CARDS ON THE TABLE
Acting commissioner says state facing a major budget challenge
GLENS FALLS, N.Y. » State spending under Gov. Andrew Cuomo has risen less than 2 percent annually, the lowest rate since the Rockefeller years in the 1960s and early 70s.
Cuomo, who is seeking reelection, has also pledged to cut taxes, while trying to close a $4 billion budget gap. How is that possible? “Stay tuned to January 16 and I think we’ll see the answer to that,” said Terri Egan, acting state Department of Motor Vehicles commissioner, who visited Glens Falls on Monday to outline the governor’s budget proposals. Nearly 100 local business and elected leaders turned out at Crandall Public Library for the presentation.
The event, hosted by Warren County Economic Development Corp., was originally scheduled to feature state Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon, but she was unable to attend because of an illness.
Cuomo unveiled wideranging new initiatives, from school lunch programs to ma-
jor infrastructure projects, in his 2018 State of the State Address last week. On Jan. 16, he’ll explain how to pay for them when detailing his proposed spending plan.
“The governor has taken a very broad approach to keeping our state spending very low, encouraging local governments to keep their taxes low, with shared services and reduced costs,” Egan said. “The governor is very committed to having a positive impact, particularly on our middle class.”
In a power-point presentation, Egan showed examples of large capital projects across New York totaling $100 billion in recent years. These include the new Tappan Zee Bridge, large airport upgrades in Rochester, Syracuse, Plattsburgh and the Elmira-Corning area, new train stations, the Albany Convention Center, and plans for a $50 million new expo center at the state fairgrounds in Syracuse, the largest facility of its kind north of New York City.
Egan also touted a declining state unemployment rate, currently 4.7 percent, and a record high 8.1 million private sector jobs.
But Cuomo’s Republican critics say New York is still one of the country’s highest-taxed states, which has prompted 1 million people move elsewhere since 2010.
“A lot of people believe it’s because economically, we’re not competitive, said Assemblyman Dan Stec, R-Queensbury, who represents northwest Saratoga County. “That’s not to stay he (Cuomo) hasn’t slowed down the rate of spending or debt. Those numbers are the numbers. But where do we still stack up with the rest of the country?”
Stec said closing the budget gap will require “looking for big chunks,” not “paper clips and office supplies.”
“Medicaid spending in New York is higher than Texas and Florida combined and they each have more people than we do,” he said. “We need to be asking ourselves why, and what should we be doing to get it more in line? If you’re looking to close a $4 billion gap, that’s an excellent place to start.
“The federal government and what they’re doing with the tax code isn’t causing our spending,” Stec said. “It’s calling out our spending. We need to have an honest self-examination of the state and how and where we spend money.”
Cuomo’s Jan. 16 budget talk will be followed by numerous hearings on all aspects of the spending plan, before going to various legislative committees, and them majority and minority conferences. The budget is scheduled for adoption by April 1.