“Any agreement that fully restores funding for disabled New Yorkers is welcome news. I am extremely proud of the members of the Assembly Minority Conference who began the fight to preserve these much-needed resources as soon as the egregious cuts were proposed. The Assembly Minority’s budget amendment restoring $90 million was rejected by Assembly Democrats. However, our conference members continued their efforts even after the $90 million cut was included in the final spending plan. Finding a way to avoid any reduction of these critical resources is a well earned victory for all of New York’s developmentally disabled.

I sincerely hope that the reported tentative agreement to restore funding for our disabled community becomes a reality in the immediate future, and until it is, we will diligently support this cause. New York’s most vulnerable population has waited far too long to find out whether or not vital programs and services would be allowed to continue. It was an unfortunate position – created by an irresponsible budget proposal – that disabled individuals, their families and caregivers should never have been forced to deal with.”

2 week’s ago I held a Tele-Town Hall event was another huge success! I’d like to thank the more than 2,000 local residents who took time out of their busy evenings to participate in the event and share their thoughts and opinions on ways to improve New York State and our Finger Lakes community. These Town Hall-style meetings continue to be an invaluable tool for opening a dialogue on the critical issues affecting our families and local businesses.

ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL TOWN HALL EVENT

Why are these Town-Hall meetings so important? Simply put, your ideas and solutions are the foundation for developing legislation in Albany. It is an opportunity for us to discuss the issues and challenges that are important to you, to make sure state government works for you – a reminder that ultimately our goal is to make New York a better place to live, work and raise a family.

Many of the great questions and concerns shared by callers are issues I have been championing in Albany, including the need to restore state budget cuts to the developmentally disabled, improve our business climate to better support our small businesses and relieve the costly burden of mandates on local governments and school districts.

A SHARED CONCERN FOR OUR COMMUNITY

During the Tele-Town Hall, I received multiple questions about the proposed cuts in the 2013-14 State Budget from concerned citizens and advocates of the developmentally disabled, and each person asked the same thing: why are we punishing the neediest in our community? Well, I agree with each and every one of you – money spent to entice Hollywood acts versus funding the developmentally disabled programs shows how truly disconnected some of our government leaders are from the people they are supposed to serve.

Unfortunately, the day after this Tele-Town Hall, the State Assembly passed the 2013-14 State Budget, which included $90 million in cuts to the developmentally disabled. However, I am proud to say our Assembly Minority Conference offered a smart solution to the budget, which would have restored the $90 million in funding. In the end, however, our amendment was rejected by the Assembly Majority.

YOUR VOICE IN THE FINGER LAKES

In an effort to continually keep my finger on the pulse about the issues in our region, I asked four different poll questions during the Tele-Town Hall to ensure that your voice is heard loud and clear on these issues in Albany.

Question one – What should the top priority be in state budget making?

Top Responses:

1) Reducing Debt – 38 percent

2) Economic Development – 30 percent

3) Providing Tax Relief – 23 percent

Question two – What are your thoughts on the recent NY Safe Act gun law?

Top Response:

1) Goes Too Far – 87 percent

Question three – How would you characterize the state of New York’s economy?

Top Responses:

1) Headed in the Wrong Direction – 77 percent

2) Moving in the Right Direction – 15 percent

Question four – What is the most pressing need in your community?

Top Responses:

1) Economic Development – 54 percent

2) Mandate Relief for Local Governments – 30 percent

3) Aid for School Districts – 15 percent

Your answers to these questions clearly highlight your concerns and priorities, including the need for greater focus on economic development and job creation, and helping to reduce the heavy burdens facing local governments and school districts. In last week’s column, I highlighted my top priorities for the remainder of the Legislative Session, which included creating more quality jobs and providing mandate relief for local governments and school districts, as well as the need to provide tax relief for families and small businesses and shrink the size and cost of state government.

For the rest of the 2013 Legislative Session, you can be sure that your concerns are my focus in Albany and I will continue to work toward our shared vision of a better, brighter New York. Thank you once again for sharing and participating in the Tele-Town Hall event.

What do you think? I want to hear from you. Send me your feedback, suggestions and ideas regarding this or any other issue facing New York State. You can always contact my district office at (315) 781-2030, e-mail me at kolbb@assembly.state.ny.us, find me by searching for Assemblyman Brian Kolb on Facebook and follow me on Twitter.

After months of discussion and debate, Albany legislators have passed the 2013-14 New York State Budget on time for the third consecutive year. This is exactly how the process should work and what the public expects of us. Delivering a timely budget helps restore the public’s confidence in their government. It is important to be on time, but it is far more important to be on-target.

The budget-making process is arduous, difficult choices are made, and the reality is that lawmakers cannot provide everything to everyone. As I am sure my colleagues would acknowledge, there is still a great deal of work to be done to put New York State on a path of prosperity and sustained success. In this column, I want to provide you with an initial snapshot of what the budget will mean for working families and businesses in the Finger Lakes region as well as share a few of the top issues I will be working on during the rest of the Legislative Session in Albany.

THE 2013-14 STATE BUDGET: ON-TIME, BUT OFF THE MARK

I am encouraged to see that several of my long-time priorities are addressed in this year’s budget. The proposals in the 2013-14 State Budget contain a number of items that will help New Yorkers: schools will receive $1 billion in new aid; local infrastructure projects receive an additional $75 million in CHIPs funding; library aid increases by $4 million; the Middle Class Income Tax Cut is extended; EPIC funding is enhanced; $21.1 million in new money is directed to agriculture assistance programs; and more than $20 billion in federal aid will help to continue the recovery from Superstorm Sandy and recent natural disasters.

While there are some good points, the state budget is also full of missed opportunities. At the top of that list is the egregious Temporary 18-A ‘Energy Tax.’ This tax was supposed to end in 2014 – extending it for four more years is hardly a ‘phase out.’ I have called for the repeal of the ‘Energy Tax’ since it was adopted in the 2009 State Budget, and recently joined with business leaders from across the state to call for an end to this job-killing tax. Albany did not heed our call and working families and businesses will be forced to foot the bill for the ‘Energy Tax’ for years to come.

I am also concerned about the deep cuts in funding for programs that assist New Yorkers with developmental disabilities. These cuts will impact those least able to help themselves. Albany must do more to give disabled New Yorkers the tools and support they need to live with dignity and share their special gifts with our communities.

