I received the call of the governor to return to Albany to address the ever-increasing budget deficit. However, I am disgusted that the ‘Albany as usual’ mentality of the Democratic Majority has once again disregarded the needs of the families and businesses here in Monroe County and throughout the state. This special session fell well below any expectations and can now be classified as a blatant waste of taxpayer dollars.
This special session provided us with a great opportunity to reverse the damage that democratic leaders have done to our system, resulting in a current budget deficit of $3.7 billion that is projected to grow to over $7.3 billion next year if action is not taken. Some things we could have accomplished today included consolidating offices such as The Department of Transportation and the Thruway Authority, and eliminating legislative earmarks for an additional $341 million in budgetary savings.
The mistakes that were made in the budget process earlier this year could have been avoided in the first place, that is why I voted against it; now it’s time to make things right. I call on state leaders to hold another special session, one where something will be accomplished in order to begin fixing Albany’s dysfunction; I will continue to argue for the importance of dealing with the task at hand until something is finally done.