Extraordinary Letdown in Albany, says Townsend

Assemblyman David Townsend (R,WF-Sylvan Beach) criticized Governor David Paterson, Assembly Speaker Shelly Silver and others for refusing to address New York State’s current financial crisis during a mandated extraordinary session inside the Capitol. With a $3.7 billion projected deficit for the current fiscal year ending on March 31 and a cash-flow problem that threatens to derail mandatory payments to school districts and local governments next month, today’s special session was intended to mop up the Empire State’s red ink. Instead, members of the Assembly and Senate used their taxpayer-funded per diems to filibuster reform and punt the deficit-reduction issue to another day, ignoring a proactive plan supported by Assemblyman Townsend to significantly reduce the state’s debt and return a degree of sanity to our out-of-control finances.

“Our schools and hospitals hang in the balance while the governor and his New York City politicians dither,” said Townsend. “Everyone agrees our current fiscal mess cries out for urgent assistance; everyone, it seems, except the majority’s tone-deaf leadership in the state Assembly and Senate. On Tuesday I proposed ways to close our current $3.7 billion deficit without slashing essential services like hospital payments and school aid that Upstate families need. My proposal included eliminating extra spending on additional legislation; cutting funds for the government to buy more private land; an end to all pork projects; streamlining state government through consolidation and cutting administrative waste; and removing pricey Albany mandates on our school districts, among other measures. Instead, Albany’s persistent gridlock has left us unable to pay our bills – and rapidly diminished the people’s trust in their state government’s ability to represent their needs.”

One Comment on "Extraordinary Letdown in Albany, says Townsend"

Lou Best on Thu, 12th Nov 2009 7:26 am

“and rapidly diminished the people’s trust in their state government’s ability to represent their needs.”

“Trust”??? …….. that was lost a long time ago.

Extraordinary Letdown in Albany, says Townsend

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