Cuomo: 'The Senate's Failure to Act Last Night Was Unacceptable'

New York Governor Issues Statement on Rent Regulations

"Affordable housing is an all too scarce commodity, especially in New York City and the surrounding areas. Our state's rent protection laws are essential and any long term expiration would create a crisis. Last night the State Senate -- both Democrats and Republicans -- failed to continue the laws beyond their expiration.

"We are making progress but the Senate's failure to act last night was unacceptable and a betrayal of the one million tenants living in rent protected apartments. I will not allow the legislature to go out of session and go home until tenants are protected. I am prepared to call special session to keep the legislature in place until there are rent protection laws in place."

Bill S1242: Using a Governmental Agency to Harass Individuals Would Be a Crime

Legislation Unanimously Passes the Senate 54-0

NYS Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. (D-Queens) announced the bipartisan passage of one of his pieces of legislation in the Senate (S1242), which will define the use of a governmental agency to harass another individual to fall within the crime of aggravated harassment in the second degree.

Addabbo praised his bill’s passing in the Senate, noting that he got the idea for the bill from constituents who complained to him about being harassed, without reason, by their neighbors. The bill passed the Senate unanimously (54-0) and a vote is pending in the Assembly.

“Neighbors and other members of a surrounding community should not have to live with fear of being inundated with unwarranted harassing messages and visits from governmental agencies and inspectors,” said Addabbo.

“This legislation reduces the threat of enlisting governmental agencies to seek and rectify false claims by holding those individuals liable who target others with intent to threaten and alarm.”

The Senator also mentioned that while both the city and state are facing tough economic times, neither can afford to waste money and resources on false accusations.

Examples of harassment can comprise a neighbor calling a city or state departmental agency on another individual to justify a false claim against that individual, to the placement of false complaints regarding illegal dumping of resources into a neighboring reservoir.

A person is found guilty of aggravated harassment in the second degree when that individual harasses, annoys, threatens or alarms another through physical or verbal means.

Said Addabbo, “Each unfounded claim becomes a waste of taxpayer time and money, for an inspector must invest time and effort to investigate the false claim.”

Addabbo concluded, “Should this bill become law, I plan on working with the appropriate agencies to ensure individuals are no longer subjected to misconceived threats.”

Image courtesy of www.wpclipart.com

Governor Cuomo's SAGE Commission Members Announced

Agency Expected to Completely Transform State Government and Stress Accountability

Governor Andrew Cuomo has named members of the Spending and Government Efficiency (SAGE) Commission to modernize and right-size state government, improve performance, increase accountability and save taxpayers' money.

The governor proposed SAGE in January and it was recently passed in the state budget. SAGE is the first major redesign of state government since Governor Alfred E. Smith in 1927.

Cuomo named Antonio M. Perez, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Eastman Kodak Company, to serve as Co-Chair of SAGE with Paul Francis, the Director of Agency Redesign and Efficiency.

"For decades, our state government has ballooned, evolving into the sprawling and inefficient bureaucracy we have today," Governor Cuomo said.

"It is time to consolidate the web of state agencies, authorities, and commissions that have overlapping functions and missions and to make the remaining ones perform better and more efficiently. Antonio's business acumen and experience with best practices in the private sector will help us create a leaner state government that performs better for the people of New York."

Antonio M. Perez, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Eastman Kodak Company said, "Improving the performance of state government has been one of Governor Cuomo's highest priorities, and I am honored to be part of the team that will make it a reality. Kodak began in New York, and continues to be headquartered in Rochester. We are transforming our company as we adapt to a new digital world. New York State government must also adapt to reflect current fiscal realities and take advantage of new technologies and ways of operating so that it can efficiently and effectively provide critical government services."

The Cuomo administration is working with SUNY's Rockefeller Institute, which had received a grant for this purpose from the Rockefeller Foundation, and management consultants from McKinsey & Co. to redesign state government.

"I want to thank the Rockefeller Foundation and its President Judith Rodin, as well as our own Rockefeller Institute, for their generous support of this important effort," Governor Cuomo continued.

The SAGE Commission will conduct a comprehensive review of state government including its structures, operations and processes, with the ultimate goal of saving taxpayers' money, increasing accountability and improving the delivery of government services. The Commission's final recommendations to the Governor will be delivered by June 1, 2012. Periodic progress reports will be delivered on an ongoing basis.