Turning from the budget and looking forward to the days ahead, I am committed to placing job creation, unfunded mandate relief, cutting costs for families and government reform at the top of the Assembly’s agenda for the remainder of the 2013 Legislative Session. I am optimistic that we will be able to accomplish these goals. The Assembly Minority Conference has a strong track record – many of the top public policy initiatives accomplished in the last two years of our legislative session got their start in our conference.

MY TOP PRIORITY: WORK TO CREATE JOBS, JOBS, JOBS

As a former job creator, I firmly believe that renewing and reinvigorating New York businesses is the most effective way to turn around local economies in upstate New York. My priorities for the rest of the Legislative Session include fostering high-tech manufacturing and creating an ‘Innovation Economy’ that empowers New Yorkers to start a business, grow a business, and develop the real-world skill set they need to succeed in their chosen career. Albany must also help ‘Second Stage’ companies that employ 5 to 99 workers, enact the ‘Grow-NY’ economic gardening pilot program and encourage tourism and agribusiness, two industries that will spark a major resurgence in the Finger Lakes economy.

MANDATE RELIEF: LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

Drip, drip, drip. We have all had a leaky faucet in our home at one time or another. It’s just a little annoyance, or is it? What if a faucet in every home, on your block, in your town, in the entire state also dripped? The drips would add up to a flood of water. From 2001 to 2012, the Assembly voted 120 times to pass unfunded mandate legislation with a fiscal impact totaling almost $85 billion. Every time Albany proposes a new program and orders local governments or school districts to pay, that ‘unfunded mandate’ is like one more dripping faucet – and every drop brings another tax increase.

Albany must do more to protect taxpayers and localities by stopping the dripping faucet of unfunded mandates. Our county leaders can only use ten cents out of every tax dollar to support local programs – everything else goes directly toward state-mandated programs. The ‘Taxpayer Protection and Mandate Relief Act’ prohibits any new unfunded mandates, freezes county Medicaid costs at their current level, allows counties to opt out of optional Medicaid services and caps state spending. The ‘New York State Mandate Relief for School Districts Act’ provides mandate relief for school districts. I am committed to protecting our homeowners from the effects of budget-busting unfunded mandates and call for the passage of these two measures before legislators leave Albany in June.

FAMILIES ARE THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF OUR LOCAL COMMUNITIES

All too often, the needs of the family working to make a better life for their children are simply not addressed in a Capitol building full of high-powered lobbyists and special interests. Families are the basic building blocks of our communities. As the only legislative leader from upstate New York, I consider it my job to represent the interests of all the families in my district and throughout upstate. I will work hard to reduce the tax burden on hard-working families by making the 2011 middle-class tax cut permanent, helping students pay for college with ‘Retain-NY’ and eliminating the state sales tax on items that working families use most, including gasoline, with ‘Shop-NY.”

SHRINKING THE SIZE AND COST OF STATE GOVERNMENT

Reforming state government by making it more efficient and responsive to the people it serves is a crucial part of shrinking its size and cost. Passing my ‘Thruway Authority Accountability Act’ will restore accountability, increase efficiency and save taxpayer dollars by making structural reforms and statutory changes at the Thruway Authority.

Albany must focus on implementing fiscal policies that spur economic development, get New Yorkers back to work, provide economic and regulatory relief to businesses and taxpayers, and preserve important programs on which thousands of individuals rely.

What do you think? I want to hear from you. Send me your feedback, suggestions and ideas regarding this or any other issue facing New York State. You can always contact my district office at (315) 781-2030, e-mail me at kolbb@assembly.state.ny.us, find me by searching for Assemblyman Brian Kolb on Facebook and follow me on Twitter

“Important to be On Time; Far More Important to be On-Target”

For the third straight year, the Governor and state Legislature have met the April 1 state budget deadline. Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb (R,C,I-Canandaigua) today issued the following statement on the final 2013-2014 State Budget agreement:

“This is exactly how the process should work and what the public expects of us. This is what we are here to do. It is important to deliver a timely budget because it helps restore the public’s confidence in their government. It’s important to be on time, but it’s far more important to be on-target.

The budget-making process is arduous, difficult choices are made, and the reality is that lawmakers cannot provide everything to everyone. As I’m sure my colleagues would acknowledge, there is still a great deal of work to be done to put New York State on a path of prosperity and sustained success.

The final budget agreement contains a number of items that will help New Yorkers: schools will receive $1 billion in new aid; local infrastructure projects receive an additional $75 million in CHIPs funding; library aid increases by $4 million; the Middle Class Income Tax Cut is extended; EPIC funding is enhanced; $21.1 million in new money is directed to agriculture assistance programs; and more than $20 billion in federal aid will help to continue the recovery from Superstorm Sandy and recent natural disasters.

Moving forward, it is imperative that we sharpen our focus on implementing fiscal policies that spur economic development, get New Yorkers back to work, provide economic and regulatory relief to businesses and taxpayers, and preserve important programs on which thousands of individuals rely. The final spending plan contains beneficial programs, but there are also a number of missed opportunities and policy directions that are simply off-target. I maintain my concerns that the final 2013-2014 State Budget:

Strips $90 million in funding for crucial programs dedicated to our most needy and deserving population – the developmentally disabled;

Reinforces Albany’s “temporary tax addiction” by extending several tax programs that were scheduled to expire – resulting in billions of dollars in costs that New Yorkers will be forced to pay;

Does not go far enough to make meaningful progress to relieve local governments and taxpayers of unfunded mandates – meaning property taxes will remain unsustainably high;

Increases taxes and fees by $661 million this year and by nearly $9.4 billion over the next five years; and

Conceals major public policy measures in a complex and tedious budget framework. Issues such as minimum wage and amendments to the NY SAFE Act warrant a public discussion and input from New Yorkers.

Opportunities missed are not necessarily opportunities lost. During the remainder of this legislative session we will further focus our efforts on the essential opportunities that were missed in this budget. The Assembly Minority Conference is committed to developing initiatives that will energize our economy, generate jobs, and improve the quality of life in communities across New York State.”

Budget season is officially in full swing here in Albany. In this week’s column, I would like to provide an update on the budget process as well as an overview of what Albany still must achieve before I am satisfied that New York has a budget that helps all 19 million New Yorkers, especially the more than 800,000 men and women who are struggling to find work.

