FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TODAY: 6/23/09
Contact: Suzanne Redmond (315) 255-3045
'09 SESSION PRESENTS SMALL SUCCESSES, STEPS
IN RIGHT DIRECTION
When I think back about this
year's session, I have mixed feelings about what was accomplished.
While there are serious issues that still need to be addressed
next session, we were able to take small strides towards reforming New
York state. We were able to
pass a number of substantive bills that will both make New York safer
for our families and will help preserve the future prosperity of our
state. The following are a
few examples of legislation passed this session:
a.. A.1242-B - Allows visitors to the state
sex offender Web site to register for e-mail notification when a sex
offender moves into their neighborhood.
This has also passed the Senate and will hopefully soon be signed
into law by the governor;
b.. A.8568-B - Bans text
messaging while driving, making our streets safer;
c.. A.6051-A - Allows
volunteer firefighters to operate fire trucks in their official job
duties without a commercial driver's license;
d.. A.8901-A - Enacts the
Green Jobs-Green New York Act of 2009, which promotes energy efficiency,
energy conservation and the installation of clean energy technologies,
to reduce energy consumption and costs, reduce greenhouse emissions,
support sustainable community development and to create green job
opportunities; and
We also were able to pass
Assembly Bill A.8501 which will empower citizens, local officials and
counties to reorganize and consolidate resources and streamline
processes. As a matter of
fact, the towns of Homer and Scott in Cortland County are considering a
consolidation plan at this very moment and it is estimated that local
tax bills could be cut by as much as two thirds.
I am disappointed by another
year of missed opportunities and misplaced priorities.
We are living through a time of recession and instead of passing
legislation to ease the financial burden facing New Yorkers, political
differences have prevented such advancements from occurring.
The Senate's stalemate may have overshadowed the
usual partisan politics we deal with in the Assembly, but two glaring
omissions come to mind when I think about potential solutions to New
York's economic woes.
First, we need to cut spending as outlined in
Assembly Bill A8975, which would have capped state spending to the
average rate of inflation for the previous three years.
It's quite obvious that New
York's government is out of control when it comes to taking taxpayer
money, overspending, and then further increasing the tax bill.
My colleagues and I have long supported a more conservative
approach toward governing our state - you cannot continually spend
beyond your means without sacrificing your future financial security.
The
second issue goes hand-in-hand with overspending.
New York's government loves to increase taxes to cover up its
financial shortfalls.
The people of New York have
struggled and can no longer afford to pay for the government's
capricious spending habits.
Our enormous tax property bills are just one major example of a larger,
more disturbing trend that must be addressed.
However, my conference's Property Taxpayer Protection Act would
have gone to great lengths to easing the financial burden property
owners are saddled with.
Unfortunately, partisan politics once again came between the people of
New York and substantive tax relief.
I will continue to work to hold Albany accountable
and bring about the financial and ethical reforms that we need to make
government work for the people of New York.
Our bloated state budget continues to grow and it is essential
that we come to an immediate solution to this problem.
While we made small strides this year, it is my hope
that next year we will be able to come together for the betterment of
New York as a whole.
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