With the passage of the 2011-2012 budget, the state has already begun the process of consolidating a number of state agencies, including: Merging Correctional Services and Parole to create the new Department of Corrections and Community Supervision; Merging Banking and Insurance Departments to create the new Department of Financial Regulation; Merging the Foundation for Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR) into the Empire State Development Corporation

The members of Governor Cuomo's SAGE Commission list as follows:

Co-Chair Antonio M. Perez, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Eastman Kodak Company: Since 2003, Perez has led a transformation from a film-based business to one based on digital technologies. Prior to that, he served 25 years at Hewlett-Packard, where he was a corporate vice president and a member of the company's Executive Council. Perez was also President and CEO of Gemplus International, where he led the effort to take the company public. Perez also serves on President Obama's Jobs and Competitiveness Council, which is responsible for promoting economic growth and job creation in the U.S.


Michael Balboni, Principal and Senior Vice President of the Cardinal Point Strategies Government Solutions Group: Former Assemblyman and state Senator Michael Balboni is an 18-year veteran of both houses of the New York State Legislature, with extensive experience in security and law enforcement matters. In 2006, he was appointed Deputy Secretary of Public Safety, where he was responsible for homeland security affairs, emergency preparedness and response and law enforcement for New York state. In 2009, Balboni joined Cardinal Point Strategies, which advises local, county and state governments across the country in matters involving homeland security and preparedness.


Neil Cole, CEO of Iconix Brand Group, Inc.: Neil Cole has served at Iconix as Chairman of the Board and as the Chief Executive Officer and President since Iconix's public offering in February 1993. In 2001, Mr. Cole founded The Candie's Foundation, for the purpose of educating teenagers as to the risks and consequences of teen pregnancy.


Jim Corcoran, President and founder of James P. Corcoran, LLC: Jim Corcoran is the President and founder of James P. Corcoran, LLC, a private arbitration firm. He was previously a partner at Winston and Strawn and Executive Vice President of Government and Industry Relations at American General Corporation. Corcoran served in Governor Mario Cuomo's administration as the Superintendent of Insurance for the State of New York from 1983 to 1990.


Cheryl Cohen Effron, Vice Chair of Wildcat Service Corporation: Cheryl Cohen Effron's current company, Wildcat Service Corporation, was the first organization in the U.S. to design and implement a transitional work program for unemployed people with criminal convictions. Effron has also managed and developed more than 4 million square feet of space in buildings housing more than 100 small and medium-sized businesses. She has been a trustee of the Brookings Institution, the New School, the Citizens Budget Commission and New York Cares.


Cheryl A. Felice, President of the Suffolk County Association of Municipal Employees (AME): Cheryl Felice is President of the Suffolk County Association of Municipal Employees (AME), which represents over 8,500 active and over 4,000 retired Suffolk County municipal workers. Cheryl was elected to the office of President in July of 2003 and also serves as Chair of the Suffolk County Municipal Employees Benefit Fund. She was the first and only AME President to serve as Chair of the Employee Medical Health Plan of Suffolk (EMHP) covering over 20,000 members and their 27,000 dependents.


Alan Gerry, Chairman and CEO, Granite Associates, LP: Alan Gerry is chairman and CEO of Granite Associates LP, a venture capital firm focused on emerging technologies, and chairman of the Gerry Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the economic revitalization of Sullivan County, NY. A pioneering entrepreneur in the cable television industry, Mr. Gerry was the founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Cablevision Industries Corporation (CVI), one of the nation's largest privately owned cable companies. Before being sold to Time Warner in 1996, CVI operated 64 cable systems across 18 states, serving more than 1.3 million subscribers.


Barry M. Gosin, Chief Executive Officer of Newmark & Company Real Estate, Inc.: Gosin has served as a Principal of Newmark & Company Real Estate, Inc. since 1978 and serves as Senior Executive on the Leasing team for Mitsui Fudosan (New York), Newmark. He is responsible for leasing more than 30 million square feet of commercial space in some of the largest and most innovative transactions in New York City history, including the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System and KeySpan Energy. Gosin is a trustee of the Citizens Budget Commission and Pace University and has served on a variety of real estate and business-oriented boards.


