We've had some discussion on The Batavian about "where are the local Democrats on the state budget." I've made at least one similar statement, and it's also come up in comments.
As part of an e-mail exchange today with Genesee County Democratic Chair Lorie Longhany, I asked Lorie for her statement on the budget. Below is her statement, but she also said her teaching duties have been pretty full the past week or so.
Here's her statement:
While the budget has been controversial and has been the subject of much criticism, what needs to be considered is the unprecedented fiscal crisis that New York is facing.
The budget closes the largest spending gap in state history -- 17.7 billion, 12 billion including the stimulus. It includes 6.5 billion in spending cuts, nearly twice the amount of cuts as any governor from either party has ever proposed.
From the budget itself on the STAR rebate: The Enacted Budget eliminates the STAR rebate program as well as the corresponding enhanced NYC STAR tax credit, producing savings of $1.5 billion in 2009-10. Even after this action, the STAR exemption program and NYC STAR credit will continue to provide $3.3 billion in property tax relief.
Additionally, the Executive Budget proposal to decrease the “floor” reduction – the maximum reduction in STAR benefits that can occur as a result of changes in assessed value or market value –from 18 percent to 11 percent is not included in the Enacted Budget.
Cuts to health care waste and inefficiency, reforming the Rockefeller Drug Laws, the bottle bill and a temporary increase in personal income tax that progressively targets those making over $300,000 + help to reduce the gap. The increase in spending is the result of stimulus money that will be redistributed throughout the state for infrastructure and job creation.
The budget is painful and not perfect, with some targeted cuts that I personally didn't agree with, but the situation that led us to this place culminated long before Governor Paterson and the newly elected Senate Democrats took over. Tough times call for shared sacrifice and shared solutions.
Now is the time for New Yorkers to come together and find viable solutions, not waste time with talk of division and secession. Bringing high speed rail to fruition and creating a linkage between our upstate agri-businesses and downstate markets can bridge the divide and help both areas of the state to connect and flourish.
Sounds to me like the
Sounds to me like the Dumbocrats are following Emperor Nero Magoo's lead and burning NY to the ground.
Seriously, in a time when people are hurting for money, taking more away from them is just dumb.
But who can be surprised.
So, "Now is the time for New
So, "Now is the time for New Yorkers to come together"? Why is that? Because the Democrats are in charge of this mess. Of course, we wouldn't come together if Republicans had control of any part of the process - would we?
How about we reform the entire process by eliminating the three NY city Democrats in a room making these decisions for the entire state. By the way - the process would stink if it were three upstate Republicans in that room as well. Not much of a form of representative government if you ask me!
No doubt reform is necessary,
No doubt reform is necessary, although I don't see any solution in the proposed package by Governor Patterson. How is it possible to recover when the governor wants to tax New Yorkers so heavily that the only solution being sought is small business owners having to close their doors, and everyone hitting the road for residence somewhere else. Why not cut back on the pork barrel spending, or enact stricter guidelines for the welfare system? Speaking of welfare, the governor wants to increase this by 31%, that is insane! How many people are we supposed to support?
Let's see how many people
Let's see how many people remember all this in the next election.