Standing in the corner to my left, at not even one full term, we have Governor David Paterson. To my right, standing at 212 members strong (or so they say), we have the New York State legislature. We’re in the 16th round (although there’s only 12 in professional boxing, that’s how many WEEKS late the [...]
Assemblyman Canestrari stated that he thought a budget wouldn’t get done until June at the earliest, saying he thought the Assembly, Senate and the Governor are too far apart – not only on spending cuts but also on increased taxes/fees and borrowing. That means we’ll see another series of budget extenders next week so that our government can continue to function. But will it?
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.
I was asked to support Lt. Gov. Ravitch’s plan to fix the state’s fiscal problems, but given the state’s history of budget shell games and uncontrolled spending, I’m just not comfortable with provisions in it that call for up to $2 billion more borrowing each year for the next three years.
As we progress through the legislative session, Unshackle Upstate will be taking positions in support of or opposed to legislation that is presented for consideration. Many of our positions will appear on the Scorecard that we will use to recommend to all of you who should and should not return to Albany. This is another [...]
The mood in the state Capitol seems refreshingly a bit different, yet disturbingly all too the same.
Elected officials do recognize the seriousness of the state’s financial situation, but don’t seem ready or willing to take action that will result in lasting change.
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.
