Press release:
Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R, C -Batavia) is disappointed with the proposed “conceptual budget” following a review of the proposals released by the governor’s office. The proposal, which has yet to be finalized for debate on the Assembly Floor, suggests a spending count of $229 billion, much of which goes to downstate-exclusive endeavors like spending on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and free buses for New York City. Hawley is unsurprised upstate New York is once again forgotten come budget time.
“It’s, of course, disappointing, but it’s not surprising; the downstate majority always puts its needs before those of the entire state,” Hawley said. “The spending proposal is not just a lot, it’s egregious. It’s more than what either Texas or Florida spends despite both states having larger populations than New York. Whoever recommended this unsustainable spending calendar clearly does not know what New York needs to succeed.”
“The answers to stop our overspending problem and manage our state’s debts are straightforward, yet this majority party continues to ignore them. And as they do, they continue to drive people away from New York,” Hawley concluded.
