Today, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) released the following statement on how the historic federal relief he has delivered for New York has led to New York receiving more back from Washington than the state has sent in taxes, according to the NYS Comptroller. 

This is the third year in a row that New York has had a positive balance of payments, after a long history of facing the opposite and sending more to Washington than it received:

“For decades and decades, New York State paid more to the federal government in taxes than we got back. My mentor, the late Senator Moynihan always decried this imbalance. But now for the third year in a row, thanks to the historic federal investments I passed — especially from the American Rescue Plan— New York is getting back more from the feds than it paid in taxes,” said Senator Schumer. 

“When I became majority leader, I vowed to fight this imbalance, and I am proud I secured billions in relief and investments for New York. And after I led the effort to pass into law the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Law, my CHIPS and Science bill, and the Inflation Reduction Act, more federal investment will be headed to New York, something I’ll continue to fight for. It’s never been more clear: it pays to have the Senate majority leader from New York.”

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R, C - Batavia) recently criticized Gov. Hochul’s proposed cuts to local roads and bridges in her 2024-25 Executive Budget proposal. 

Hawley is joined by his Republican colleagues in the Senate and Assembly in his opposition to Hochul’s proposed $60 million cut for the Consolidated Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS), the state’s main source of funding for repair and maintenance of local roads, bridges, and culverts. 

For local communities, taxpayers, and motorists, CHIPS is essential to maintaining safe road conditions and using tax dollars as efficiently as possible. The group also criticized Hochul for failing to be fair and partial in her priorities for upstate and downstate infrastructure. 

Hawley and his colleagues are calling on the governor to restore the $60 million cut to CHIPS base aid and increase the CHIPS base funding level by $200 million to a total of $798.1 million.

Since 2013, Assemblyman Hawley has worked closely with local transportation advocates on the “Local Roads Are Essential” advocacy campaign. The campaign is sponsored by the New York State County Highway Superintendents Association (NYSCHSA) and the New York State Association of Town Superintendents of Highways, Inc. (NYSAOTSOH) and brings hundreds of advocates to Albany each year to support local infrastructure. Hawley will also be meeting with local County, Town and Village Highway Superintendents on Friday, Feb 23rd to discuss these proposed cuts. Hawley hopes this initiative will bring meaningful change and provide much-needed funding for local roads and bridges.

“The proposed cuts to funding for local roads and bridges shows a complete lack of understanding of basic economics,” said Hawley. “While the price to pave, maintain and upkeep infrastructure is rising, localities are not given the funding they need year after year. The Majority’s politically driven spending is now burdening upstate communities with less aid for schools and now unreasonable cuts for their roads and bridges all to make an impossible attempt to balance an already bloated budget. Prosperity for New Yorkers begins at the local level. If the governor wants to reverse the trend of record-high outmigration, that starts with taking care of local infrastructure instead of turning a blind eye to the needs of upstate communities.”

 BATAVIA, NY…The Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council is pleased to announced that it has received confirmation of funding from the New York State Council on the Arts for the 2011 Decentralization Regrant Program, administered in Genesee and Orleans Counties by GO ART!.  A sincere thank you to our local legislators who fought for the arts during this difficult economic time. 

 GO ART! is honored to have been awarded $35,270 to regrant in Genesee and Orleans Counties as the “regular” Decentralization Program, locally known as the Reach Grant Program.  Reach Grants are available to all nonprofit organizations, individual artists and local government agencies in Genesee and Orleans Counties for community arts and cultural projects taking place in 2011.  Grants range from $400 to $5,000 through this program with the goal to extend, upgrade and increase the arts and cultural programming in our communities, determined through a local decision-making process.  The final deadline for Reach Grant applications is Tuesday, October 26^th.  This is a postmark deadline.

In addition, GO ART! is proud to again be able to offer two Ripple Grants this year at $2,000 each. The Ripple Grant program funds individual artists in Genesee and Orleans Counties to initiate and create new projects that in some way reflect community life / culture or engage a local community in the work of the artist.  The final deadline is Tuesday, October 19^th.  This is also a postmark deadline.

Those interested in applying must fill out an Intent to Apply form by September 20, 2010.  Information regarding both grant categories is available on the GO ART! web site at www.goart.org; click on the “Grants” tab at the top of the page.  Application forms, guidelines and instructions may be downloaded directly from the site. 

The Decentralization Regrant Program is funded by the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency, and administered in Genesee and Orleans Counties by the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council.