Cahill Responds to Governor Spitzer’s 2008 State of the State Address

January 9, 2008

As New York State grapples with complicated issues like skyrocketing property taxes, access to affordable and quality health care, spiraling energy costs, improving education and an economic downturn, New Yorkers, especially residents of the Hudson Valley, are looking for leaders who will work together to tackle these problems head on. Today, by evoking our storied history of monumental accomplishments, Governor Spitzer acknowledged these great challenges, articulating a clear vision for facing them head on. I welcome his invitation to the Legislature to work with him as we change New York for the better.

The Governor covered a wide range of issues, reviewing the successes and challenges of his first year in office. He rightly touted our shared successes in the area of Workers Compensation reform, the revamping of the Ethics and Lobbying laws, expanding of health care to more of New York's children, revolutionizing school funding and recommitting to the environment, smart growth and historic preservation.

Eliot Spitzer came into office promising change, and he delivered it in many positive ways. Still, there is much more to be done.

With the onset of a revenue shortfall estimated at $4.3 billion, the biggest challenge we face is for 2008. Governor Spitzer's insistence that we find ways to economize and not further the burden of taxation on working New Yorkers was a welcome call. Unlike his predecessor, the Governor did not distinguish between taxes raised at the state level or those locally, such as through the unfair and unaffordable real property tax. Today he announced the formation of a Property Tax Commission charged with examining local school funding. I intend to utilize this commission as a platform to advance my education funding reform legislation (A.4746) calling for a full state takeover of education funding and the elimination of regressive school property tax burden on homeowners, renters and businesses.

Last year, working with Governor Spitzer, we adopted historic changes in the way education is financed. We provided record increases in school aid and property tax relief directed to the districts and taxpayers who need it most. Even in the face of a budget deficit, it is critical that we remain committed to increasing state aid and ensuring equity. The Governor made clear that there is no trade-off here. We cannot risk jeopardizing the quality of our children's education.

Equally important was the Governor's recognition of the role higher education plays in economic development. SUNY New Paltz and Ulster County Community College have proven time and again that they can be the solid foundation of our local economy. Rededicating our commitment to our public universities and bringing them into the realm of commerce and future growth and development is the best recipe for success.

His proposal for an Innovation Fund will allow us to harness New York's unrivaled network of public and private universities to unite our brightest minds behind a shared goal of restoring our great state to its rightful position as a global force in innovation, manufacturing, research and development. This concept is entirely consistent with the approach we have been working on with The Solar Energy Consortium (TSEC). The Hudson Valley is poised to become a global hub for the advancement of solar power but we absolutely need to dedicate state resources necessary to make it happen. In the coming weeks and months I will work with TSEC to ensure that the Governor includes and the Legislature approves the necessary funding for them in the State Budget to attract the academic and industry leaders to our region.

Governor Spitzer identified investment in clean, renewable energy systems as a top priority. Building on our successful efforts to expand net metering in the Central Hudson service area, the Governor called for statewide legislation that will allow homeowners and business who invest in solar energy to sell excess power back to the grid, enhancing reliability and diversifying our energy supply while helping to lessen our collective carbon footprint.

The revitalization of Stewart Airport, also mentioned by the Governor, will provide our 21st Century gateway. Just as the Hudson River made us part of the western world 400 years ago, attracting traders and settlers the railroads and canal systems did the same 200 years ago ushered in the industrial age and the first interstate highways the 20th century created an opportunity for the prosperity we enjoyed for most of that time, Stewart has the potential to help make the Hudson Valley an international force once again.

The upcoming 2009 Hudson-Champlain Quadracentennial celebration presents an enormous opportunity to showcase the Hudson Valley around the world. That is why I have been working closely with organizations throughout the region to plan for this historic event. The Governor's acknowledgement of this and his endorsement of the commemorative Walkway Over The Hudson, an ambitious plan to provide pedestrian access across the Hudson River, represent a welcomed partnership in this effort.

We have many challenges before us. The time is long past when we can afford to allow politics and rhetoric to impede progress. I will continue to work with the Governor and my colleagues in the Legislature to fight for affordable and accessible health care coverage, equity in education, property tax relief, energy independence and real economic development; initiatives that will truly serve working families in the Catskill and Hudson Valley regions.

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