one, but Unshackle Upstate worries we might get both. Let’s work the lateness to our favor: You still have a chance to voice your concerns about the budget and make sure our elected officials hear them.
A new week dawns in Albany, but don’t expect the state Legislature – just back from a 10-day break – to agree to a 2010-11 budget anytime during these next seven days. The budget was due April 1.
What New York needs now, more than anything else, is a leader. Someone who is willing to tell their “leadership” that more spending, more taxes, and more debt is wrong and they won’t support it. Someone who understands we have suffered a crushing tax burden for decades and that it needs to be lowered.
The Governor introduced a program bill that would both cap state spending and put in a property tax cap. That sounds like a great idea, but there are two flaws. The first: the Governor has proposed a cap on current spending, which we would argue is already far too high. That’s why we proposed that state spending be reduced to $109B by 2015. The second issue is that his property tax cap is based at 4% or 120% of the consumer price index (CPI). While 4% is predictable, it is, like the state spending cap, simply too high. We cannot continue to keep spending and taxes high.
You remember the jingle… “I’m just a bill, yes I’m only a bill. And I’m sitting here on Capital Hill…” It explained that a bill is drafted and then referred to a committee. Committee members debate, receive public input, consider amendments and if the bill receives enough votes to pass the committee, it goes to the full chamber for all members to consider. The cartoon pointed out that democracy is founded upon elected representatives openly introducing, debating, and amending legislation, and seriously considering input from the public and experts.
New York state residents must speak up fearlessly if they are to bring effective change to state government.
This is an important week for Unshackle Upstate and for you. We’ll be announcing two big projects later this week. These projects will allow us to get you more information and turn up the heat on elected officials that aren’t taking us seriously. We look forward to being able to share those plans with you on Friday.
Last night, more than 100 upstate leaders gathered in Albany for a rally. The conversations made one thing clear. We are unified in our call for change at the Capital. Elected officials need to represent us.
It’s Monday morning and I’m on my way to Albany to testify at the state Legislature’s Joint Budget Hearing on Taxes. I’m planning to tell the Legislature that new taxes and fees to close the budget gap are simply unacceptable and spending is just too high. I’ll also be armed with $12 billion in suggested cuts that Unshackle believes will have a long-term effect of reducing state spending, to present to the Legislature.
