Governor's Budget Charts Course For Success

Governor Andrew Cuomo’s 2011-2012 Executive Budget lays out a plan to put Albany’s fiscal house in order by reducing all funds spending by 2.7 percent and restructuring state government. Not since Governor Pataki’s first spending plan has an Executive Budget attempted to reduce so much wasteful spending.  I commend the governor for proposing to change the way Albany funds programs like Medicaid while also streamlining and modernizing New York’s agencies and authorities.   

The governor’s budget also puts forth a vision to curb the spending addiction that is driving up taxes to record highs.  We must combine these fiscal reforms with pension reform, mandate relief and a property tax cap.  As always, the devil is in the details. Now the Long Island delegation must delve into these details and assure that the cuts to our region’s schools and hospitals are shared by similar facilities throughout the state.

Now, the legislature must act to help move New York in the right direction.  On March 4, I will join my Assembly Republican colleagues to hold our first Long Island Budget and Mandate Relief hearing in Hauppauge.

I want to hear from you. Albany’s special interests must not be allowed to hijack reform. Local residents must add their voice and work with us to craft a finalized state budget that reduces spending and reforms state government while avoiding tax hikes and borrowing.  The governor has laid out his plan – it is now up to the legislature to make sure that the final version is acceptable to the people who pay the bills.

It has always been my hope that by providing tax relief and fiscal responsibility we can bolster New York’s ability to attract, maintain and promote business development and job creation on Long Island. This budget proposal seeks to invest more in the private-sector economy and less in wasteful government.  By doing so, New Yorkers will be able to transform state government and lay the foundation for a vibrant 21st-century economy.

Jim Conte
Member of the Assembly
10th District