Denis M. Hughes, President of the New York State AFL-CIO: Dennis Hughes has served as president of the 2.5 million member New York State AFL-CIO since 1999 and has been a union member since 1968. Major achievements under his tenure include reforming the state's workers' compensation system, enacting a minimum wage for farm workers, and coordination of labor's efforts to pass the James Zadroga 9/11 Health Care and Compensation Act. He is a current Commissioner of the New York State Insurance Fund, served on the New York State Commission on State Asset Maximization, and is a former member of the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.


Derek Q. Johnson, CEO of Integrated Holdings Corp: Derek Johnson leads Integrated Holdings Corporation, a New York Development company. Previously, Johnson was president of the Apollo Theater from 2000 to 2002, Deputy Manhattan Borough Chief from 1990 to 1997 and Vice President of Time Warner from 1994 to 2000. Johnson, an attorney, began his career in 1985 at the law firm of Barrett Smith Schapiro Simon & Armstrong.


Simone Levinson, Member of the Board of Trustees and Chair of Media and Communications of Turnaround for Children: Simone Levinson is an education reformer who serves on the Board of Trustees and as Chair of Media and Communications of Turnaround for Children, an organization that has worked with over 60 of New York City's lowest performing schools and, with a minimal investment per child, produces extraordinary, measureable improvements. A life-long New York resident, Levinson previously ran Martel Productions, her own successful event marketing firm for over 10 years.


Anthony E. Malkin, Malkin Holdings: Anthony Malkin is president of Malkin Holdings and of its affiliates, including W&H Properties. Altogether, these firms comprise the real estate acquisition, management, construction and marketing arm of the Malkin family, which has been active in real estate for four generations. Through his real estate business, Malkin has been a leader in existing building energy efficiency retrofits including a groundbreaking project at the Empire State Building.


Lillian Rodríguez López, President of the Hispanic Federation: Lillian Rodríguez López serves as President of the Hispanic Federation, a non-profit membership organization serving close to 100 Latino health and human service agencies in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania. Prior to joining the Hispanic Federation, Rodríguez López was employed at the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC), a public benefit corporation which oversees New York City's public health care system, in several capacities including Executive Assistant to the Chairman of the Board of Directors.


Kevin P. Ryan, Founder and CEO of Gilt Group: Kevin Ryan is the founder and CEO of Gilt.com, a leading Internet retailer of fashion apparel. Ryan is one of the leading Internet entrepreneurs in the United States having founded several New York-based businesses. He helped build DoubleClick from 1996 to 2005, first as President and later as CEO. He fostered DoubleClick's growth from a 20-person startup to a global leader with over 1,500 employees.


Jonathan Sandelman, Managing Partner of Mercer Park, LP: Jonathan Sandelman is the Managing Partner of Mercer Park, LP, a private investment management firm in New York City. He was previously the Chief Executive Officer, Founder, and Chief Investment Officer at Sandelman Partners, LP, a firm he founded in 2005. Sandelman was the President of the New York Office at Banc of America Securities LLC. Sandelman joined Banc of America Securities in 1998 as the Head of Equity Financial Products and took charge of the equity department in 2002. He headed the firm's debt and equities business before becoming the President.


Robert Samson, General Manager of IBM's Global Public Sector (Retired): Robert (Bob) Samson was General Manager of IBM's Global Public Sector responsible for IBM's business with governments, education, healthcare and life sciences industries. He led teams focused on helping governments transform using innovative approaches and technologies. In August 2009, Robert retired from IBM after 36 years.


Peter J. Solomon, Founder and Chairman, Peter J. Solomon Company, L.P.: Solomon founded his investment banking advisory firm in 1989. Previously, he was Vice Chairman of Lehman Brothers where he was Chairman of its Merchant Banking Division and Co-Chairman of the Investment Banking Division. Solomon was Deputy Mayor of Economic Policy and Development in New York City under Mayor Edward I. Koch. He was also Chairman of the New York City Health and Hospital Corporation, which operated 17 municipal hospitals.


Andrew J. Spano, Former Westchester County Executive: For 12 years Andrew Spano ran a county government with a $2 billion budget and 5,500 employees. During that time Westchester developed a national and international reputation as a model for the use of technology, the preservation of the environment and the efficiency of government operations. Prior to elective office, Spano worked for 25 years as a teacher, counselor, and administrator in New York City and Westchester Schools.


