Fighting For Budget Reform In Albany - A Special Report on the 2010-2011 State Budget Process

Fighting For Budget Reform In Albany
A Special Report on the
2010-2011 State Budget Process

Assemblyman Will Barclay
200 North Second Street
Fulton, NY 13069
(315) 598-5185
barclaw@assembly.state.ny.us

Albany Office:
546 Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12248
(518) 455-5841

Dear Neighbor,

At this time of the year, I wish I had positive news to report about the 2010-11 State Budget. In January, bold promises were made by the governor and legislative leaders in Albany that this year’s budget was going to be a responsible one that would be negotiated in an open and transparent manner. Unfortunately for the citizens of New York state, that did not come to pass and it could be argued that this has been the worst budgetary process on record in New York State. This is especially tragic due to the fact that New York is in a financial crisis and real leadership was and is still needed to help pull us out of this mess.

Times of crisis perhaps best illustrate when an institution has systematic problems and during this fiscal crisis, the problems of New York State’s budget process were fully illuminated. There were little or no negotiations over this year’s budget. There was no transparency--no public hearings and limited debate. As a result, the budget that is in place spends too much, taxes too much, fails to address Upstate New York’s economic development needs, and provides no direction as to how New York is going to get on the road to prosperity.

It is for these reasons that I feel so strongly about the need to reform our budget process. Included in this mailer are ideas that, if enacted, will result in state budgets that are timely and fiscally responsible. If you have any additional ideas regarding how to reform our budget process, please set them forth in the space provided and return to my office. I appreciate any response or comments you may have.

Very truly yours,

Will Barclay
Member of Assembly
124th District

New York State’s Fiscal Condition

When local taxes are combined with state taxes, New York State has the 2nd highest tax burden in the U.S., 34% higher than the U.S. average.
If State Budget spending had been kept at the rate of inflation since 1999, New York’s budget would be $39 billion lower, which could have prevented this year’s $9.2 billion budget deficit and lowered the overall tax burden.
New York State pays more than $6 billion a year to service its debt, and in four years, it will be over $7 billion. With $1 out of every $10 in state tax revenues being used to service New York’s growing debt, it is clear why we cannot afford to borrow.

How to Reform the Budget Process
and Restore the State’s Economy

In order to properly reform the State Budget process, I support the following proposals:

Require that the previous year’s budget is put in place no later than 72 hours after the start of a new fiscal year to ensure that we have an on-time budget.
Prohibit any consideration of non-budget bills after the April 1 deadline if the state budget has not been passed.
Establish term limits on leadership positions in the Assembly and Senate.
Establish a spending cap that limits the growth of state spending year to year.
Require a super-majority (2/3) vote for final passage of any bill that imposes a new tax.
Prohibit legislative recess until the budget is passed.
Place a moratorium on member items, or “pork barrel spending”, during a state budget fiscal crisis.
Mandate that all bills brought to a vote in the Assembly include information on the financial impacts of their passage.
Reform Medicaid services to end the fraud that wastes nearly $4 billion every year.
Temporarily halt state government purchases of private land.
Consolidate and streamline state agencies.
Uphold the 2007 budget reforms that required the budget process to be open and transparent with legislative joint conference committee meetings, ending the ‘three men in a room’ process.
NO NEW TAXES OR FEES, REDUCE GOVERNMENT SPENDING, STOP BORROWING.

I have long said that the closed budget process has always been the root of New York’s fiscal problems. Year in and year out, the rank-and-file members of the Legislature and their constituents are left in the dark while our state’s fiscal policy is decided on.

As a result, the state budget deficit ballooned to $9.2 billion this year, and the state’s overall debt is now over $57 billion. I believe that these reform proposals are the first steps toward bringing back fiscal restraint to New York State government.

In Albany, I will continue to fight for these reforms that will help bring families, businesses, and jobs back to New York.