“It’s time for budget committee hearings in Albany and once again we’re seeing the bloat of overspending and the shadow of the governor’s corruption that’s settled over the state.

“First of all, we need to disregard the governor’s focus on Washington being the source of our economic woes. We have record numbers of people fleeing the state and we rank as the second-most unfriendly business tax climate. These issues have been present for longer than President Trump has been in office and the governor is just deflecting blame from both his failed progressive agenda and his ruinous economic development programs.

“Turning to these issues, our total state budget has increased by nearly $12 billion since 2015 and governor Cuomo is proposing to increase the budget by more than $4 billion this year. We must take a serious look at our spending procedures and where we need to focus that spending. Gov. Cuomo’s progressive philosophy has taken a serious toll on our economy, as the value of state subsidies grew to $4 billion in 2016. Yet some of these job-creating ventures have barely created a thousand jobs, those numbers are frankly insulting.

“Eliminating programs like the Upstate Revitalization Initiative and cutting the $423 million from ads promoting the governor’s failed pet projects like START-UP NY should be high on the list. Throwing money at a problem to try to boost revenue isn’t working; it’s just shoveling taxpayer money into a furnace.

“Secondly, these programs are positively rife with corruption as the ongoing Percoco trial shows us. If someone the governor once called a brother isn’t trustworthy enough to handle these economic development projects, how trustworthy is the person who inspired them?

“We cannot allow programs that are so obviously riddled with corruption to continue; they have failed and are just a blight on the great state of New York. No longer I say.

“Working alongside my associates in the Assembly Minority we have taken steps to restore sanity. From cutting taxes and regulations with the Small Business Full Employment Act to proposing legislation to limit the governor’s spending on ads to advertise his failed pet projects, we’re working ceaselessly to put a stop to this overspending and corruption.

“I have also fought to strip pensions away from corrupt politicians (A05327), why should someone who looted the system get to reap the rewards of their infectious service?

“It’s these reactions to corruption that will turn the tide and change the status quo of corruption in Cuomo’s world. I will continue to stand up for what is right in Albany and that’s making sure our western New York values are heard no matter what the trend in the Capitol is.”