The Senate and Assembly passed their one-house budget resolutions and the Joint Budget Conference Committee process has begun. Each year, the budget begins as a document that the Governor submits to the Legislature in January. Both the Assembly and Senate take that document and make changes, then each chamber submits their own version of the state budget. The next step is the Joint Budget Conference Committees, where members from both the Assembly and Senate work together to combine the one-house budgets into a final package of state budget bills.

THE 2013 ASSEMBLY BUDGET RESOLUTION DOES NOT GO FAR ENOUGH TO HELP STRUGGLING NEW YORK FAMILIES

The 2013-2014 Budget Resolution passed by the Assembly Majority missed the mark in addressing many of the real needs of working families in the Finger Lakes region. There is simply not enough focus on crucial programs that would jumpstart our economy, cut taxes on the middle class and make our communities better places to live, work and raise a family.

As budget negotiations continue, I will be working to ensure the final state budget will:

establish meaningful incentives to boost job-creation and economic development;

relieve the burden of unfunded mandates on schools, taxpayers and local governments;

eliminate the Temporary 18-A “Energy Tax,” over the next five years. This utility tax will add more than $2.5 billion to consumers’ energy bills;

reallocate substantial funding toward the Gap Elimination Adjustment, which would provide critical financial assistance to school districts in need of relief;

provide permanent tax relief for middle-class families;

consolidate the Thruway Authority and Department of Transportation;

provide adequate funding for the Consolidated Highway Improvement Program (CHIPs), which would enable municipalities to address local infrastructure improvement projects;

enact Workers’ Compensation reforms that would save employers $400 million;

provide an increase in Library Aid funding, assistance sorely needed by community cornerstones of learning and education;

provide adequate resources for school districts in need of funding to utilize school resource officers to ensure the protection of children; and

allow municipalities to maintain revenue associated with local parking violations.

THE NEXT STEP: WHAT WE NEED TO ADD TO THE FINAL BUDGET TO GET NEW YORK BACK ON ITS FEET

The good news? There are some points of agreement with the Assembly Majority Budget Resolution, including the restoration of funding to programs and organizations that support people with developmental disabilities. In addition, there is also still time to address these critical issues I mentioned above in this year’s budget. I am committed to entering into a constructive dialogue with my colleagues and the governor about the economic policies that best position New York State for prosperity. My goal: craft a budget using an open and transparent process that will address the needs of all New Yorkers and put our state on firm footing for the future.

I have expressed these concerns to Governor Cuomo and identified the economic policies that will help struggling upstate communities get back on their feet and reinvigorate their local economies. My solutions for a stronger economy in Upstate New York would focus on: cutting taxes for working families; boosting New York’s economy; giving our job creators the tools they need to increase private sector job growth; providing a world-class education to our students, especially children in low-wealth, high-need school districts; supporting local governments and reforming state government; curtailing unfunded mandates that burden schools, taxpayers and local governments; and improving the quality of life in our communities.

PARTICIPATE IN YOUR GOVERNMENT – JOIN ME AT MY TELE-TOWN HALL

My Tele-Town Hall on Wednesday, March 27 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. is a terrific opportunity for you to join your friends, neighbors and me for an important discussion about the future of New York State.

Here is how to participate: on Wednesday, March 27, starting at 6:30 p.m., call 1-877-229-8493 and enter 17906 when prompted. Your phone will be muted, but you can still listen in. During the question and answer period, press *3 on your telephone if you would like to ask a question. You will be alerted when it is time to pose your question. When the meeting is over, all you need to do is hang up. I look forward to listening to the ideas and concerns of the families in my district, and hope that you will join us.

What do you think? I want to hear from you. Send me your feedback, suggestions and ideas regarding this or any other issue facing New York State. You can always contact my district office at (315) 781-2030, e-mail me at kolbb@assembly.state.ny.us, find me by searching for Assemblyman Brian Kolb on Facebook and follow me on Twitter.

New York State Assembly Minority Leader Brian M. Kolb (R,C,I-Canandaigua) is pictured left speaking during the General Budget Conference Committee Meeting on Monday, March 11 in Albany. Leader Kolb underscored the importance of holding budget negotiations in the light of day to ensure a transparent and open process for all New Yorkers.

Additionally, Leader Kolb highlighted the need to stimulate New York’s economy and private sector job growth, as well as provide relief from unfunded mandates that burden schools, taxpayers and local governments. Kolb called for restoring the six-percent cut to programs and organizations that support people with developmental disabilities as well as adjusting the school aid formula to ensure resources are directed toward low-wealth, high-need school districts across the state. Kolb also noted the importance of eliminating the temporary 18-A “Energy Tax” to help ease the financial burdens and hidden taxes on New York’s citizens.

“The 2013-2014 Budget Resolution passed by the Assembly Majority yesterday falls woefully short of addressing many of the real needs of New Yorkers and the communities in which they live. While there are points of agreement in the spending plan, there are far too many critical missteps and opportunities missed across nearly every area of the Majority’s budget. The overarching goals of this process should be to implement strategies that ease financial burdens and hidden taxes on our citizens, cultivate a business-friendly environment for job-creators and identify resources that improve the quality of life and services in our communities. This one-house resolution does very little to achieve those objectives. New Yorkers expect and deserve more than what was offered by the Majority yesterday.”

The Majority Budget Resolution fails to:

• establish meaningful incentives to boost job-creation and economic development;

• relieve the burden of unfunded mandates on schools, taxpayers and local governments;

• eliminate the Temporary 18-A “Energy Tax,” over the next five years, this utility tax will add more than $2.5 billion to consumers’ energy bills;

• substantially restore the Gap Elimination Adjustment, which would provide critical financial assistance to school districts in need of relief, facing teacher layoffs and program cuts;

• provide permanent tax relief for middle class families;

• reform state government for the consolidation of the Thruway Authority and Department of Transportation;

• provide adequate funding for the Consolidated Highway Improvement Program (CHIPs), which would enable municipalities to address local infrastructure improvement projects;

• enact workers’ compensation reforms that would save employers $400 million;

• provide any increase in Library Aid funding, assistance sorely needed by community cornerstones of learning and education;

• provide adequate resources for school districts in need of funding to utilize School Resource Officers to ensure the protection of children; and

• allow municipalities to maintain revenue associated with local parking violations, revenue that is used to off-set costs on municipalities to conduct enforcement.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently delivered his State of the State Speech and presented his 2013-14 Executive Budget, events that marked the beginning of the 2013 Legislative Session. As we continue to analyze the information and the details of the governor’s budget, I am encouraged by his commitment to keeping the growth in state spending under two percent and closing the estimated budget deficit of $1.35 billion.