Max Stier, President of the Partnership for Public Service: Stier's Washington, D.C.-based organization works to inspire new talent to join federal service, from new college graduates to seasoned workers seeking encore careers. The Partnership for Public Service also works with government leaders to help transform government so that the best and brightest will enter, stay and succeed in meeting the challenges of the nation.


Robert Zimmerman, Partner and Founder of Zimmerman/Edelson Inc.: Robert Zimmerman is a partner and founder of Long Island based, Zimmerman/Edelson Inc., a leading public relations, advertising and marketing firm. He has served on the New York State Commission on Open Government and was appointed by Governor Mario Cuomo to the Long Island Economic Development Council. Additionally, he has worked for Congressmen Lester L. Wolff and James Scheuer, and as Special Assistant to the Speaker of the New York State Assembly Mel Miller.

Senator Greg Ball, Senator Liz Kruger, and Assemblywoman Jane Corwin have already been named as legislative representatives on the SAGE Commission. Assemblywoman RoAnn Destito was also named but will be replaced given her nomination as Commissioner of the Office of General Services.

'It's Unanimous!'

Courtney Burke, Commissioner of the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities

Cuomo Announces Senate Confirmation of Burke and Bearden

The New York State Senate unanimously confirmed Courtney Burke as Commissioner of the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) and Roger Bearden as Chair of the Commission on Quality of Care and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities (CQC).

OPWDD provides services, support and advocacy to approximately 126,000 individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. CQC is charged with overseeing and improving the quality of care for people with disabilities and other vulnerable persons.

"These are the right people to lead these agencies and bring the needed reforms to the care of the developmentally disabled in our community," Governor Cuomo said.

"I thank Senators McDonald, Huntley, DeFrancisco and Majority Leader Skelos for their swift confirmation of Commissioner Burke and Chairman Bearden."

"I am honored to be confirmed as Commissioner of the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities and I want to thank Governor Cuomo, Senators DeFrancisco, McDonald and Huntley, as well as the members of the Senate for the trust they have now placed with me to lead this agency," said Commissioner Burke.

"I look forward to working with stakeholders and government partners as we implement the needed reforms that will support the highest-quality services for individuals with developmental disabilities."

Chairman Bearden said, "It is an honor and privilege to be chosen to serve. I look forward to working with the Governor, the Legislature, advocates and families to ensure that New York meets its fundamental responsibility to ensure that people with disabilities receive the highest possible quality of care. I would like to thank the Governor for this nomination and Senators DeFrancisco, McDonald and Huntley for the speedy confirmation."

Roger Bearden, Chair of the Commission on Quality of Care and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities

Most recently, Courtney Burke was the Director of the Rockefeller Institute's New York State Health Policy Research Center, where she oversaw all health policy research projects at the Institute and was the project director for the Institute's recent research on county variations in Medicaid long-term care.

The Rockefeller Institute is the public policy research arm of the State University of New York. Burke previously worked for six years as the senior research scientist in the health and Medicaid studies program at the Institute. Burke's research focuses primarily on health policy issues related to Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), health reform and private insurance coverage. She also has written about nonprofit organizations' dependence on Medicaid funding and the effects of the state fiscal crises on nonprofits.

Prior to joining the Institute, Burke was employed by the New York State Office of Advocate for Persons with Disabilities for several years, including as the senior policy analyst, and by the New York State Department of Health. She was named one of The Business Review's (Capital Region) "40 Under Forty" honorees for 2010.

Bearden previously served as the Director of the Disability Law Center of the New York Lawyers for the Public Interest in New York City, where he supervised project directors and program staff and was the lead attorney on major law reform cases, including cases seeking community integration for persons with mental illness in nursing homes and adult homes.

From March to August 2009, Bearden was Chief Health Counsel to New York State Senator Thomas K. Duane, then serving as Chair of the Senate Health Committee. In that role, he led Senate staff negotiations on the Family Health Care Decisions Act, which allows family members or other surrogates to make major medical decisions for incapacitated individuals who did not previously designate a health care agent or provide instructions.

