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Saland: Gov, pols misused federal stimulus bucks
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| State Senator Steve Saland (R,C,I-41st) makes a point during an interview Thursday. Robert Ragaini/Hudson-Catskill Newspapers |
By Jamie Larson
Hudson-Catskill Newspapers
State Senator Stephen Saland, (R,I,C-41st), called 2009 the most “horrendous” year of the 30 he has served in Albany, saying partisanship, ineptitude and a tax-and-spend attitude has hurt New York.
Saland sat down with the Register-Star Thursday to discuss the pressing issues that face the 41st District, and what the state capitol isn’t doing to address them. “The world of New York has become so lopsided, with things being dictated by leaders from New York City. There’s a general disregard for the Hudson Valley and upstate New York.”
Saland said the state has misused $26.7 billion in federal stimulus money, using it as revenue to cover its debts instead of creating jobs. Saland said an example of stimulus mismanagement is the fact that Gov. David Paterson was given a $1 billion discretionary fund, which Saland said sounds a lot like a slush fund.
The economic recession has raised the national unemployment rate to about 10 percent and Saland said he worries New York’s recovery will take longer than the rest of the country because of the high taxes and fees imposed on businesses. The senator said that in a best case scenario the economy could rebound in a year to a year and a half, but New York could take twice that long to recover.
Saland said that the state’s tax structure and high energy costs gives new businesses, or those looking for a new location, no incentive to come to New York.
“The ability for the state to provide jobs is compromised by our inability to provide for businesses. One thing that’s absent from the budget are initiatives to attract business to New York. The current leadership basically went out of their way to stifle jobs. We have a good state college system, but where are the jobs to keep people here?”
Saland said to fix this the government needs to change the overall mindset the state has towards business, and partisanship has to get out of the way of progress. “Whoever the new governor is is going to have an enormous task on their hands. They will have to try and get people in Albany to set aside some of their less-than-admirable battles.”
The state budget deficit is now being projected at around $3 billion, and Saland said the 2010 budget has been crafted by agendas and self preservation rather than thinking about what’s best for the citizens of New York. He said at the moment it looks like the state will cut agency expenses for non-personnel services by 11 percent, but that doesn’t go far enough to get New York out of the hole it faces. “It doesn’t really resolve anything, (Paterson) and legislative leadership are playing cat and mouse. No one wants to be the first to make any big cuts.”
The state did not deliver regular aid to New York schools this year in the wake of the recession and federal stimulus money was used to supplement lost funds. Saland, who served as chairman of the Senate Education Committee for eight years, said after the stimulus funding runs out for schools at the end of next year there is no guarantee the state will be stable enough to reinstate aid. Albany politicos also missed a chance to save money by looking seriously at school-mandate reform to ease school taxes on residents, he said.
Saland said state mandates force schools to raise budgets and taxes to meet requirements that may not be necessary for their particular schools. He also said mandates should never be issued midyear, saying it causes districts financial hardship after their budgets have already been created.
Saland said that the legislature has no strong leadership at the moment. He added that with the governor’s approval rating at historic lows, only Assembly Majority Leader Sheldon Silver has any policy-moving power. Saland called this another example of city-driven policy in Albany, as Silver is a Manhattan Democrat.
“The ineptitude is beyond comprehension. The senate is a rudderless ship,” Saland said about the body in which he serves. “And the governor has a very hard time governing. He’s a nice man, but he has not demonstrated leadership. It’s a whole system that cries out for reform.”
Saland said, however, that reform bills languish in the senate and are usually killed early. “We have to get out of this malaise, this downward spiral. It has to be exposed for the danger it represents.”
Saland also addressed the State Senate shutdown in June, when two New York City Democrats, Pedro Espada Jr. and Hiram Monserrate joined with Republicans to create a new coalition majority. Democrats refused to recognize the authority the new majority, and the Senate came to a stand still, passing no legislation for weeks until the two rouge Dems returned to their party.
Saland said while he was unified with his fellow Republicans at the time he was unenthusiastic about the power-play. “My initial reaction was a negative response,” Saland said. “At the time I said ‘if you lay with dogs you get flees. But we were closed out of the process. I was prepared to make any deal to get back at the table to represent my district. I was ready to make a deal with the devil. It will not go down as one of the most glorious moments for the legislature.”
Saland said the Senate is imperfect but he has enjoyed serving the district and Columbia County.
