NY to Rudy: Help!
While most New Yorkers spent the Fourth of July holiday with family and friends, every member of the state Senate was hauled back into the Capitol for yet another special session to figure out yet another solution to the ongoing Senate leadership crisis. While dysfunction continues, upstate New York suffers disproportionally.
My home district’s state senator, Roy McDonald (R-Saratoga Springs), published an excellent piece in the area’s Saratogian newspaper yesterday, laying out the ramifications of the Senate power-struggle for upstate New Yorkers in particular:
A good place to start would be the day the standstill began. Downstate Senate leadership was prepared to send $90 million into New York City, while rationing a meager $8 million to the communities across upstate New York.
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At a time when transparency and accountability were key, downstate leadership allowed for the most secretive and closed door budget process that anybody has ever seen. What they passed directly hurt our communities, from health care to school funding and much more. Upstate was left out, plain and simple.
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The real tragedy is that it has turned into a conflict of upstate versus downstate — we have become David and they have become Goliath. We’re realizing that it’s difficult to survive in the shadow of Goliath, and in the current system, nearly impossible to coexist. Star tax rebate checks have been eliminated, hurting upstate. But at the same time, downstate representatives forced the legislature to pass a Mass Transit Authority (MTA) bailout, sending billions downstate to prevent minimal fee increases for those traveling on the subway system.
In Saratoga Springs and Saratoga County, they stole right out of our pockets, taking $3.3 million and $1.1 million from city and county VLT funding, respectively. In Rensselaer County, the budget slashed funding for the Van Rensselaer Manor nursing home in the amount of $1.5 million. These amounts are only the tip of the iceberg. Tax and fee increases, coupled with funding cuts for programs, came at the worst time for upstate New York taxpayers, while property taxes were not addressed at all.
Senator McDonald, it should be noted, is merely being diplomatic when he refers to “downstate Senate leadership.” This, of course, is but a euphemism for “the Democrats.” And he is right to call them out. His allegations, shared by many upstaters, against the pre-June 8 coup Democrat-controlled state government are legitimate, and include but are not limited to:
• Imposing $2,350 in new taxes on middle class families
• Eliminating STAR Rebate Checks Averaging $200-400 per home
• Taxing upstaters’ Electric and Utility Bills
• Increasing spending by $12 billion
• Passing a disastrous MTA Subway System bailout
• Reneging on their promises to reform the operation of the Legislature
• Refusing to allow a public budget process
• Hurting New York businesses by imposing new fees and taxes
• Failing to act on the Power for Jobs program
• Ignoring the Agricultural Community
• Refusing to provide openness and transparency within the legislative process
• Allocating approximately $8 billion in discretionary spending for 3 New York City leaders
The ongoing New York Senate crisis has produced more than the superficial side-effect of an embarrassing circus facade to the rest of the country; it’s also driving a wedge (as if it was needed) between upstate and downstate (mainly New York City).
There’s a lot going on in upstate New York right now: a special election for the 23rd district’s congressional seat, an imminent visit by Vice President Biden to tout the economic stimulus package, a major address by Governor Paterson this evening (probably to appoint a Lt. Governor, further disturbing the Senate), and even reports from the Democratic gang of four (or sometimes five) that the entire Senate power struggle will resolved this Thursday.
Beneath it all, the entire Empire State has been severely demoralized by a stagnant legislature, a clumsy and ineffective governor, and persistent economic hardship exacerbated, according to The Wall Street Journal, by “progressive ideas” and leadership. It’s not surprising that they’re comparing Albany to Sacramento and Trenton—it’s that bad.
Bottom line: New York, especially upstate, is holding out for a hero. Paging Rudy Giuliani.
-tom
