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LISTENING IN
Thomas F. O'Mara
January 26, 2015
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This week the Legislature’s fiscal committees commence joint, public hearings on Governor Andrew Cuomo’s 2015-16 proposed state budget. These extensive, often daylong hearings will continue throughout February.
That means we’re going to keep learning more and more about the governor’s plan for New York’s future, short and long term, as the hearings highlight additional information and dissect detail after detail.
Like I said, they can stretch into daylong affairs, but for anyone interested in tuning in, I’ve posted the schedule and links to livestreams HERE. [Note that the previously scheduled Tuesday, January 27th hearing has been postponed due to the severe winter storm that's hitting the downstate region. The January 27th hearing has been rescheduled to Wednesday, February 25th, beginning at 9:30 a.m.]
My first reaction after listening to the governor deliver his new fiscal plan in Albany last week still holds: The governor’s blueprint is not aggressive enough on addressing Upstate’s priority challenges, and it’s not aggressive enough on creating Southern Tier jobs. I don’t see where he’s going aggressively enough after the root causes of Upstate’s decline, which means high taxes, overregulation and unfunded state mandates that have driven up property taxes.
That’s the fundamental shortcoming as I see it, and it’s where I’ll be urging my colleagues to focus.
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Go to Newsroom!["Endless executive orders have failed New Yorkers in egregious ways. Governor Cuomo can no longer be allowed to sit in Albany and issue directive after directive after directive without any regard for legislative checks and balances, or local input. The latest Albany Democrat scam being approved on Friday will keep it all in place until who knows when,” said Senator O'Mara. Endless executive orders have failed New Yorkers in egregious ways. Governor Cuomo can no longer be allowed to sit in Albany and issue directive after directive after directive without any regard for legislative checks and balances, or local input.”](/sites/default/files/styles/760x377/public/article/main-image/floor-candid_0.jpg?itok=AiiyH58q)
!["Now is no time to ignore funding for critical public health responses. Thousands upon thousands of New Yorkers suffer from Lyme Disease annually, yet Governor Cuomo's proposed budget fails to offer a penny of funding to help combat the spread of this disease. That's unacceptable and this Legislature must act in the absence of executive leadership," said Senator O'Mara. "Now is no time to ignore funding for critical public health responses. Thousands upon thousands of New Yorkers suffer from Lyme Disease annually, yet Governor Cuomo's proposed budget fails to offer a penny of funding to help combat the spread of this disease. That's unacceptable and this Legislature must act in the absence of executive leadership.](/sites/default/files/styles/760x377/public/article/main-image/talkticks.jpeg?itok=PVd-GXAe)
![In a joint statement, O’Mara and Palmesano said, “We have always stood together with New York’s county and town highway superintendents, and local leaders, and we will continue to do everything we can to raise awareness and call for legislative support. Local roads are essential. State investment in our local transportation infrastructure is critical to the future of local communities, economies, environments, governments and taxpayers.” In a joint statement, O’Mara and Palmesano said, “We have always stood together with New York’s county and town highway superintendents, and local leaders, and we will continue to do everything we can to raise awareness and call for legislative support. Local roads are essential. State investment in our local transportation infrastructure is critical to the future of local communities, economies, environments, governments and taxpayers.”](/sites/default/files/styles/760x377/public/article/main-image/localroads-tom-podium_0.jpg?itok=kPMGt06U)