ALBANY—As threatened, a coalition of education groups announced on the (cold!) Capitol steps they have sued David Paterson, saying his decision to stall education payments (which were to be sent Tuesday) is unconstitutional.
The suit says that Educational Law requires the governor to make payments on a fixed schedule, that he is Read More
ALBANY—On the radio this morning, David Paterson continued with his more-fiscally-responsible-than-the-legislature theme.
“People have got to get real serious at how serious this financial crisis is,” he said on WBEN in Buffalo. He reiterated his belief that a deficit reduction plan passed earlier this week does not go far enough–he acquiesced to Read More
ALBANY—We’ll see you in court, governor, if you do delay the payments.
State Senator Eric Schneiderman held a conference call with reporters Thursday afternoon to say that David Paterson stands on legally dubious ground when he says he will unilaterally delay payments to localities and schools. The governor has threatened to do so, saying Read More
ALBANY—Does anyone like this deficit deal? Anyone?
Below are the roll calls from the State Assembly, where a measure to offer amnesty to delinquent taxpayers passed with only two dissenters—Republicans Jim Hayes and Will Barclay. The two other bills comprising the deficit reduction plan passed 106-32, largely, though not completely, along party Read More
ALBANY—David Paterson is back on the radio this morning, attacking state legislators who have enacted a deficit reduction agreement which he said he intends to sign.
“What has disturbed me is that we’ve had more conversations about the political consequences if we vote for these cuts rather than the consequences for western New York,” Read More
ALBANY—Here’s some early morning reading: a $2.8 billion deficit reduction package.
The Assembly passed two bills containing this these measures last night. Here are links to the main bill, and another.
The highlights, as distilled by the Associated Press:
-$1.6 billion in cuts and temporary cash transfers from agencies to Read More
ALBANY—It was midnight in the Capitol, and according to Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, the bills on a deficit reduction plan were still “somewhere in the printing process.”
“I mean, it’s the same base bill that’s been drafted and distributed for weeks. What’s printing is working on another version of that,” Silver said in Read More
ALBANY—Rick Lazio said he doesn’t see himself as a third-party candidate for governor.
“I haven’t really considered that point, because I don’t think I’ll ever get there. I’m really confident we’ll have the Republican nomination and the Conservative nomination,” Lazio told me by phone this afternoon. He’s taking all the attention he can Read More
ALBANY—Here’s David Paterson’s dance: he knows he’s not going to do any better than the $2.8 billion deficit reduction package legislators have agreed to, but he has to attack it so he can keep up his message that he’s a fiscal hawk, and tamer of the unruly legislature.
“I would not describe it Read More
ALBANY—Forget noon–there’s no bill codifying the supposed deal to bridge $2.8 billion of deficit.
“We have not seen that bill,” Senate Republican Leader Dean Skelos just said on WGDJ. He has scheduled a conference of his members at 10:30 to review a bill he was told existed. The session was scheduled for noon.