Creating quality jobs; reducing unfunded mandates on school districts and local governments; shrinking the size and cost of state government; ensuring a quality education for students in low-wealth, high-need districts; reducing the tax burden on families and businesses; and regulatory reform are among the key themes I was listening for during the governor’s Executive Budget presentation. Based on my initial snapshot, in this column I will outline three areas where I believe Albany needs to go further – reducing the tax burden on hard-working families and small businesses, shrinking the size and cost of state government and providing unfunded mandate relief. By focusing on these priorities, Albany will be taking a step in the right direction toward much-needed government reforms.

1. ALBANY MUST DO MORE TO HELP TAXPAYERS, FAMILIES AND SMALL BUSINESSES

As a gap closing measure, the 2009-10 State budget created a new 1% surcharge called the Temporary Utility Service Conservation Assessment under section 18-A of the Public Service Law, which I opposed. This assessment is a tax charged to utility companies, but is ultimately handed down to business and residential customers. This temporary 18-A assessment is a frustrating example of what is, in laymen’s terms, a tax without a purpose. In a June 11, 2012 article in Forbes titled ‘The Nasty Truth About Energy Taxes in the Empire State,’ contributor William Pentland characterized these assessments as being “straight out of the dark ages of state-run utilities.”

The bottom line: every bill you pay to keep the lights on at your home contains this ‘assessment.’ This costs New Yorkers more than $500 million per year, and your valuable money is not even dedicated for a specific program – it is dumped into the state’s General Fund. The “temporary” assessment is set to expire at the end of the year, but Gov. Cuomo is proposing that New Yorkers continue to foot the bill for an additional five years. I offered a repeal of the temporary 18-A assessment as a smart solution to last year’s state budget, but it was rejected. We need to flip the switch OFF on this unnecessary ‘assessment’ and reduce these types of onerous taxes and fees on already overburdened families and businesses. I think the State Budget should not be balanced on the backs of utility customers.

2. WE MUST WORK TO REDUCE THE SIZE AND COST OF GOVERNMENT

Last May, I was the first legislative leader to call on the New York State Thruway Authority to put a stop to its proposed toll hike on trucks, and I am committed to working with my colleagues to fix the chronic problems at the broken Thruway Authority. I introduced the ‘Thruway Authority Accountability Act’ (A.2088) to end unnecessary toll hikes that put jobs at risk, giving drivers on the Thruway peace of mind that their tolls are being used wisely.

My proposal merges the Thruway Authority with the State Department of Transportation (DOT); creates a new Thruway Authority Board whose members must have either transportation or financial expertise (or both); makes the DOT commissioner chair of the Thruway Authority Board; sets a forensic audit of Thruway Authority finances every three years; requires any proposed Thruway toll hikes to be clearly identified in the DOT’s budget; and streamlines the authority through attrition. New York taxpayers deserve to have an effective state government that is responsive to their needs and spends every tax dollar wisely. This reform is a good first step.

3. PROTECT NEW YORK TAXPAYERS, SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS BY STOPPING UNFUNDED MANDATES

When Albany tells local governments to do something – start a program or offer a service – but does not provide any funding for it, the local taxpayers have to pick up the bill. Mandate relief would stop this financially destructive practice. While the governor did open the door for this conversation, Albany must do more to reduce the crushing burden on local governments and school districts.

Small steps are good, but Albany must go further. My “Taxpayer Protection and Mandate Relief Act” and the “New York State Mandate Relief for School Districts Act” are the most comprehensive mandate relief proposals ever introduced in the New York State Legislature. These bills are designed to protect taxpayers, school districts and local governments from budget-busting unfunded mandates.

THE NEXT STEP: STARTING A DISCUSSION WITH YOU, THE TAXPAYER

Legislators in Albany must consider the needs of county and local officials, school districts as well as small businesses and taxpayers during the budget hearings currently underway in Albany. Convened by fiscal committees in the Assembly and Senate and this year held through February 27th, the purpose of these meetings is to take testimony on the Governor’s Executive Budget proposals from State Agency officials and interested organizations. We must engage in meaningful discussion and analysis of our state’s needs with an eye toward creating a budget that will serve all 19 million New Yorkers. The proposed reforms must actually get the job done, lowering taxes for families and small businesses, shrinking the size and cost of state government and reducing the crushing pressure on local governments and school districts. In the coming weeks, we will continue to analyze the governor’s proposals. The good news is that this is not the final budget, just the starting point.

While the budget hearings are being held in Albany, I would like to hear more from local families and businesses in the Finger Lakes about their views on the Executive Budget. What do you think? I want to hear from you. Send me your feedback, suggestions and ideas regarding this or any other issue facing New York State. You can always contact my district office at (315) 781-2030, e-mail me at kolbb@assembly.state.ny.us, find me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.

Governor Andrew Cuomo recently delivered his State of the State Speech and presented his 2013-14 Executive Budget, events that mark the beginning of the 2013 Legislative Session. Although the Gov. did offer some mandate relief proposals in his Executive Budget, we have many miles to go until we provide REAL relief for our families, schools, businesses and local governments.

As we continue to analyze Governor’s Executive Budget, it is time for legislators in Albany to turn toward county and local officials as well as small businesses and taxpayers. We must engage in meaningful discussion and analysis of our state’s needs with an eye toward creating a budget that will serve all 19 million New Yorkers. I would like to get the conversation started by sharing one of my top priorities – mandate relief.

PROVIDING A SOLID FOUNDATION FOR FUTURE GROWTH IS NOT POSSIBLE WITHOUT UNFUNDED MANDATE RELIEF

Think of your family’s home. Every structure needs a solid foundation, and New York’s local and county governments are no different. No family or business, large or small, can survive if their expenses exceed their income. Simply put, if we cannot balance our checkbook, we must cut expenses.

