Senate Democrats Ask Senate Republicans To Call Off “Wasteful” Second Day Of Session

ALBANY, NY – (August 5, 2008) –The fuel and per diem costs for this Friday’s special session is a waste of taxpayer money, said State Senator Neil Breslin (D-Albany), repeating his call for the Senate Republican Majority to cancel the August 8 session.

Breslin urged Republican Senators last week to only attend Governor David A. Paterson’s special "economic session" scheduled for August 19. This week Senate Democratic Leader Malcolm A. Smith has joined Breslin in calling for the one day of session.
 
Last week, Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Center) called Senators back to session to reopen dialogue on fiscal reforms on Friday, August 8. The move will piggyback a Tuesday, August 19 special "economic" session Governor David A. Paterson called for after declaring the state was in a recession. Senate Democrats are asking that the Senate only convene for the Governor's scheduled day in session which would give lawmakers enough time to look at property tax relief and revisit the budget.
 
"Needless spending shouldn't be our first course of action when dealing with a fiscal crisis," said Senator Breslin. "There is no reason to take two days for something that requires only one. It's wasteful to call back the Legislature twice to speak on the same topic."
 
With a looming $6.4 billion state deficit, Governor Paterson has ordered all executive agencies to reduce spending by $630 million and put in place a hard hiring freeze. The Governor has asked that the legislature consider another $600 million in cuts to produce a combined savings of $1.2 billion, both eliminating this year's budget shortfalls and reducing projected gaps in the 2009-10 budget.
 
"We sounded the alarm on the state's fiscal needs last November and since then we have continued to push our plans to control state spending and get a grip on property taxes," said Senate Democratic Leader Malcolm A. Smith (D-St. Albans). "I thought we should have not ended this past session until we reached an agreement on property tax relief to help thousands of New Yorkers struggling to stay in their homes. Our message is we need to get something done now, it does not take two days to do the right thing."
 
The Governor has publicly stated that everything is on the table for possible cuts. Given the fiscal situation, the cost of gasoline and per diem to be paid to lawmakers in session, the last thing legislators should be doing is ferrying between Albany and their districts, Senator Breslin said.
 
Some senators could be driving as many as 320 miles one way to make it to Albany. With gas prices averaging $4 per gallon, the costs to tax payers could add up quickly.
 
Likewise, the $600 million in additional cuts the governor is asking could include a number of services that aid and assist districts and economies statewide, Senator Breslin said. All though Senate Democrats have had a course of action to address the state's fiscal crisis for some time, Senators now need as much hands-on time in their districts as possible before coming to the table.
 
The Governor's emergency session on August 19th gives lawmakers ample time to deal with the fiscal crisis while saving taxpayers money; "tax payers who are in the same financial binds the state is now in," Senator Breslin said.
 
Senator Breslin added: "The Democratic conference has been hard at work weighing our options and forming a plan to deal with the state's fiscal crisis. This week lawmakers will be running over the numbers again and again as we look to balance the needs of our constituents with the needs of the state."
 
 Senator Smith said: "We've been told by Governor Paterson what the state's needs are. Now we need to take the time to weight the needs of our respective districts and communities and bring them to the negotiating table and reach an agreement that best serves all New Yorkers. "