ALBANY—City Council Speaker Christine Quinn spent her day in Albany lobbying legislators and the governor's staff about the need to restore New York City's municipal aid payment and education funding. I caught Quinn meeting outside the office of Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith with Angelo Aponte, secretary of the Senate. I asked Quinn how the Read More
ALBANY—City Council Speaker Christine Quinn spent her day in Albany lobbying legislators and the governor's staff about the need to restore New York City's municipal aid payment and education funding.
I caught Quinn meeting outside the office of Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith with Angelo Aponte, secretary of the Senate. I asked Quinn how the Read More
It's Day Two of a passive-aggressive blitz by the Paterson administration to make their case that funding should be shifted from hospitals—on whose behalf there has been intense lobbying in the form of extensive, anti-Paterson advertising—to preventive care and health clinics.
David Paterson returned Friday morning to one such institution—the William F. Ryan Clinic—in Read More
ALBANY—Another of the state's well-funded unions is hitting the air with a budget ad, one that is less personally directed at David Paterson than ads released last week by health care advocates.
But the spot does make a push for the so-called "millionaire's tax," which Paterson has not clearly supported.
New York State United Teachers Read More
ALBANY—Two health care organizations, including the state's largest union, are beginning a multi-million dollar political campaign opposing David Paterson's proposed cuts to hospitals and nursing homes.
"It is clear that we have our backs to the wall," said Kenneth Raske, president of the Greater New York Hospital Association, at a press conference to unveil Read More
ALBANY—Another new tax?
As Mayor Michael Bloomberg testified before a joint legislative budget hearing, he included among his proposals to raise funds to make up proposed cuts for New York City a five cent tax on plastic shopping bags.
"By implementing a small fee, we would generate $100 million a year and encourage New Read More
ALBANY—As is turns out, more hunters vote than pheasants.
The governor's office just announced David Paterson is looking to keep open the Reynolds Pheasant Farm, outside of Ithaca, despite earlier plans to close the state-run facility and hand out the birds. Apparently, there was not, in fact, a pheasant in every pot this Christmas. Read More
ALBANY—Now, David Paterson seems very much like a man looking to reach an accommodation with his liberal critics over the budget.
In a conference call with reporters, Paterson said, "If you listen to the opponents of this deficit, and you ask them, what's your proposal, they may talk about personal income taxes."
Of course, if Read More
ALBANY—To the list of interest groups falling out with David Paterson over the budget, add the uniformed court officers.
The governor's office this afternoon announced a veto of a measure that would have given court officers the same powers as policemen.
"The broad powers that court officers already have as peace officers should Read More
ALBANY—It sounds as if David Paterson might be tired of this particular argument.
He called a conference call this afternoon for reporters--which started an hour late--because, he said, "just, my sense, that the full story of our economic crisis is not fully appreciated."
"They're not recognizing that his is 2008," said of opponents of the Read More
ALBANY—The state largest union, SEIU 1199, has released the opening salvo in what's sure to be a long slog over David Paterson's proposed budget.
It doesn't single out any political leader by name, but pushes "fair share tax reform," with increases for those earning over $250,000.
A Siena Poll released today shows 61 percent of Read More
ALBANY—Oh, now he's done it.
This was supposed to be a budget battle, over technical minutiae on Medicaid reimbursement streams and Wick's Law, to make all but the biggest government geek's eyes glaze over.
But there they were, right on pages 125 through 136 of a budget briefing binder: new taxes and fees on Read More
ALBANY—The legislative leaders have responded to David Paterson's proposed budget.
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver's position was unspecific. He acknowledged the need for cuts and praised the governor for his proposal, but parried question after question from reporters, saying that his members and staff are reviewing the proposal.
"We'll review all of his proposals and Read More
ALBANY—When David Paterson was asked about why he chose to focus on 88 new and increased sales taxes and fees as opposed to a broader income tax increase, he said it was because he was afraid more people would leave New York.
"If you're going to tax, you've got to tax at a time Read More
ALBANY—In an address to policymakers
"On July 23rd, we warned all New Yorkers that we would have the worst fiscal crisis since the Great Depression," Paterson said as he asked lawmakers to pass the budget by March 1-- instead of,as usual, April 1--to save $1.3 billion.
"We in New York State government have Read More
