The shutdown of New York State government was averted Monday night, but not without the hijinks voters have come to expect from Albany.
And then it was over — three months overdue. After 12 emergency budget bills the Legislature finally passed its budget.
“This entire scenario for the last three months has been unconscionable, disgraceful,” said Sen. Frank Padavan, R-Queens.
It was the threat of the 13th budget extender from Gov. David Paterson, which the Legislature refused to accept Monday, that forced the Senate and the Assembly to pass the final agency spending bills, bills that were more generous than the governor’s.
Assembly Speaker Silver and Senate Leader John Sampson decided to pass their own budget bills Monday, with extra money for homeless shelters, community colleges and education. The $600 million in extra education aid will include $177 million for New York City.
“In terms of education, higher education opportunity, we believe our budget is the right budget for New Yorkers under these difficult fiscal circumstances,” Silver said.
Silver had no trouble passing the bills in his House, but the Senate was up to its usual hijinks.
Several times Monday Bronx Sen. Ruben Diaz threatened to withhold his votes.
“Thirty-two members — that’s 32 different monsters with different constituencies, with different projections, with different needs,” Diaz said.
Paterson has threatened to veto things he doesn’t like, including $193 million in pork barrel items. And although government won’t be shut down, neither will the budget.
(Source: WCBSTV)
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One Response
Are you sure the budget itself was not a “hijink”? Consider the related article in YWN about the “pork” our community is getting.
An interesting thought, if there ever was a frum “tea party” movement, the first thing we would have to do would be to “turn” on our own commmunities’ representatives.