Working to Reform Albany’s Broken Budget Process - 2010-2011 Budget Recap

Assemblyman Steve Hawley
Dear Neighbor,

In January, taxpayers were told that their state government was going to tighten its belt like our families, farms, and small businesses have to do everyday. Sadly, despite their rhetoric, Albany leaders once again went back on their promises and proposed a nearly complete state budget that is 3 months late and counting, increases overall spending by $3 billion, and worst of all, uses $1.45 billion in tax increases and more state borrowing to close the $9.2 billion budget deficit.

The “three-men-in-a-room” budget process, where only the Governor, Assembly Speaker, and Senate Majority Conference Leader – all from New York City – make budget decisions, must end. This year, the process not only left the rank-and-file members, and their constituents, in the dark during the state’s fiscal crisis, but it also caused our schools, local governments, contractors, small businesses and, more important, the taxpayers to suffer unfairly, while their New York City special interest groups were saved from difficult budget cuts.

I voted against the 2010-2011 State Budget and will continue to make reforming the budget process and ending Albany’s tax-and-spend policies that caused the $9.2 billion budget gap my top priority.

Sincerely,
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Steve Hawley


Had these following proposals been implemented, in addition to the Executive Budget’s proposed cuts, the “three men in a room” would not need more taxes and borrowing to close the $9.2 billion budget deficit:
  • Stop Medicaid fraud: $5 billion

  • Reduce bloated state agency budgets: $1.5 billion

  • Consolidate state agencies that have similar responsibilities: $960 million

  • Eliminate public employee givebacks: $250 million

  • Eliminate member item requests, known as pork barrel spending: $150 - $180 million

  • Pension reform for legislators and political aides: $50 million

  • Temporarily halt the state from purchasing private land: $17.6 million

  • Discontinue new state vehicle purchases: $14.3 million

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Hawley’s Plan for Budget Reform
Assemblyman Steve Hawley: 121 North Main Street • Suite 100 • Albion, NY 14411 • (585) 589-5780 • hawleys@assembly.state.ny.us

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