State Republicans - new levels of irresponsibility
I had to get this off my keyboard. There is an article in yesterdays’s D&C, Funding for local projects slashed.
So Spitzer cuts what looks like 483K plus another 740K for a total of 1.213 million dollars out of a budget. There is probably more but that is from the article
The Assembly minority leader James Tedisco - cries foul.
But Tedisco and other Republican lawmakers said the funding commitments for the projects date back years and only this week did they learn that the money would not be available. Tedisco handed out copies of e-mails that showed the governor’s staff and his staff were communicating recently about the aid being released.
“It’s unfortunate that the governor has taken this action,” said Assemblyman Bill Reilich, R-Greece, Monroe County. “It’s very disappointing.”
What a bunch of freakin hypocrites. So the Governor cuts spending and you are complaining? Are not we projected to have a huge state deficit? Aren’t we not trying to reduce taxes given our NYS tax situation?
So what the heck is Spizter doing?
Spitzer is cutting Governor member items. Spitzer is honoring commitments made under the Pataki administration but cutting spending in his administration.
Spitzer spokesman Jeffrey Gordon said that after the governor took office Jan. 1, he committed to funding projects that were approved under the prior Pataki administration. Yet Gordon said the governor made clear that any new funding requests — known as member items — would not be honored.
See the Senate and Assembly and Governor have a budget for so called member items - otherwise know as pork to keep the folks at home happy. Pork spending is a fact of government.
So who controls the member items? Well, those three guys in the room. Democratic Assembly leader Silver, Republican Senate Leader Bruno, and Democratic Governor Spitzer.
Um, how much do you think the Assembly Republicans got from Silver? Not much. Senate Democrats from Bruno? Not much.
That is where Pataki came in - He gives his member items budget to who? Um, Assembly Republicans. Why? Because they are the minority and the Republican Governor was pushing pork to make his party members happy.
So Spitzer is pulling the plug by honoring prior commitments but putting a stop to the practice.
WHAT EXACTLY IS WRONG WITH THAT?
Gordon added that $405,583 in grants was disapproved by the governor’s office, yet additional member-item requests are still being reviewed to determine whether they were made prior to Jan. 1.
Oh gasp - nothing lasts forever. How could the State Assembly Republicans not see this coming?
Please - Member items need to be reformed, frankly, on both sides - may as well start here.
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The problem is he only cut member money to the republicans in the Assembly. This wasn’t a prudent act it was retrobution. Cut the Majority members in both houses and the Dems in the senate. All three of those groups get as much as ten times what the Republicans get in the Assembly. Oh did I mention this was the same week he offered the city 50 million new state dollars. This is not a campaign promiss this is a little rich kid Spitzzy not getting his way. He is not used to hearing the word no.
Hmmm…Midtown Plaza and Paetec, now this…
….now THAT’S the Eliot Spitzer I voted for!
Silent no more - you are missing the point - of course
Cut the Majority members in both houses and the Dems in the senate.
Sorry Silent - Spitzer can’t do that, he only controls the Governors Member items.
If memory serves all member items total about $200 million a year. The Assembly receives $85 million, the Senate receives $85 million and the Governor receives $30 million. The $170 million to the Assembly and Senate is totally outside the control of the Governor, since the budget has already been passed.
Sounds like Tedisco allocated money he didn’t have. I mean it isn’t like he didn’t know Spitzer was going pull new spending requests.
This from the Albany T-U (March 23, 2007 Friday - A3) titled
Agreement sheds light on grants ; Attorney general makes deal with lawmakers to open up member-item process, improving spending transparency
Sounds like the Assembly folks were advised and chose not to believe.
Oh - about Retribution? It is OK when Republicans do it? Where was Tedisco’s outage when Senate Republicans lost Spano’s seat and pulled member items for the newly elected Democratic Senator? Yeah I know Tedisco is in the Assembly but is that FAIR?
Spitzer not used to hearing no? Sounds like Assembly Republicans after 12 years of Pataki are the ones not used to hearing no.
Oh the $50 million in state aid? Is that a Governor member item? Sort to difficult because he only has $30 million.
[...] anyone check out this great LTE today? I wrote about Spizters efforts here and how some local Republicans are upset. Here is an LTE in today’s D&C. Spitzer is [...]