Jun 17, 2009 Tom Suozzi

Statement on the Stalemate in NYS Senate

On February 2, I outlined a solution to a $130 million budget gap we were facing as a result of the national economic crisis.  The proposed solution was three-fold:  Federal stimulus money, state legislative items, and labor and management.  The Federal government provided funds.  The labor unions and I negotiated in good faith and were able to come to agreements that passed muster with NIFA, rating agencies, and county employees.  However, the state has failed to do their part.  We have sought legislation that would generate revenue to make up for millions of dollars in lost sales tax, but not only has Albany continued to ignore our pleas, they have failed to act on behalf of the people they claim to represent.

We asked for red light cameras and legislation to impose a cigarette tax, just as New York City has for the past several years.  And if they did not want to give us the authority to charge a tax on cigarettes, we urged them to offer other suggestions as we would be open to any revenue generators.  However, Albany again neglected to respond.

We negotiated for weeks with our labor unions in good faith and came to agreements.  However, those agreements were contingent upon state legislation that would enable us to bond termination pay and early retirement incentive payouts.  Again, Albany has not done anything.

We are facing the most difficult economic time since the Great Depression and not only has Albany continued to leave all the voting to the last two weeks of session, they have failed to do anything that would help mitigate the dire economic situation we face today.  Instead, they are leading a circus of clowns.

We have maintained that the state legislative funds would go toward paying for health and human service agency contracts but with one week left to session and tens of millions of dollars in legislative items still outstanding, Nassau will have no choice but to cut health and human services contracts effective July 1 and renegotiate contracts with the labor unions, which will be a tremendous upheaval for everyone who negotiated and signed off on them.  Nassau will have to lay off hundreds of the lowest wage employees.

Our elected officials in Albany must get out of their own way and end the circus.  Their failure to govern has made an immense impact on the taxpayers of New York State already and every day we have to wait will mean more undue cost to the taxpayers.