Assemblyman Chris Tague (R,C,I-Schoharie) is railing against the decision by Assembly Majority to maintain $150 million in funding for Gov. Cuomo’s Regional Economic Development Councils (REDC) in their capital projects budget bill. The governor established the councils 2011 to facilitate economic development projects at a regional level, in partnership with the executive branch. The funding proposed by the Majority matches the request by the governor in his own budget proposal and is sustained from last year.

The decision to maintain this funding comes as the governor is embroiled in multiple scandals, including one that pertains to the construction of the Mario M. Cuomo Bridge (formerly the Tappan Zee), which reports have claimed was constructed in a rushed and dangerous manner.

“Why we would continue to fund the pet projects of an executive who has repeatedly demonstrated his willingness to use his political power to further the career of himself and his associates at the expense of public safety is beyond me,” said Tague. “I am shocked to see that the Majority is continuing to empower the governor, even as we are investigating him for multiple potential incidents of illegal and improper conduct. During a time when we should be asserting ourselves as a Legislature after seeing the terrible things that can happen when our state is governed under one-man rule, the Majority has yet again failed to take any meaningful action to curb the governor’s power, and this is one more missed opportunity to take some control back from him for our constituents.”