SENATE GOP PROPOSES BILLIONS
IN NEW SPENDING
IN NEW SPENDING
AS MAJORITY ADOPTS
DIFFICULT BUT RESPONSIBLE BUDGET
Aubertine and Valesky Speak Out Against Further Increases in Spending
(Albany, NY) Seventeen hostile amendments proposed by Senate Republicans would increase spending and put New York State in an $8 billion hole, all while violating their own proposed constitutional amendment.
The amendments would increase spending by more than $2.2 billion and leave the state short on revenue by close to $6 billion. Simultaneously, the minority conference proposed a constitutional amendment that would implement a spending cap over inflation, which would be violated by their other amendments. In fact, 20 of the last 27 spending plans passed when the Republican majority when they controlled the Senate would also have violated their amendment.
Republican proponents of such spending practices fail to recognize that the State is grappling with more than a $17 billion budget deficit. It was not indicated in any of their 17 hostile amendments how any of these budgetary increases would be paid for and suggestions on the Senate floor have centered on accounts that are unfunded and sections of law that either do not exist or have expired.
“These proposals that Senate Republicans have introduced are irresponsible political posturing. Perhaps they are unaware that we are in the midst of the one of the greatest economic crisis in modern history,” said Senator David J. Valesky (D-Oneida). “It’s a shame that at this time of necessary fiscal prudence, wherein every dollar spent must have a benefit to the taxpayer, some don’t seem to understand the direness of the time’s were in. We closed a $17 billion dollar budget gap that was growing by the day and are passing a budget that will produce 86,000 new jobs, more than half of which can be Upstate. But instead of joining us to make this budget better, Senate Republicans unanimously worked to make this budget bigger.”
The amendments would increase spending by more than $2.2 billion and leave the state short on revenue by close to $6 billion. Simultaneously, the minority conference proposed a constitutional amendment that would implement a spending cap over inflation, which would be violated by their other amendments. In fact, 20 of the last 27 spending plans passed when the Republican majority when they controlled the Senate would also have violated their amendment.
Republican proponents of such spending practices fail to recognize that the State is grappling with more than a $17 billion budget deficit. It was not indicated in any of their 17 hostile amendments how any of these budgetary increases would be paid for and suggestions on the Senate floor have centered on accounts that are unfunded and sections of law that either do not exist or have expired.
“These proposals that Senate Republicans have introduced are irresponsible political posturing. Perhaps they are unaware that we are in the midst of the one of the greatest economic crisis in modern history,” said Senator David J. Valesky (D-Oneida). “It’s a shame that at this time of necessary fiscal prudence, wherein every dollar spent must have a benefit to the taxpayer, some don’t seem to understand the direness of the time’s were in. We closed a $17 billion dollar budget gap that was growing by the day and are passing a budget that will produce 86,000 new jobs, more than half of which can be Upstate. But instead of joining us to make this budget better, Senate Republicans unanimously worked to make this budget bigger.”