Unfunded mandates are like termites boring their way into a home’s foundation. When Albany tells local governments to do something – start a program or provide a service – but does not provide any funding for it, the local taxpayers have to pick up the bill. Localities and school districts are forced to raise property taxes to make up the shortfall. School boards across New York, especially those in low-wealth, high-need districts, are struggling. Bottom line: when state government passes along unfunded mandates, it results in increased costs for school districts and drives up property taxes for homeowners.

The problem is all too real. From 2001 to 2012, the Assembly voted 120 times to pass unfunded mandate legislation with a fiscal impact totaling over $85 billion. In fact, county leaders tell me they can only use ten cents out of every tax dollar that the taxpayers give them for running their government and supporting local programs. One thin dime. Everything else goes directly toward state-mandated programs.

What happens when the termites eat a house’s foundation? There is just not enough left to support the structure above. No matter how much progress we make trying to attract new companies to New York, if their very foundation is at risk, our school districts and local governments will not be able to function. We must stop this destructive practice and review all existing mandates, focusing on reducing the overwhelming unfunded mandate burden.

A PLAN TO PROTECT NEW YORK TAXPAYERS, SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

One of my top policy priorities for our 2013 Session is protecting taxpayers and localities by stopping Albany’s unfunded mandates. I have sponsored two bills designed to protect our school districts and local governments from budget-busting unfunded mandates:

“Taxpayer Protection and Mandate Relief Act”: prohibits any new unfunded mandates; freezes county Medicaid costs at their current level; allows counties to opt out of optional Medicaid services; caps state spending; and

“New York State Mandate Relief for School Districts Act”: provides comprehensive mandate relief for school districts; ensures the retention of quality teachers; the discipline of tenured teachers; review of special education requirements.

PROVIDING MANDATE RELIEF – ONE OF SEVERAL KEY PRIORITIES FOR MOVING NEW YORK FORWARD

Providing local tax relief for municipalities and school districts by focusing on reducing unfunded mandates is only one of several key priorities I will focus on in Albany this year. I am eager to begin collaborating with local families, businesses and elected officials to take action on my other legislative priorities for 2013, including creating jobs, reducing the size and cost of state government (e.g.) consolidation of the Thruway Authority within the Department of Transportation, regulatory reform and making the 2011 middle-class tax cut permanent. These are the necessary steps to move New York forward and create a better, brighter future for the families, businesses and communities in our state.

What do you think? I want to hear from you. Send me your feedback, suggestions and ideas regarding this or any other issue facing New York State. Find me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.

Assembly Minority Leader Brian M. Kolb (R,C,I-Canandaigua) will be a guest TOMORROW, January 25, 2013, at 11:30 a.m. on “The Capitol Pressroom” with host Susan Arbetter. Leader Kolb will discuss his reaction to Gov. Cuomo’s Executive Budget presented earlier this week.

The interview will be streamed at http://tinyurl.com/7epgngb and podcast at http://tinyurl.com/c5hud9q. The Capitol Pressroom can be heard on radio stations WRVO; WBFO; WXXI; WSQX; and WVCR in Central and Western New York, the Southern Tier and Capital Region.

WHO: Assembly Minority Leader Brian M. Kolb
(R,C,I-Canandaigua)

WHAT: Leader Kolb will discuss his reaction to
Gov. Cuomo’s Executive Budget

WHEN: TOMORROW, January 25, 2013 at 11:30 a.m.

WHERE: “The Capitol Pressroom” with host Susan Arbetter
Streamed at http://tinyurl.com/7epgngb
Podcast at http://tinyurl.com/c5hud9q

CONTACT: Tracy O’Leary-Marsh, (518) 455-3751

For the past few weeks, I have reported to you on the tremendous successes we achieved with this year’s State Budget, along with the numerous achievements of the past two Legislative Sessions that many are saying were the most productive in New York’s history. Along with this good news, I also offered a warning that despite these positive developments and Albany’s newfound ability to get things done, real challenges remain that could undo our recent progress.

I believe that the job of transforming New York – making our state more affordable for taxpayers and more attractive for job creators – is far from finished. We cannot afford to let Albany slip back to the bad old days of passivity, tax-and-spend and waiting for the next crisis. We need a proactive mindset that tackles and solves the remaining challenges we face.

STATE BUDGET CRISIS TASK FORCE ECHOES MY WARNINGS OF REMAINING FISCAL CHALLENGES FACING NEW YORK

A new report issued by “State Budget Crisis Task Force” confirms my concerns and should provide a wake-up call to my fellow Legislative Leaders and all Albany policymakers that we still have a great deal more to accomplish. The Task Force report outlined six major challenges to the fiscal stability of state governments (New York included) and warned of threats posed by growing the costs of government, mandated spending programs and underfunded pension obligations, among other factors.

The State Budget Crisis Task Force is a non-partisan group of respected public policy experts including Richard Ravitch, former New York State Lieutenant Governor, and Paul Volcker, Chairman of the Federal Reserve under two U.S. Presidents. The Task Force analyzed the challenges facing state finances in New York; California; Illinois; New Jersey; Texas and Virginia. The Task Force’s report echoes the very same warnings I have made: even though New York is beginning to head in the right direction, the job of fixing our economy, restoring fiscal accountability and reducing government’s size and cost to taxpayers remains unfinished. You can read the Task Force’s report at www.statebudgetcrisis.org.

While the Task Force analyzed a variety of possible threats to the future economic stability of state finances, six principal challenges were ultimately identified:

Medicaid spending growth which is crowding out other needs;
Federal deficit reduction that threatens state economies and budgets;
Underfunded retirement promises creating risks for future budgets;
Narrow, eroding tax bases and volatile tax revenues undermining state finances;
Local government fiscal stress posing challenges for states; and
State budget laws and practices that hinder fiscal stability and mask imbalances.

The Task Force report stated that these challenges threaten state governments’ investment in priorities such as education and infrastructure, affect the ways in which they are more likely to issue debt (which taxpayers end up paying for) and imperils states’ abilities to provide essential services such as public safety. I would add to the Task Force’s list of challenges the urgent need to create more private sector jobs, as New York’s unemployment rate actually climbed to 8.9 percent in June.

