The Legislature has passed a consensus budget that means more for working families across New York State. By working in an open, bipartisan manner, my colleagues in the Assembly and the Senate - including Senator DeFrancisco ensured a timely, fair budget that invests in health care, education, job creation and stronger communities. The governor needs to step up and work with the Legislature to advance these budget agreements to help New York’s working families.

The Legislature’s bipartisan budget includes:

• a cap on local Medicaid costs - saving Onondaga County $38.2 million through 2007;

• $23 million for capital projects at SUNY Upstate Medical University for the East Wing Ambulatory Cancer Center and other hospital-wide programs;

• $455 million in school aid to Onondaga County schools, helping to maintain programs like BOCES and educating students with disabilities - a $22 million increase over last year;

• $255 in state aid to schools in the 120th Assembly District including:

  • $31.7 million to Baldwinsville - $1.9 million more than last year

  • $21.8 million to West Genesee - $594,772 more than last year

  • $10.4 million to Solvay - $753,864 more than last year

  • $10 million to Westhill - $1.5 million more than last year; and

  • $180.7 million to Syracuse city schools - $10.4 million more than last year;

• a restoration of the aid for local library systems vetoed by the governor last year, including $78,000 for the Onondaga County Public Library System and $5,000 for Syracuse City School District libraries;

• increased aid for local community colleges, which means $752,445 for Onondaga County Community College;

• crucial economic development incentives such as 12 new Empire Zones across the state and a $213 million business tax cut; and

• $49.1 million in municipal aid for the city of Syracuse, the towns of Geddes and Van Buren, and the villages of Solvay and Baldwinsville to help services such as fire and police protection.

The Empire Zones program helps create jobs by bringing businesses to the state, but it has had its problems with mismanagement and a lack of accountability. The Legislature’s budget would address those concerns and help fix its biggest problems, but the governor has expressed concern with the reforms.

I’m not sure what's worse, allowing the Empire Zones program to wallow in mismanagement, or vetoing plans to fix it. The governor would be rejecting a proposal that rewards companies for setting up shop in distressed communities, and offers better incentives for companies that offer high-paying jobs and improve the local economy.

I also very concerned that the governor supports repeated SUNY tuition increases and health care cuts working families simply can’t afford. With this governor, it’s been one wrong choice after another - a very destructive pattern that must be stopped.

It’s clear that the bipartisan legislative budget reflects what is most important to New Yorkers: a top-notch education and quality, affordable health care. I call on Governor Pataki to make the right choice and ratify the first on-time budget in 20 years. If the governor sees it differently, the Legislature stands ready to use its constitutional power to override his vetoes for a fair, responsible budget for every New Yorker.