STATEMENT FROM SENATOR CATHARINE YOUNG
“Just over three weeks ago, Governor Paterson spoke to a joint session of the Legislature to talk about the seriousness of the state budget deficit.
He called an emergency session for the next day, but never sent the state Legislature a deficit reduction bill until today -- which is three weeks later. I’m glad the Governor has stopped talking, and started doing.
In the meantime, I felt very strongly that we could not just sit around and wait for the Governor -- we needed action. That’s why my Conference and I developed a plan that cuts over $3 billion in spending and solves the budget gap. It shaves $1 billion from state bureaucracy, and reins in out-of-control Medicaid spending. We also rejected any tax hikes that were being proposed -- the hardworking overburdened taxpayers of this state need tax relief, not a heavier tax burden.
On Monday, the Senate and Assembly will convene to finally pass a deficit reduction bill that I believe will be mostly made up of the plan that my Conference put together.
Solving the current budget shortfall is just the first step. The state has a serious spending problem that needs to be stopped. That’s why I continue to push for a spending cap. Our taxpayers cannot afford Albany’s out-of-control taxes and spending. We need to pass a spending cap so that we can restore fiscal sanity, turn around the economy and grow more jobs.”
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