***
To reach reporter Jamie Larson call 518-828-1616, ext. 2269, or e-mail jlarson@registerstar.com.
Saland sat down with the Register-Star Thursday to discuss the pressing issues that face the 41st District, and what the state capitol isn’t doing to address them. “The world of New York has become so lopsided, with things being dictated by leaders from New York City. There’s a general disregard for the Hudson Valley and upstate New York.”
Saland said the state has misused $26.7 billion in federal stimulus money, using it as revenue to cover its debts instead of creating jobs. Saland said an example of stimulus mismanagement is the fact that Gov. David Paterson was given a $1 billion discretionary fund, which Saland said sounds a lot like a slush fund.
The economic recession has raised the national unemployment rate to about 10 percent and Saland said he worries New York’s recovery will take longer than the rest of the country because of the high taxes and fees imposed on businesses. The senator said that in a best case scenario the economy could rebound in a year to a year and a half, but New York could take twice that long to recover.
Saland said that the state’s tax structure and high energy costs gives new businesses, or those looking for a new location, no incentive to come to New York.
“The ability for the state to provide jobs is compromised by our inability to provide for businesses. One thing that’s absent from the budget are initiatives to attract business to New York. The current leadership basically went out of their way to stifle jobs. We have a good state college system, but where are the jobs to keep people here?”
Saland said to fix this the government needs to change the overall mindset the state has towards business, and partisanship has to get out of the way of progress. “Whoever the new governor is is going to have an enormous task on their hands. They will have to try and get people in Albany to set aside some of their less-than-admirable battles.”
The state budget deficit is now being projected at around $3 billion, and Saland said the 2010 budget has been crafted by agendas and self preservation rather than thinking about what’s best for the citizens of New York. He said at the moment it looks like the state will cut agency expenses for non-personnel services by 11 percent, but that doesn’t go far enough to get New York out of the hole it faces. “It doesn’t really resolve anything, (Paterson) and legislative leadership are playing cat and mouse. No one wants to be the first to make any big cuts.”
The state did not deliver regular aid to New York schools this year in the wake of the recession and federal stimulus money was used to supplement lost funds. Saland, who served as chairman of the Senate Education Committee for eight years, said after the stimulus funding runs out for schools at the end of next year there is no guarantee the state will be stable enough to reinstate aid. Albany politicos also missed a chance to save money by looking seriously at school-mandate reform to ease school taxes on residents, he said.
Saland said state mandates force schools to raise budgets and taxes to meet requirements that may not be necessary for their particular schools. He also said mandates should never be issued midyear, saying it causes districts financial hardship after their budgets have already been created.
Saland said that the legislature has no strong leadership at the moment. He added that with the governor’s approval rating at historic lows, only Assembly Majority Leader Sheldon Silver has any policy-moving power. Saland called this another example of city-driven policy in Albany, as Silver is a Manhattan Democrat.
“The ineptitude is beyond comprehension. The senate is a rudderless ship,” Saland said about the body in which he serves. “And the governor has a very hard time governing. He’s a nice man, but he has not demonstrated leadership. It’s a whole system that cries out for reform.”
Saland said, however, that reform bills languish in the senate and are usually killed early. “We have to get out of this malaise, this downward spiral. It has to be exposed for the danger it represents.”
Saland also addressed the State Senate shutdown in June, when two New York City Democrats, Pedro Espada Jr. and Hiram Monserrate joined with Republicans to create a new coalition majority. Democrats refused to recognize the authority the new majority, and the Senate came to a stand still, passing no legislation for weeks until the two rouge Dems returned to their party.
Saland said while he was unified with his fellow Republicans at the time he was unenthusiastic about the power-play. “My initial reaction was a negative response,” Saland said. “At the time I said ‘if you lay with dogs you get flees. But we were closed out of the process. I was prepared to make any deal to get back at the table to represent my district. I was ready to make a deal with the devil. It will not go down as one of the most glorious moments for the legislature.”
Saland said the Senate is imperfect but he has enjoyed serving the district and Columbia County.
***
To reach reporter Jamie Larson call 518-828-1616, ext. 2269, or e-mail jlarson@registerstar.com.
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stonepound wrote on Oct 9, 2009 7:32 PM:
The polls put Tadisco up by 20 points and he lost.
The polls said Obama would not take ny and he did.
We could be issuing IOU's like the republicans in California , but Paterson is working hard to keep new yorkers working and our credit rating good.
He is working with Obama on getting stimulus to Columbia County!!! "