BUDGET TIME

On the economic and fiscal reform fronts, several of Governor Cuomo's key 2014-15 state budget proposals are in step with my own overriding priorities: upstate economic growth and community development, and overall state fiscal reform.  

In particular, I've long promoted tax and regulatory relief as one way to spark a revitalization of Upstate New York’s manufacturing sector. As the governor previously announced, his proposed budget includes a series of tax cuts aimed at upstate manufacturers and pledges a focus on regulatory reform.

I've been saying it, and I’ll keep on saying it: New York government needs to stay focused, more than anything else, on taking action after action on long-term fiscal discipline, manufacturing job growth and eliminating the crushing burdens of mandates, regulations and taxes.  

Let’s get this job done. For me, this is where it begins and ends. From building strong families to creating thriving, vibrant communities, all that we hope to accomplish for a secure and successful future starts with and depends on a strong and sustainable 21st-century Upstate economy.  An aggressive commitment to the future of Upstate New York is priority number one.

I'm also on board with the governor's call to revisit the implementation of the state’s Common Core educational standards -- something that's been taking hold, on a bipartisan basis, throughout the Legislature over the past few months.

We’ve been hearing from thousands of educators, parents and students locally and all across New York State. The Common Core implementation has been a disaster.  I strongly agree that we need to go back and take a good, hard look at what this is doing to our students and their families, as well as to the overall quality of our school districts.

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