Previously, Bearden was a staff attorney with Disability Advocates, Inc., a nonprofit law firm in Albany, where he advocated and litigated on behalf of thousands of individuals with mental illness and other disabilities in some of the largest and most complex federal cases in the field. He graduated from Brown University and Harvard Law School before clerking for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

Senator Roy J. McDonald, Chair of the Senate Committee on Mental Health stated, "I look forward to working with Commissioner Courtney Burke and Commissioner Roger Bearden. I want to thank Governor Cuomo for recommending good people to work on developmental disabilities issues, which have become very significant in our society today. These are difficult and important jobs, but we will stand beside these new commissioners to help out wherever possible."

Senator Shirley L. Huntley, Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Mental Health said, "Those who are most vulnerable deserve to be treated in a compassionate and respectable manner that protects them and their rights. I truly believe that Commissioner Burke and Chairman Bearden will perform admirably in their duties. New leadership and an emphasis on accountability, transparency, and quality care will undoubtedly lead our developmental disabilities facilities and treatment systems to be one of the best in the nation. I congratulate both the Governor for these selections and the Commissioners on their confirmations."

Ann Hardiman, Executive Director of New York State Association of Community and Residential Agencies said, "I commend Governor Cuomo for his selection of Courtney Burke to serve as Commissioner for the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities. Coming from a distinguished career in working to improve health care policy, Ms. Burke is a natural choice to lead this office. Her experience in government and Medicaid policy, combined with years of advocating for persons with disabilities, gives Ms. Burke a rich background to draw upon as she leads the OPWDD."

Harvey Rosenthal, Executive Director of New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services praised the selections by noting, "The confirmation of Roger Bearden to serve as Commissioner of the CQCPAD signifies the beginning of a new era of re-energized advocacy and leadership for this vital state agency. Mr. Bearden brings a career of public service to this position, during which he has fought tirelessly on behalf of New Yorkers with psychiatric and other disabilities. I applaud Governor Cuomo for selecting Mr. Bearden; there is no doubt that the delivery and quality of healthcare services and will be significantly advanced through his leadership at the CQCPAD."

Burke photo credit and source: albany.edu

Bearden photo credit and source: rollbackcampaign.org

Addabbo: Governor Signs Bill Extending Unemployment Insurance Benefits Through 2011

Extension Will Provide Relief to 166,000 New Yorkers

NYS Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. (D-Queens), a member of the Senate’s Labor Committee who supported the measure, has informed "From The G-Man" that Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law a measure that extends federally funded unemployment insurance benefits throughout 2011.

The bill, S.3928, amends the Labor Law to allow New York to take advantage of provisions contained in the recently enacted Federal Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization and Job Creation Act of 2010 by modifying provisions concerning unemployment insurance extended benefits.

"The extension would have expired early this spring, giving people who lose their jobs up to 80 weeks of unemployment checks instead of up to 93, for people now on the unemployment rolls," said Senator Addabbo.

"Without this new law, the state would not be able to continue to pay a total of 93 weeks of benefits and would have forfeited $620 million in federal payments to the unemployed, negatively impacting approximately 166,000 New Yorkers."

Since 2009, New York State has participated in a two-year, federally funded unemployment insurance program. In December 2010, the U.S. Congress extended the federal program by an additional year. The governor’s legislation amends New York State law to allow the state to qualify for the additional third year of the program.

Under the program, benefits for all private sector and nonprofit employees are fully federally funded. This act is effective immediately and “shall be deemed to have been in full force and effect on and after February 1, 2011.”

Added Addabbo, “The unemployment rate in Queens is about 8.5 percent; it’s between 8.9-9.2 percent for New York City, and 8.7 percent for our state overall. While some reports have noted that the worst of the long recession has ended, many of my people have been seeking jobs for the past year, and for some, almost two years. The governor requested quick legislative action, which has allowed us to access federal funds to assist those on unemployment. This law will give them a safety net as they continue to pursue time-consuming and daunting efforts to re-enter the workforce.”

The senator is hopeful that future extensions of unemployment benefits would be unnecessary due to an improving economy and new jobs in the city.

"The main goal is to find people stable employment," Addabbo concluded.

Photo source: http://mindmillion.com/images/money/money-background-dollar-bills.jpg

NYS Senate Passes FY 2011-2012 Budget

New York State Senate Chamber

Addabbo: "On-Time Budget Has Tough Cuts, Required Tough Choices"

The New York State Senate has passed the FY 2011-12 Budget, which has been signed by Governor Cuomo.

