The Remarks of Speaker Sheldon Silver

Agreement on Congestion Mitigation/Campaign Finance

250 Broadway, Manhattan
Thursday, July 19, 2007

Audio Excerpt 1  (46 seconds) View Transcript

The legislation currently being drafted establishes the New York City Traffic Congestion Mitigation Commission, whose job it will be to review existing proposals and implement the best possible plan for alleviating traffic congestion.

After long and intensive negotiations, I and my Assembly colleagues in New York City and its suburbs (the delegation that represents the areas in question), have worked with Governor Spitzer, with Mayor Bloomberg, with Senator Bruno and our colleagues in the Senate, to initiate a process that gives the Assembly, the Senate, as well as the City Council the opportunity to engage in thoughtful consideration of this congestion issue without jeopardizing federal aid.

There are two critical points that you need to understand.

The Assembly Majority has advocated from the beginning that there can be no conversation about mitigating congestion without a plan for enhancing our public transportation system.

At our insistence, this legislation will contain a provision that the MTA's five-year capital plan as well as the state's road and bridge plan will be accelerated. All future conversations regarding traffic congestion will have to include plans for financing capital improvements to mass transit as well as our to our roads and bridges.

This is critical.

We cannot reduce traffic congestion;

We cannot protect the health of the citizens of New York, especially our children;

We cannot build a greater and a greener New York;

Without expanding and improving mass transit.

The second point that you must remember is this:

We cannot move forward with a congestion mitigation plan unless this city receives support from Washington.

Let me assure you, although agreement has been reached, the debate and the negotiations have just begun.

Despite the criticism, the members of the Assembly and the Senate as well as the members of the City Council have a right and, in fact, an obligation to critique and contribute to the final congestion mitigation plan.

On a separate note, let me say that I, as a longtime champion of public campaign financing, am pleased that this State will also be making historic reforms to our campaign finance laws.

These two agreements complement what has already been a very successful legislative session, one that has produced historic increases in school aid, reform of our worker's compensation system, property-tax relief across the state, and continued revenue sharing with the City of New York.

There is still work to do.

We will continue to work with Governor Spitzer, our colleagues in the Senate, the Mayor and all of our local government leaders to address those issues that are still on the table, such as Wicks Law reform, property tax relief for seniors, and much-needed investments in higher education and economic development to strengthen our Upstate economy.

Now, I will take your questions.