In many ways, overcoming these challenges will be even tougher than solving late State Budgets, as they deal with the skyrocketing growth of massive, mandated entitlement programs such as Medicaid, as well as “inside baseball” issues such as State Budget laws and practices. However, make no mistake: these challenges affect every New York taxpayer regardless of income, political affiliation or zip code.

MY SMART SOLUTIONS TO PROTECT TAXPAYERS, REFORM ALBANY AND PUT NEW YORK ON SOLID FINANCIAL FOOTING

The good news is that by identifying these challenges, we can take proactive steps to fix the problems and put New York on solid financial footing. Here are some of my smart solutions for each of the identified challenges:

Reduce skyrocketing Medicaid mandate expenses by freezing the municipal share of local Medicaid program costs at the current level (Assembly Bill A.8453);

Cut the cost and size of government by enacting a State Spending Cap to reduce New York’s susceptibility to reductions in Federal aid (Assembly Bill A.5370);

Enact real cost relief for localities to help defuse New York’s ticking time bomb of billions in underfunded and mandated pension liabilities (Assembly Bill A.8447);

Stabilize and grow New York’s tax base by providing targeted tax credits to businesses that hire unemployed workers or veterans (Assembly Bill A.10350);

Place a permanent moratorium on Albany’s unfunded mandates that drive up costs for localities and property taxes for homeowners (Assembly Bill A.4811); and

Continue reforming state government’s fiscal practices such as banning “backdoor borrowing” i.e. borrowing without voter approval (Assembly Bill A.1517).

NOW IS THE TIME TO ADDRESS THESE CHALLENGES

Each of the smart solutions I cited has a corresponding legislative initiative that has already been introduced and is 100 percent ready for the state Legislature’s enactment. As the old saying goes, “the best time to fix a roof is when the sun is shining.” Thanks to the recent success of these past two Legislative Sessions, the sun is starting to shine on New York; now is the time to address our remaining challenges. We must not squander this opportunity to build on our recent successes and address fiscal threats that the State Budget Crisis Task Force and I have identified.

NEXT WEEK: What we can do about New York’s rising unemployment rate!

As always, constituents wishing to discuss this topic, or any other state-related matter should contact my district office at (315) 781-2030, or e-mail me at kolbb@assembly.state.ny.us. You can also follow me on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and informational updates regarding state government and our Assembly Minority Conference.

Our 2012 Legislative Session has officially concluded and I am pleased to report that it was a tremendous success! By working together, we were able to build upon the many achievements from last year and once again deliver real results for a better, more affordable New York. This year’s successful Session marks the second consecutive year we have delivered the positive change New Yorkers have been demanding.

MORE PROGRESS FOR A BETTER NEW YORK

By all accounts, the reforms I have supported and the policies I have been championing helped move our state government toward greater accountability, transparency and responsiveness. All of these are welcome changes from Albany’s previous broken status quo of gridlock, partisanship and dysfunction. While there is more to do and room for continued improvement, make no mistake, we are making progress for a better New York!

RESPONSIBLE BUDGET, FISCAL ACCOUNTABILITY, MEDICAID MANDATE RELIEF, PROTECTING NEW YORKERS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS, RANK AMONG OUR SESSION SUCCESSES

From continuing fiscal accountability and responsible budgeting, to making a down payment on Medicaid mandate relief, to protecting some of the most vulnerable New Yorkers, there are many bi-partisan achievements from this year’s Session to be proud of, including:

•On-Time, Fiscally ResponsibleState Budget: 2012-13 State Budget was adopted early, closed a $3.5 billion deficit and held government spending below the rate of inflation;

•Medicaid Mandate Cost Relief: State will gradually assume the increase in the local share of New York’s Medicaid program, which is America’s costliest;

•Pension Reform: Enacted a Tier VI pension plan for new public employees, allowed participation in an optional defined contribution plan for legislators and non-union employees;

•Redistricting Reform: Gave first passage to a proposed State Constitutional Amendment to establish an Independent Redistricting Commission;

•Cyber-Bullying Prevention: Prohibited bullying and cyber-bullying in public schools to better protect students;

•Invest in Education: Increased community college base aid funding to $2,272 per student, and increased State aid to school districts by $805 million, for a total of $20.3 billion;

•Build New York’s “Innovation Economy”: Provided $250 million in capital funding for facilities at the SUNY College of Nanoscale and Science Engineering that will support computer chip technology expansion and leverage a $4.4 billion investment by IBM, Intel, GlobalFoundaries, TSMC and Samsung;

•Fix our Roads and Bridges: Supported $1.2 billion in New York Works Transportation funding will help pay for bridge repairs, pavement preservation projects and accelerate projects throughout the state;

•DNA Databank: Expanded the State’s DNA databank by requiring DNA samples from individuals convicted of any felony or Penal Law misdemeanor;

•Protect New Yorkers with Special Needs: Enacted the “Protection of People with Special Needs Act” to create uniform safeguards in residential facilities and day programs; and

•Honor the Sacrifice of Our Veterans: Prohibited protests at veteran funeral services without a permit and extended the non-protest buffer zone from 100 to 300 feet.

OUR CONFERENCE PLAYED A BIG ROLE IN NEW YORK’S SUCCESS

I am proud – very proud – of the substantive, serious and important role the men and women of our Conference have played in charting a new course for a stronger New York: our legislation, our advocacy, our floor debates helped lay the ground for this and last year’s successes. We represent over six million New Yorkers and take our public service responsibilities very seriously, which is why we continue fighting the good fight to ensure that Albany hears the voices of hard-working taxpayers and changes how it does the people’s business.

UNFUNDED MANDATE RELIEF, MORE JOBS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ARE UNRESOLVED ISSUES NEEDING OUR ATTENTION

However, now is not the time for self-congratulation – far from it. The fact remains that our local communities, local school districts and local taxpayers still need relief from Albany’s crushing and costly unfunded mandates. New York’s rising unemployment rate means we need many more jobs. Our economy is not nearly competitive enough and building the innovation economy will require a “culture change” within state government, one that emphasizes entrepreneurial innovation over bureaucratic stagnation. If we apply the same bi-partisan approach that has worked so well the past two years, we can solve these remaining challenges.

NEXT WEEK: More of my “Smart Solutions” to deliver unfunded mandate relief for local communities and taxpayers, and create more good-paying jobs for New Yorkers!

