ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! MORE REFORM; LESS SPENDING, LESS TAXES

When I took office, I made a commitment to the people of the 47th District to fight for reform and against wasteful spending.

• This spring, I stood up against a damaging state budget that increased state spending by more than $10 billion, and contained new taxes and fees that will cost an average family hundreds of dollars more each year.
• This summer, reforms I proposed in 2007—such as term limits on all leaders and equal empowerment for all members—were adopted by the Senate. That’s a victory, but I need your help because there is a long way to go.
• This fall, I am repeating the message my message that New York must close its budget gap by spending less and recognizing that it cannot pour millions of dollars into wasteful programs.
• Reform and fiscal restraint are both important, because until we reform the way Albany does business, the spending reforms we need will never take place.

For more than a year, I have advocated for a constitutional spending cap that would end the cycle of spending beyond what taxpayers can afford, creating a business climate that is nothing short of disastrous.  My Reform Agenda brings the power of open government to New York.

This is what I am fighting for in Albany:

• S.6093 to call for a state constitutional convention that can fix the structural flaws in the Legislature and in the rules that govern vacancies for elected positions, so that there can be no more appointments to statewide offices and no more backroom dealing. dealing. My reform plan would ensure that this convention is run by citizens and not by politicians and lobbyists. The convention should address issues such as a State Spending Cap—requiring a super-majority vote for any tax increase and empowering voters through Initiative and Referendum.
• S. 6060 to create a mechanism for recall that will remind Albany the people, not the politicians, are in charge.
• S. 6067 that puts a process in place to fill the office of lieutenant governor and allows the Legislature, as the voice of the people, a real voice in the process.
• S. 2929 and S. 2930 to create special elections for statewide offices of comptroller and attorney general when they become vacant.
• S. 3138 to enact term limits for the governor, attorney general and comptroller.
• S.6195 that term-limits the office of Governor to one 6-year term.

I am fighting to break through walls of entrenched resistance, change the system, and create a new style of governing that brings a new spirit of democracy and vibrancy to our state.

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