(Senator Greg Ball with Chairman of the SAGE Commission Paul Francis at Tuesday’s economic summit in Albany, N.Y.)
Albany, N.Y. – (09/27/11) – Senator Greg Ball (R, C – Patterson) today joined President Bill Clinton and Governor Andrew M. Cuomo for daylong economic summit in Albany, N.Y. Among the highlights, was a meeting of the Spending and Government Efficiency Commission (SAGE), a 20-member panel Senator Ball was appointed to by the Governor to consolidate state government and save New Yorkers money.
“Unlike what we are seeing in Congress, we have been able to illustrate the strength of working together as a team and in a bipartisan fashion. Working with Governor Cuomo we cut state spending, passed an on time balanced budget and stood firm against all tax hikes, while proactively capping property taxes across the state. That type of progress took real team work and I applaud the Governor for heightening SAGE’s image. I’m honored to be part of a team that is focused specifically on cutting duplicative services and getting government out of the way so that beleaguered entrepreneurs and small businesses can do what they do best: create jobs!”
“The old way of doing business in Albany is no longer an option,” said Senator Ball. “I’m thrilled and applaud Governor Cuomo for bringing new attention and focus to our efforts to streamline state government. Reinventing state government and streamlining our processes to make New York State open for business and job creation will be difficult because of political pitfalls and inner turf battles. To create jobs and entice new investment into our state we must cut through the clutter of state bureaucracy, nepotism and patronage, the former President is a great public image boost, making our commitment to the task public and real!”
Senator Ball was appointed the SAGE Commission on April 19, 2011. The Commission was charged with looking at four main areas of opportunity for improving the performance, efficiency and accountability of state government:
- Streamline the organizational structure of State government by consolidating agencies, authorities, commissions, etc. that have overlapping missions.
- Identify operational improvements such as shared services, enhanced use of information technology and changes in service delivery mechanisms.
- Develop metrics and targets to help improve performance and make government more open, transparent and accountable.
- Identify non-critical activities that are less central to the core mission of agencies or State government.
Several months ago, Senator Ball launched YouCutAlbany.com, a website that allows taxpayers to cast votes for specific wasteful spending items. “We have literally received hundreds of great ideas, and as a member of SAGE, I am taking these nuggets of good information, gleaned from the community, with me. This website allows taxpaying citizens to make decisions on areas they would like to see cut. I need to hear from the community!”
For more information or to speak with Senator Ball, please contact Ali Skinner: (845) 200-9716 [2].