As always, constituents wishing to discuss this topic, or any other state-related matter should contact my district office at (315) 781-2030, or e-mail me at kolbb@assembly.state.ny.us. You can also follow me on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and informational updates regarding state government and our Assembly Minority Conference.

Last week saw Albany do something that would have been unthinkable just a few short years ago: enact another on-time State Budget. Not only was the 2012-13 State Budget on-time for the second consecutive year, it was early, the first time since 1983 that has happened. In the Assembly, we passed the several bills that comprise the State Budget on Friday, March 30 by 3 p.m., and the State Senate followed suit shortly thereafter. The budget was signed, sealed and delivered ahead of schedule.

DELIVERING ANOTHER ON-TIME, FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE STATE BUDGET WAS WORTH THE FIGHT!

When you consider that less than three years ago, New York was gripped by a perpetual sense of “crisis management” – with Governor David Paterson offering weekly, dire warnings that the state was, literally, out of money – and weigh those days against the recent success we have achieved, it’s clear New York is finally beginning to head in the right direction.

All told, the on-time budget we delivered demonstrated that Albany is capable of working correctly IF there is the will to set aside petty politics and actually get things done on behalf of the people. I was very proud to have helped enact many of the reforms that set the stage for this and last year’s successes. While it can get lonely being a voice in the wilderness, constantly calling for real reform and a better process, all that effort helped lead to this year’s early budget.

LEAD UP TO THE BUDGET IS PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE GREATER TRANSPARENCY AND MORE PUBLIC DISCUSSION

For all the good news about the State Budget, we shouldn’t fool ourselves into believing that the machinery of state government is now operating with 100 percent efficiency because it isn’t. Neither has Albany done enough to bid a fond farewell to the bad old days of secrecy, closed doors and lack of accountability to taxpayers. For as good as the State Budget was, the budget process itself is still a work in progress.

Yes, we finally had public meetings of the General Joint Budget Conference Committee as the Budget Reform Act of 2007 (which is State Law) requires – and I continually called for in 2009 and 2010 – but secrecy, closed-door meetings and an archaic three-men-in-a-room method of deal making are still the norm, not the exception, in Albany. This must change!

QUINNIPIAC OPINION POLL: 76 PERCENT OF NEW YORKERS SAY LACK OF TRANSPARENCY IN ALBANY IS A PROBLEM

Apparently, I’m not alone in recognizing the urgent need to end Albany’s reign of secrecy and ensure it conducts the people’s business in a manner that’s 100 percent open, accountable and transparent. A recent Quinnipiac Opinion Poll reported that 76 percent of New Yorkers agreed with me, indicating that the lack of transparency surrounding Albany’s recent major policy deals is a “very serious” or “somewhat serious” problem. So much for the Albany apologists who say process does not matter! According to 76 percent of New Yorkers, it does matter and, quite frankly, it should matter. You can read the Quinnipiac Poll results hereor view the poll by visiting the following shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/8xupy9h.

You certainly don’t need an opinion poll to know that more of an effort must be made to ensure that all 212 legislators receive a fair hearing on their ideas, suggestions and amendments in the lead up to budget passage. Likewise, taxpayers, good-government groups and the media deserve real-time disclosure of what is happening behind Albany’s closed doors. Let’s have a real debate on the Assembly Floor about priorities and provide a full accounting of how the taxpayer’s money is being spent within the parameters of the State Budget. Everything I just called for is possible; it just comes down to a question of priorities and the will to make it happen.

MOVING AHEAD, ALBANY NEEDS A PRO-JOBS AGENDA, MUST FIND WAYS TO REDUCE COSTS FOR FAMILIES AND JOB CREATORS

Now that the State Budget has been put to bed, it’s time for Albany to focus on helping New Yorkers realize their dreams. We can do so by growing our economy, creating more private sector jobs, supporting businesses (without asking taxpayers to foot the bill) and reducing costs for families. I have introduced – and will be introducing – legislation to accomplish these goals and build a stronger economy that works for all New Yorkers.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll unveil legislation that will help grow New York’s “Second-Stage” businesses (private businesses that have as few as five, and as many as 99 employees; have maintained their principal place of business in New York for at least two years; and generate at least $750,000, but not more than $50 million, in annual revenue). In addition, I’ll introduce a comprehensive initiative that addresses the need for real regulatory relief to transform our State Agencies from roadblocks to job creation into partners that assist businesses large and small in navigating New York’s regulatory minefield. The end goal of my proposals is to help job creators become more successful, expand their operations and put folks back to work.

These are ambitious goals, but now is not the time for timidity. The successful on-time passage of our State Budget demonstrated that a few committed reformers and the will of taxpayers can move political mountains. It is time to deliver the New York that taxpayers have been waiting for, one with more jobs, greater opportunities and lower costs. This needs to be our mission, our focus and our agenda for the remainder of the 2012 Legislative Session.

NEXT WEEK: My “GrowNY” program to help second-stage businesses and create more jobs!

As always, constituents wishing to discuss this topic, or any other state-related matter should contact my district office at (315) 781-2030, or e-mail me at kolbb@assembly.state.ny.us. You can also follow me on Twitter and find me on Facebook for the latest news and informational updates regarding state government and our Assembly Minority Conference.

I am pleased to report that, for the second consecutive year, New York’s budget is on-time – in fact, the spending plan was adopted early for the first time since 1983 – fiscally responsible and makes long-term investments in job creation, economic development and education, while bringing us another step closer to a more streamlined state government. All of these are goals that I have long supported and fought to make happen. After years of dysfunction and gridlock, it was good to achieve real progress at our State Capitol on behalf of hard-working taxpayers.

STATE BUDGET CONTAINS MANY PRIORITIES I FOUGHT FOR: SPENDING RESTRAINT, NO NEW TAXES OR FEES, STEP TOWARD MEDICAID REFORM, LONG-TERM INVESTMENTS IN EDUCATION

The following are some highlights from the 2012-13 State Budget, many of which are long-time priorities I have led the fight for, such as no new taxes or fees, spending restraint, long-term investments in education and important steps toward Medicaid mandate relief. Specifically, here is what the enacted State Budget does:

•Holds the line on spending – spending is expected to come in at 2percent, which mirrors my State Spending Cap proposal;
•Closes a projected $3.5 billion budget deficit, this is on top of last year’s budget that closed a $10 billion deficit;
•Second year in a row for an on-time State Budget;
•“NY Works” program to fix our crumbling roads and bridges, create jobs;
•Phased-in State takeover of the growth of local Medicaid costs;
•No new taxes or fee increases;
•$220 million for continuation of Regional Economic Development Councils to implement their plans and provide a second round of awards;
•$20.3 billion in School Aid, an $805 million increase, with most of that going to high needs school districts across the state;
•Extra $31 million for Community Colleges, $30 million for SUNY2020 Challenge Grants;
•$89 million to fix our State Parks; and
•State Agency mergers and consolidations, such as consolidating the State Division of Lottery with Racing and Wagering.

