Statement from Assemblymember Cahill on Governor Cuomo’s 2012 State of the State Address

January 4, 2012

Albany – Assemblymember Kevin Cahill (D-Ulster, Dutchess) released the following statement:

Today Governor Cuomo delivered a State of the State message outlining a broad agenda building off the significant progress the Legislature made toward restoring confidence in the ability of our government to deliver positive change for the people of New York. Now is the time to take that vision and transform it into actions that bring about real improvements to the lives of New Yorkers, starting with the passage of a sound responsible budget.

Budget

Across the state, local governments and school districts have had their budgets pushed to the brink by escalating costs and vanishing reserves. I am going to work to ensure the enacted budget lives up to our commitment to our state support of education and Medicaid. It is not enough to simply funnel more money into the system. We must focus on reforms that deliver aid efficiently and effectively to those communities that need it most.

Boosting Working Families

Approximately 14% of all working New Yorkers struggle to get by on minimum wage. These are the families that have been hit the hardest during the economic downturn. One of the Assembly’s top priorities will be passing legislation to increase the minimum wage, reduce taxes on families earning under $30,000 a year and eliminate income taxes for those making less that $20,000.

Economic Development

Governor Cuomo put forward bold ideas for economic development in the areas energy, infrastructure, tourism and agriculture. All told the, by embracing public / private partnerships to attract investment the Executive’s plan has the potential to inject $25 billion into New York’s economy.

Energy Economy

As Chair of the Assembly Energy Committee, I have been a long proponent of many of the proposals the Governor mentioned to modernize our energy infrastructure. Repowering costly, polluting plants is a top priority. I plan to work with the Executive to develop clean energy incentives to encourage power plant owners to improve their facilities.

New York has a huge untapped potential for solar energy and the Governor acknowledged that today. I look forward to reviewing his proposals and coordinating them with the passage of the Solar Jobs Act, which will allow us to produce clean, renewable power while creating vast new economic opportunities throughout the State.

Speeding up the implementation of on-bill financing for the Green Jobs Green NY Program is welcome news. We must also remain diligent in ensuring that consumers receive the benefits they deserve and the workforce is developed properly.

Education Reform

The time is ripe to bring about major changes in the structure of our educational system. I am encouraged by the proposed new Commission on Education Reform. The panel should seize this opportunity to advance a new model that will encourage regional partnerships and shared services. By modernizing the way we deliver support and back office services and taking advantage of economies of scale, we can lower the cost and provide a better education for every child.

Likewise, the Executive’s Task Force on Tax Code Reform should work on pursuing alternate means of financing education with a goal of easing, and ultimately eliminating, the burden of regressive school property taxes. These are concepts I have introduced through the 21st Century Schools Act (A.416) and the Equity in Education Act (A.447). I will be encouraging the members of these new bodies to examine them closely.

Infrastructure Investment

Investing in our aging structure is critical to our economic future. Rebuilding roads, bridges, parks and dams will not only produce jobs immediately, it will also make our state a more attractive place to do business. This also represents an ideal opportunity to reclaim dormant hydro electric power from many abandoned dams across the state. The Executive’s commitment to flood mitigation and prevention projects will provide much needed security and relief to communities in the Catskills and Hudson Valley Regions that have been hit with major floods almost annually.

Casinos

The Governor’s proposal to amend the State Constitution to allow for more casino gaming in New York will allow the public the opportunity to be heard on this important matter. If it does go forward and the voters approve it is important that communities be given a strong role in deciding whether to host any new gambling facilities.

Government Reform

The Executive focused on two major issues that must be addressed to enhance the integrity of our state government. As a supporter of campaign finance reform it is encouraging to finally have a partner in the Assembly’s efforts to repair our broken system. I am a long-time advocate for non-partisan redistricting and have sponsored multiple bills to establish an independent commission to develop new Assembly, Senate and Congressional districts. This is a perfect opportunity to bring those ideas to fruition.

Conclusion

There are many challenges before us and the Governor presented a strong and bold vision for the future and he promised that his proposed budget would follow suite. I am confident that we can continue to work successfully in a bi-partisan fashion to meet those goals and bring about changes to benefit the communities throughout the Catskill and Hudson Valley regions and all of New York.

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