NEWS FROM NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY
MINORITY LEADER JAMES N. TEDISCO

Contact: Joshua Fitzpatrick, (518) 455-3751
Email: tediscj@assembly.state.ny.us
For Immediate Release:
November 12, 2008


Statement From Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco
(R,C,I-Schenectady-Saratoga):

"Our Conference appreciates and acknowledges Governor Paterson's efforts to respond to these challenging fiscal times by offering substantive proposals that would address the root causes of New York's deepening financial crisis. We will carefully examine the Governor's proposed cuts as we move toward our Special Session next week.

We are concerned about the Governor's recent reference to possibly rolling back the gas tax cap, which is ultimately a tax hike on consumers. Now is definitely not the time to be raising taxes on New Yorkers. A gas tax hike would hit Upstate and Long Island motorists especially hard, which is exactly the wrong prescription for dealing with this recession. The Governor has previously indicated that tax hikes should not be part of a solution to the current state fiscal crisis. On behalf of the Upstate and Long Island families our Conference proudly represents, we ask the Governor to honor that sentiment as this process moves forward."