Responding to a statement from Governor Paterson, Senator Malcolm Smith and Speaker Silver stating that state revenues would decrease another $2.2 billion by the end of fiscal year 2009-10, Assemblyman Dave McDonough (R, C, I – Merrick) again called for the three New York City legislative leaders to open up the budget process by coming out from behind closed doors and allowing the minorities in the Senate and Assembly an opportunity to offer suggestions on New York’s fiscal future. Specifically, McDonough called for Governor Paterson to allow the minority leaders from both houses to help him trim the budget during the current troubled economy with its decreasing tax revenues.

“With just one week until the budget is supposed to be passed, it is not surprising that the governor and the Majority leaders in the legislature would come out with this news,” said Assemblyman McDonough. “Throughout this entire budget process, the majority leaders have repeatedly said that they are not interested in cutting government spending and would rather increase taxes on all New Yorkers. I hope that they will not use this revenue forecast as an excuse to increase taxes in the middle of the night next week and then leave town without answering any questions from the media or public.”

According to the governor’s office, after the passage of the 2008-09 Deficit Reduction Plan, the State’s projected 2009-10 budget gap totaled $13 billion. Since that time, state tax revenues are projected to decline by an additional $2.2 billion through the end of the 2009-10 fiscal year. When combined with the impact of the $1 billion loss in tax collections agreed to through the revenue consensus process on February 24, projected revenues have declined by a total of $3.2 billion.

“Now is the time for all voices to be allowed into the budget negotiating process, in order to bring some clarity and common sense to this debacle,” continued McDonough. “The minority leaders have already offered over $1 billion in spending cuts and there are many more ways we can work together in a bipartisan manner to make further cuts and solve this state’s budget crisis. We cannot tax our way out of this situation and I will be a vocal opponent of any income tax increases, just as I spoke out against all 137 of the governor’s tax increase proposals for this year.”

For more information on Governor Paterson’s announcement, please visit http://www.state.ny.us/governor/press/index.html.