Griffo Comment on Assembly Power Sharing Proposal

Sheldon Silver needs to step down from his post as Assembly speaker. This cockamamie idea where five people are going to take turns negotiating on behalf of their conference is going to severely undermine the effectiveness of the budget process. It’s too important to the people of New York that we deliver an on-time budget.

This proposed power sharing is never going to work. Here’s why: In negotiations, compromises are inevitably made. It’s a give-and-take, in which one area of the budget sustains a cut so another can receive funding. How in the world are we going to make progress if five people need to negotiate among themselves before they can negotiate with the governor and the Senate?

It’s unconscionable that Speaker Silver is going to throw his entire chamber into disarray because he’s unwilling to cede control to his second-in-command. For the sake of New Yorkers and the efficiency of the budget process, it’s time for Silver to do the right thing and step down as Speaker.