The 2011 legislative session made several significant advances on the agenda to put New York back on the map. An on-time state budget, strong ethics laws, more affordable power, and a property tax cap are just some of the highlights from a successful,...

The legislative session in Albany is drawing to a close and there is still a tremendous amount of work to be done. We have a short period of time to complete the unfinished business that Long Islanders deserve to have resolved so that New York can get...

New York State’s buying power is equivalent to a Fortune 100 company. That’s according to Howard Glaser, the director of state operations who has been charged by Governor Cuomo with eliminating gross inefficiencies in our state government. His recent...

Since the beginning of the year, Governor Andrew Cuomo and the Assembly Majority have been going back and forth on several key issues important to taxpayers. Speaker Shelly Silver and the majority have tried their best to deflect some of these issues,...

Over the past week, I have begun an in-depth review of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s proposed 2011-2012 executive budget, a budget that offers some key reductions and other recommendations to cut a projected $10 billion deficit in its 1,000-plus pages. I...

As many of you have undoubtedly been hearing in the news lately, it is a foregone conclusion that New York’s budget for fiscal year 2010-11 will be passed after the April 1 deadline. What is uncertain, however, is when that budget will be passed and...

Just this week, Governor Paterson came out and said New York may miss March payments by as much as $2.1 billion due to various delays in revenue and lower than anticipated participation from taxpayers in his tax amnesty program. This announcement came...

Last week, I told Governor Paterson and my constituents that this year’s budget must look at what the state can afford and what is absolutely necessary for the continued survival of this state while also providing essential services to New Yorkers....

Last week, I had the privilege of hearing Governor Paterson’s second State of the State address in the Assembly Chamber before a packed house of guests and legislators. His address set a tone of urgency, which, in our resent circumstances, is the right...

In recent months, Governor Paterson and Comptroller DiNapoli hit the alarm notifying New York residents that the state was facing a budget deficit for the current fiscal year of between $3.2 billion and $4 billion, depending on who you asked. To solve...