Sen. Aubertine Joins Gov. David Paterson On Watertown Visit

North Country visit is the first town hall meeting to discuss budget since State of the State

WATERTOWN (January 11, 2009)—State Sen. Darrel J. Aubertine today applauded Gov. David A. Paterson for kicking off his series of town hall meetings on the 2009-10 proposed Executive Budget right here in Northern New York.

"I’m very pleased that our governor continues to make good on his commitments to keep the North Country’s issues and concerns in the dialogue as we move forward on the budget," Sen. Aubertine said. "This is the first stop in a series of town hall meetings after the release of the budget and the State of the State address, and it will give him a better idea of our concerns in Upstate. This meeting was a great opportunity for residents of the North Country to share their concerns and questions with the governor first."

Gov. Paterson released his proposed budget five weeks early this year to get a head start on the state’s fiscal crisis. It includes a $121 billion spending plan, using a combination of spending cuts and new revenue sources to close an estimated $15.7 billion budget gap.

"He has made it very clear that these are tough times and we’re going to have to make tough decisions," Sen. Aubertine said. "This is an opportunity for all of us to act and make the changes we need to make for the good of our state. Everything is on the table, but we must also take steps to limit the effect we have on local governments and the vital services our citizens depend on."

Sen. Aubertine has expressed concerns in the media, with his colleagues and to the governor’s office regarding some of the proposals—including the closing of the Reynolds Game Farm, the effect of proposed Empire Zone reforms on certain upstate businesses, the impact of the so-called Bigger Better Bottle Bill on small businesses, and the effect that proposed taxes and fee hikes would have on the middle class.

However, to help address the shortfalls, the senator has also proposed easing state mandates to allow schools and municipalities to use revenue more efficiently and asked that his colleagues to consider consolidation of certain state agencies and authorities which overlap services or missions.

"It’s important that the governor came here to listen to our issues and hear our ideas about next year’s budget," Sen. Aubertine said. "Few people if any are happy with the proposed budget as a whole. Even the governor said he has not been pleased with the idea of cutting programs he had fought for over the years, but we need to work together and consider all ideas and alternatives that will help us to bridge the gap we face. I’m thankful that Gov. Paterson chose to make us his first stop and I look forward to working with him and my colleagues to get our state on the right track."