"The severity of the economic challenges facing New York demanded a new direction, a new beginning to ease the burden on middle class families and lead our state back to fiscal prosperity all New Yorkers can enjoy," said New York State Senator Joseph Addabbo, Jr.

"Now that the budget is complete, we hope the spirit of bipartisanship we have seen to pass an on-time budget will continue and the promises we all made will be kept."

"Our budget made the tough cuts and tough choices for all New Yorkers, in order to find the common ground and bipartisan solutions to the crisis we all face. These were not easy choices, but neither are the choices facing families across the state. And we have to balance our checkbook like those families," Addabbo noted.

"Bottom line: we can’t spend more than we have and we can’t shift the burden to taxpayers nor can we borrow any money that adds to the deficit."

FISCAL YEAR 2011-2012 NEW YORK STATE BUDGET

GENERAL THEME: A Tough Budget for Tough Times and a Vision for the Future:

· New York State has reached a crossroads. We need good-paying jobs, smart economic development, a strong investment in vital services like education and health care, and efficient government that steers taxpayer dollars to the needs of the people.

· This was a tough budget for tough times, and so we tough choices that set the table for the kind of state government our families deserve and Albany needs.

· The severity of the economic challenges facing New York demanded a new direction, a new beginning to ease the burden on families and lead our state back to fiscal prosperity all New Yorkers can enjoy.

· As we move into the remainder of this legislative session, we must work in a bipartisan manner to pass an ethics package that restores faith in the Legislature, a nonpartisal independent redistricting process, and an extension and expansion of rent regulations to protect the tenants in our communities.

OVERALL BUDGET REVIEW

· This year’s budget is $132.5 billion and will reduce wasteful spending overall by over 2 percent from the current year.

· There are no new taxes and no borrowing.

· It eliminates a $10 billion deficit, one of the largest deficits in the state’s history.

· The budget includes an approximate $3.6 billion decrease in year-to-year spending.

· We passed an on-time budget, thus avoiding both the shutdown of state government and the drastic, extreme proposed cuts in the Governor’s Executive Budget.

· This budget will establish regional economic development councils, bring performance funding to education, redesign Medicaid, and cap next year’s education and Medicaid spending.

- The budget reduces the size and cost of government, by authorizing Governor Cuomo’s Spending and Government Efficiency Commission to reduce the number of agencies and commissions making our government more efficient.

· The state budget includes your tax dollars and it is my obligation to explain it to you. If after reading these budget points, you have any questions, please call me at my district office.

HIGHLIGHTS (Some of the Good Parts):

· Governor Cuomo deserves credit for exercising strong leadership, and helping to usher in a new dynamic to the budget process that delivered an on-time budget for the people of New York.

· The budget we passed did not raise taxes, reduced spending to meet the demands of these difficult times, and consolidated agencies to deliver a government that works better and costs less.

· We restructured the budget process to radically reform how we spend taxpayer dollars to change the flawed ways of the past and better prepare for New York’s future.

· By rethinking the way Albany does business, we passed a responsible budget that creates good-paying jobs, reduces the tax burden and makes New York more affordable, while investing in key services families rely on.

· We were able to partner with our colleagues in the Legislature to win restorations for critical services, including Title XX funding for seniors, funding for education aid, funding for schools for the deaf and blind, summer school programs, funding for SUNY and CUNY, while protecting veterans programs

LOWLIGHTS (Some of the Bad Parts):

· This was a hard budget and hard choices needed to be made, but we must keep our eyes wide open to how those choices will impact families and the working poor.

· This budget did not raise taxes. Many legislators had hoped it did not give a tax break to true millionaires – 70,000 people making over $1 million dollars – at a time when over 3 million school children face deep cuts.

· We were successful making some education restorations, but I fear the education restorations didn’t go far enough – sacrificing the promise of tomorrow by delaying the fulfillment of the promise of the Campaign for Fiscal Equity.

· The budget reduced spending and we even restored vital funding for human services like Title XX senior centers and summer youth employment. But I wish the budget was more successful at cutting with care, so it would be balanced in line with our values to protect our most vulnerable citizens.

· NYC will lose about $300 million due to the elimination of AIM (Aid and Incentives for Municipalities) funding.

