“The governor’s address today failed to address some very critical areas. Most importantly, he failed to address the need to fix the disastrous new bail and discovery laws which is already having wreaking havoc and compromising public safety in communities all around New York state. He didn’t emphasize the importance of providing needed property tax, regulatory and unfunded mandate relief for families, farmers, small business owners and manufacturers. Although, he mentioned the importance of a robust Downstate Five-Year MTA Capital Plan, he has failed to mention or release a Five-Year DOT Capital Plan to improve our Upstate roads and bridges and whether they will receive the same level of attention and funding as the MTA.

“I look forward to analyzing the governor’s upcoming budget proposal to get a clearer idea of how he plans to pay for his plans, but right now, I’m certainly not encouraged,” said Palmesano.