Assembly Minority Leader Brian M. Kolb (R,I,C-Canandaigua) and the Assembly Minority Conference held a press conference today in the State Capitol to outline their real solutions to close New York's $3.2 billion budget deficit. During this morning's press conference, Kolb utilized charts to visualize the real solutions his Conference has offered to close the budget shortfall.
"In case you missed it, beginning back in March, our Conference repeatedly warned that an unsustainable growth in government spending and $8.2 billion in job-killing taxes and fees would explode the budget deficit. That is exactly what happened and is why our entire Conference voted against the 2009-10 State Budget that was crafted without our involvement or input," Kolb said.
"Beginning in July, I publicly and repeatedly called for public, five-way Legislative Leaders' meetings to specifically address the state's worsening budget. My calls went ignored as revenues declined and the budget deficit grew even bigger," Kolb stated.
"I offered a list of specific, non-partisan suggestions to Governor Paterson back on October 13 to close New York's budget deficit. Now, here we are on November 17, our second week of a Special Session that, so far, hasn't been very special. In fact, it's been a colossal waste of time and money. The Legislature must take action. Our Conference is here working and we have, again, offered our solutions. It's time others joined us by doing the same," Kolb said.
"During the debate on the 2009-10 State Budget in March, I warned that it would be an 'unmitigated disaster.' Inevitably, April's reckless and unaffordable state government spending spree, coupled with job-killing tax hikes on families and business, put New York State in a head-on fiscal wreck," said Assemblyman Jim Hayes (R-Amherst), Ranking Minority Member on the Assembly Ways and Means Committee.
"The Majorities in both houses, after perpetrating this disastrous and unaffordable budget, all stubbornly refused to face up to the reality of the fiscal wreck they created, while over the last month Leader Kolb and our Conference offered a series of substantive, non-partisan solutions to solve this crisis. The Majorities in both houses retreated behind closed doors and refused to offer any ideas. Their refusal to lead is shameful and continues to cost New York taxpayers dearly," Hayes concluded.