Assemblyman Dave McDonough (R,C,I – Merrick) yesterday offered an amendment on the Assembly Floor which would have ensured that 5,000 New Yorkers currently working on infrastructure projects throughout the state remained on the job. The amendment was voted down along party lines as the Assembly once again passed budget extenders that will keep the state operational until a budget is passed.

“As the Assembly Transportation Committee’s Ranking Minority Member, I warned my colleagues many weeks ago that thousands of hardworking New Yorkers would be laid off if we did not fund contracts which were agreed to and signed last year,” said Assemblyman McDonough. “The construction firms contracted out to do road improvements throughout the state cannot continue to fund these projects without the money the state owes them; as a result, 5,000 people will be laid off and construction projects to improve roadway safety will be halted indefinitely. As we pass extender after extender, the least the state can do is fund these projects as is our contractual obligation.”

The amendment offered by Assemblyman McDonough would have appropriated $500 million for transportation projects statewide. Of that money, $250 million would have gone to projects started before April 1, 2010 and $250 million would have gone to projects which were agreed to but would have started between April 2 and April 25.

“The failed budget negotiations in Albany should not result in more people being added to the unemployment lines. The Minority Conference and I are trying to put people back to work and keep people working while many of our colleagues only seem interested in looking to see if they can grab power and channel funding to their own pet projects. I can only hope that sooner, rather than later, we will see movement on the budget and construction projects can restart once again,” concluded McDonough.