Monroe County, a new wind blowing?
Last night, in a rare showing of bipartisanship (so rare, at this point, as to have been non-existent) the County Legislature decided to work together to put together a “plan B” budget in the event that the appeal is either not heard or decided against:
In a rare show of cooperation across party lines, the Monroe County Legislature has called upon County Executive Maggie Brooks to come up with a plan to deal with a $29 million budget deficit in the event the county is not successful in court.
The legislature’s Ways and Means Committee this evening passed legislation that was signed by all 29 county lawmakers.
[snip]
Today’s legislative action was significant because the overwhelming majority of Democratic initiatives are shot down by the Republican-controlled legislature.
“History would suggest this would be a surprising moment,†said Minority Leader Harry Bronson, D-Rochester, who pushed for the legislation this morning.
Majority Leader Dan Quatro, R-Webster, agreed.
Seems as though this hurdle (court action) has provided an opportunity for our very divided legislature to reach across party lines and examine all the options available for closing the budget gap. Let’s hope that this new attitude continues.
Update: btp here. Much like UFO enthusiasts, I want to believe. But based on the county GOP’s history of acting in bad faith, spidey sense is a-tingling. Here’s hoping this is people actually working together instead of the next episode of Republican…Kabuki…Theater!
Update II: btp again. Yeah, I’m cynical. I admit it. Remember this, from February?
Aaron Wicks writes, in an article in the Smugtown Beacon that does a good job covering the February Leg meeting:
Wrapping up the debate for the Democrats was Harry Bronson. Bronson opened his summation asking, not entirely rhetorically, “Where did we go wrong?†He then partly answered that question, admitting very candidly that he had screwed up as Democratic leader. First, he had naively signed on to the proposed selection process before realizing just how stacked it was and second, he genuinely believed he was part of the process itself. One can question the wisdom of this debate strategy — admitting naivete and shortsightedness generally does not precede a damning argument — but this was actually part of Bronson’s point: how cynical must one be to work effectively with the Republican majority? Apparently very cynical indeed.
It’s like you have to assume the GOP is acting in bad faith, to act effectively. How is this bipartisanship? How is this putting people, and county, over party chess games?
Let’s hope that the Dems aren’t getting played like they were for the PD selection process initially.
Related posts:
- How Do Dems Work With The GOP in the County Leg?
- Democrats refuse to participate in Zyra’s plan to politicize the Public Defender selection
- County Leg Republicans- “We don’t need no stinking laws”
- Monroe County Tax Intercept - Breaking faith with Constituents
- Bronson speaks: We are going to balance the Monroe County Budget on the Backs of our Children
This is good news - even though the proposal was simply a unanimous agreement to ask Maggie Brooks for a Plan B instaed of the legislatures coming up a its own Plan B.
The legislature should investigate and publicize the budget opportunities. Actually start doing that oversight thing legislative branches are supposed to do to the executive branch.
I haven’t seen the proposal but I run a business and I know there’s only two options; cut expenses and/or raise revenues (taxes and fees). This means there’ll be no complaining when either/both of those things happen, right?
Because there isn’t one. People recognize that some combination of additional revenue and reducing expensive has to happen. - the question is how fair and equatable do you do it? We didn’t get to a $29 million dollar budget gap over night - we won’t put it behind us overnight either.
Maggie choose a course of action that doesn’t seem legally sustainable so now she has to solve the budget the old fashion way. Oh and engaging the public might be a good idea too.
“I run a business and I know there’s only two options; cut expenses and/or raise revenues (taxes and fees)”
there is also running to the government for tax breaks, bail outs and whining about unfair competition.
So I’ve read, but wouldn’t know based on first-hand experience having never done any of that in 20+ years.
that wasn’t meant as a insult to you, sorry if it seemed that way. i get frustrated about how we claim to love the free market, but the largest companies use corporate welfare to screw the small businesses. if mortgage companies over extend, too bad. if airlines can’t afford fuel, let them fail. why should taxpayers subisidize bad businessmen? let us subsidize good ones by purchasing their goods and services with the money in our pocket, which would be more plentiful if gov’t wasn’t overextended. republicans (traditionally the free market is god and small gov’t is good) run this county and they can’t give enough of our tax money away.
I dunno - sounds like there’s some pissed of Republicans in the county legislature to me. Maybe they’re feeling like they trusted Brooks that this thing would work, and it didn’t, and now they’re in a bad position politically and trying to wash their hands of it. This might actually be indicative of some dissension in the ranks - not a diabolical plot to make Dems look bad.
I’ve even heard “you break it you buy it” from a local R. Brooks “broke” it, now it’s her responsibility to fix it & they’re not going to pick up the pieces.
So, I’m hoping that this more rats & sinking ship than eeeeevil plot.
To me it’s just evidence of exactly what I said yesterday. The level of incompetence in the GOP hand-picks is evident and obvious. So now that a plan needs to be developed that is “real” and not one concocted and imposed, sure - why not bring in those with the experience and qualifications to actually draft up a budget.
Brooks NEVER had a budget. I will guarantee that whatever documentation was put forward was nothing more than line by line carry overs by her predecesssor. Adjust here, take away a little there - but the real experience and knowledge needed to actually be able to review and make recommendations and perhaps even CREATE one on her own doesn’t exist.
So they turn to those they need (and only when the NEED them) and scream “help!”.
If I were the Democratic Legislature, I would be drafting my OWN plan, and introducing it to the Republican confreres on the other side of the aisle, so that the contributions made by those well able to do so will be recognized.
This reminds me of the bully at the school playground who is nice to you only because he wants you to do his homework. As soon as the assignment is in and he gets an “A”, he’s back to beating you up again.
Tread with caution loyal Democrats!
Really, you mean dmv offices are staffed by volunteers? Well, that would explain ALOT.
We’re not talking about you whitedood, nor your employment, or lack thereof.