Gloomy projections for the state’s deficit is a key issue facing the State Legislature and one Assemblyman has presented an idea to tackle the issue.
Assemblyman James Tedisco, R-Schenectady, wrote a letter to Governor-Elect Andrew Cuomo about the seriousness of fiscal issues facing New York State in the coming years. In the letter, Tedisco suggested making an 18-member bi-partisan deficit reduction commission through an executive order from the Governor’s office. Over the next year, the state’s deficit is projected to grow to $9 billion and Tedisco said the three-year projection totals a $38.5 billion deficit.
I am ready to stand with you on many of the fiscal issues you ran on: capping property taxes, cutting job-killing taxes and putting New Yorkers back to work, reducing spending and eliminating debt and our state’s growing budget deficit, said Tedisco in his letter to Cuomo.
The `New York State Deficit Reduction and Fiscal Responsibility Commission` would include six members appointed by governor, including two co-chairs consisting of a Democrat and a Republican, three members chosen by the speaker of the Assembly, three members selected by the Assembly minority leader, three members selected by the Senate majority leader and three members picked by the Senate minority leader. These individuals would then submit a report to the governor and Legislature with ideas to act upon.
`Governor-Elect Cuomo has an opportunity to bring fiscal discipline to state government,` said Tedisco in a statement. `A bi-partisan commission could bring together some of the state’s most respected leaders to take a magnifying glass to state government and find solutions to eliminate our staggering deficit,` said Tedisco.
Tedisco based his recommendation off the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, which was established by President Barack Obama to deal with similar issues on a national level.
`We can’t do it the same way we have been doing it in the past,` said Tedisco. `This is a governor (Cuomo) that is not a steam roller and a person that thinks before he acts.`
When asked who should sit on the panel, Tedisco said members of Academia, individuals with business experience and elected officials. He said Cuomo could choose to make the panel any way he desires, with less or more members, but he merely offered a suggestion.
`When you have an addiction you need some outside intervention,` said Tedisco. `I don’t think it is ever a bad thing to get your constituents involved with recommendations.`
Also, Tedisco doesn’t imagine there would be any cost with the commission and it will be comprised of volunteers to offer suggestions and solutions. Getting constituents involved in the process, he said, is never a bad thing to pursue.
`If you are dealing with deficit I don’t think we would want to pay anybody,` said Tedisco. `I think it would be an honor to want to straighten out the economic situation facing New York.`
Tedisco cited Cuomo’s volunteer transition teams, which work with Cuomo to select candidates for leadership roles in cabinet position and agencies, for the willingness of constituents and advocacy groups to assist in state matters.
`Cutting the deficit is not going to be easy but the longer we wait the harder it’ll be to turn our state’s economy around,` said Tedisco.“
Letter to Gov.-Elect Cuomo urges fiscal responsibility