Larkin Comments On Executive Budget

Senator Bill Larkin (R-C, Cornwall-on-Hudson) said that the Executive Budget released today by Governor Eliot Spitzer reflects many of the Senate Majority’s priorities for the State.

"Our number one budget priority will be fighting for greater property tax relief," said Senator Larkin. "We recognize how hard New Yorkers have to work just to pay their property taxes and we have some very specific goals this year such as tripling the size of the rebate checks taxpayers received last year. This budget is a starting point. It requires a closer look at our other priorities as well.

"The Senate will undertake an extensive review of the Executive Budget over the next several weeks and prepare our response and recommendations so we can enact a budget by the April first deadline. My priorities this year again will be tax relief, education and ensuring that funds are distributed where they are needed in a fair and responsible fashion. I will also focus on ways to ensure that New Yorkers have access to quality, affordable health care, and that we make important capital investments in transportation, higher education and other areas.

"The Senate has already put forward several proposals that are extremely important to our constituents, including a plan to provide $6 billion in property tax relief over two years directly to the taxpayers. We have proposed a comprehensive economic development plan that would help small businesses create new jobs, especially in Upstate New York. Yesterday, the Senate proposed a plan to make higher education more affordable and keep students in New York after they graduate. We will continue to advocate for these plans and work to include them in the final budget.

"There is record new spending in the Governor's budget and an obvious question is can we afford these increases? We don’t know yet and the Senate has been clear that increased spending cannot come at the cost of raising taxes.

The Governor’s proposed budget did not include any economic development initiatives to boost the Upstate economy. This is troubling. In fact, rather than provide businesses with investments and tax relief, as the Senate has proposed, the Governor’s budget includes about $500 million in increased fees and assessments.

One thing is certain. We need to work together in a way that serves the best interests of all the people of this state."