· The budget included cuts to library funding.

EDUCATION & HIGHER EDUCATION:

· Overall appropriations for education are $19.6 billion statewide.

· The budget provides a two-year funding plan and has permanent law changes to limit future school aid increases to growth in the New York State personal income rate, which will help reduce the state’s large gap between spending and revenues.

· The Legislature restored $270 million in education cuts originally proposed in the Executive budget, including $51 million to NYC schools. NYC school aid in the budget is approximately $7 billion.

· Funding for 4201 schools for the deaf and blind is fully restored, as is funding for summer school programs.

· Moving forward, education will be increased at a rate of personal income growth next year—roughly 4 percent.

· There is a 10 percent reduction to higher education, including SUNY and CUNY

· The budget funds SUNY and CUNY senior colleges at about $2 billion and $1.3 billion in new capital appropriations.

· There are no tuition increases in this budget.

HEALTH

· Total Medicaid spending including federal, state and local spending of $52.6 billion represents a decrease of $337 million.

· This includes a cap of $15.3 billion on Department of Health Medicaid state expenditures.

Medicaid

· Medicaid will be increased at a rate tied to healthcare CPI, which is roughly 4 percent.

· The budget includes a cap on State Medicaid expenditures of approximately $15 billion and implementation of the majority of recommendations by the Medicaid Redesign Team (MRT) to redesign and restructure the Medicaid program to be more efficient and get better results for patients.

· EPIC funding is increased by $22 million.

· The MRT reduction of $2.8 billion and the overall spending cap to the state will be enforced by the Department of Health’s “superpower” provision, whereby the commissioner has authority to make reductions during the year to enforce the cap.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Regional Economic Development Councils

· This budget establishes 10 Regional Economic Development Councils, chaired by Lieutenant Governor Robert Duffy.

· These councils will create a region-based approach to allocate economic development funds to speed up the creation of jobs.

· They will act as one-stop shops for all State-supported economic development and business assistance programs in each region, and will be supported with $130 million in capital that is reprogrammed from existing resources.

Recharge New York

· Recharge New York will enhance and make permanent the current Power for Jobs Program that will significantly boost the state’s economy by creating and maintaining hundreds of thousands of jobs.

· Recharge New York will improve upon the existing program by opening it to new participants and allocating a blend of stable, low-cost hydropower and market power for use by businesses that seek to grow and create jobs in New York State.

Strengthening Excelsior

· A total of $500 million will now be available annually to provide enhanced tax credits that will produce better results for New York’s economy.

· Businesses will be able to benefit from this program over a 10-year period.

· The Governor will make $70 million of these enhanced tax credits available to support the efforts of Regional Economic Development Councils.

TRANSPORTATION

· Transportation spending from all sources will total $8.5 billion under this budget.

· The budget provides operating support to transit systems totaling $4.2 billion.

· The MTA will receive $3.8 billion.

· The budget provides for an adopted two-year DOT transportation capital plan that balances core infrastructure preservation with fiscal necessity and continues prior year funding levels for the core transportation programs supported by the Dedicated Highway and Bridge Trust Fund, including:

- $501 million of Dedicated Funding for State roads and bridge construction (part of a

$1.8 billion construction program)

- $363.1 million for the Consolidated Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS)

- $16.9 million for Amtrak services and additional rail capital investments.

ENVIRONMENT

· The budget maintains the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) at the 2010-11 funding level of $134 million.

VETERANS

· The budget maintains funding for veteran services, housing programs, hospitals and cemetery care.

NOW IT’S TIME TO GET TO WORK…

MANDATE RELIEF:

· We must work to reach an agreement with the Assembly on property tax and mandate relief to ease the burden on families and reduce the strain on local governments that threaten key services.

ETHICS AND REDISTRICTING REFORM:

· We must pass an ethics package that restores faith in the Legislature and gives New Yorkers a reason to believe in a New York where anything is possible.

· After breaking their promise to support independent redistricting, the Senate GOP must reverse course and work with us to keep the promise they made and pass a non-partisan redistricting bill to take the politics out of drawing electoral lines.

RENT REGULATIONS:

· The expiration of rent regulation laws pose a direct threat to the economic security and well-being of millions of tenants throughout New York City.

Photo source: Library of Congress
Permission: Public Domain