PROUD TO HELP FIX THE PROCESS – BUT MORE WORK REMAINS BECAUSE ALBANY LACKS TRANSPARENCY, IS STILL TOO SECRETIVE

I am very proud of my contributions – such as insisting on following the Budget Reform Act of 2007 and convening Joint Budget Conference Committees in public, while holding the line on spending and against tax hikes – that laid the groundwork for this year’s early budget success.

However, in terms of achieving 100 percent transparency and ending secrecy, Albany definitely remains a “work in progress.” There is still too much secrecy and not enough transparency at the State Capitol. I will keep working for more openness, transparency and accountability.

SMART SOLUTIONS I OFFERED TO MAKE A BETTER BUDGET

For its many good points, I believe the budget needed a sharper focus on easing the crushing squeeze on families, lifting the burden on taxpayers, growing the private sector and removing regulatory roadblocks to job creation. To make this happen, our Conference offered 15 “Smart Solutions” that would have made this budget better. Our smart solutions, offered as amendments to the budget bills, included:

•Repealing the 18-A Utility Assessment to cut electricity bills for families and job creators;
•Placing a moratorium on unfunded mandates to prevent local property tax hikes;
•Enacting a true State Spending Cap to ensure future budgets limit spending growth;
•Suspending the State’s Sales Tax on gasoline;
•Freezing the entire local share of Medicaid costs;
•Eliminating the Wage Theft Prevention Act’s annual notice requirement;
•Reducing the tax rate for manufacturers by 50 percent;
•Providing aid to school districts for costs incurred from annual teacher evaluations;
•Exempting child car seats from State Sales Tax;
•Enacting the Small Business Relief Act to reduce the tax rate, lower energy costs and provide other savings to job creators;
•Repealing the MTA Payroll Tax;
•Making the 2011 Middle Class Tax Cut permanent;
•Expanding the NY Works youth employment program to all communities statewide;
•Eliminating the Unemployment Insurance Assessment on employers; and
•Ensuring fair and bi-partisan representation on the NYS Gaming Commission.

While our smart solutions did not make the final cut for the State Budget, issues such as job creation, economic development, delivering unfunded mandate relief and cutting costs for families must be front and center on the Assembly’s agenda for the remainder of session. There is still much to do before we deliver the New York State that taxpayers deserve.

As always, constituents wishing to discuss this topic, or any other state-related matter should contact my district office at (315) 781-2030, or e-mail me at kolbb@assembly.state.ny.us. You can also follow me on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and informational updates regarding state government and our Assembly Minority Conference.

“For the second consecutive year, New York’s budget will be on-time, fiscally responsible and make long-term investments in job creation, economic development and education, while taking another step closer to a more streamlined state government. I am proud of our Conference’s contributions – such as insisting on following the Budget Reform Act of 2007 and convening Joint Budget Conference Committees in public, while holding the line on spending and against tax hikes – that laid the groundwork for today’s success. However, in terms of achieving 100 percent transparency and ending secrecy, Albany remains a work in progress.

Our Conference offered 15 smart solutions on the Assembly floor this week that would have eased the crushing financial squeeze on families, removed roadblocks for job creators and made this a better budget. Our smart solutions, offered as amendments to the budget bills, included:

+ Repealing the 18-A Utility Assessment to cut electricity bills for families and job creators;

+ Placing a moratorium on unfunded mandates to prevent local property tax hikes;

+ Enacting a true State Spending Cap to ensure future budgets limit spending growth;

+ Suspending the State’s Sales Tax on gasoline;

+ Freezing the entire local share of Medicaid costs;

+ Eliminating the Wage Theft Prevention Act’s annual notice requirement;

+ Reducing the tax rate for manufacturers by 50 percent;

+ Providing aid to school districts for costs incurred from annual teacher evaluations;

+ Exempting child car seats from State Sales Tax;

+ Enacting the Small Business Relief Act to reduce the tax rate, lower energy costs and

provide other savings to job creators;

+ Repealing the MTA Payroll Tax;

+ Making the 2011 Middle Class Tax Cut permanent;

+ Expanding NY Works youth employment program to all communities across the state;

+ Eliminating the Unemployment Insurance Assessment on employers; and

+ Ensuring fair and bi-partisan representation on the NYS Gaming Commission.

While our smart solutions did not make the final cut for the State Budget, issues such as job creation, economic development, delivering unfunded mandate relief and cutting costs for families must be front and center on the Assembly’s agenda for the remainder of session. There is still much to do before we deliver what the New York taxpayers deserve.”

“The Assembly Majority passed its 2012-13 Budget Resolution during yesterday’s legislative session. While these one-house resolutions are seen as symbolic, they send an important message about priorities. Our Conference opposed the Majority’s Budget Resolution largely because of the priorities it excluded, such as private sector job creation, statewide economic development and mandate relief. More jobs for New Yorkers is ‘job one’ for our state – yet the Budget Resolution missed the mark on this priority. The following are just a few of the critical components not included in the Majority’s Budget Resolution:

Relief from job-killing regulations such as the annual notice requirement of the Wage Theft Prevention Act of 2010;
Lower energy costs for families and businesses through repeal of the state’s 18-A utility assessment;
Mandate relief for local governments and taxpayers;
Freezing the local share of Medicaid costs – not just their growth, but the entire share local governments are forced to pay;
Ban on all unfunded mandates;
Workers’ comp cost control for employers;
Corporate Franchise Tax and Personal Income Tax reductions for manufacturers;
Consolidations and mergers of several State Agencies with overlapping functions that would have saved taxpayers millions; and
Expansion of the state’s DNA Database to keep New Yorkers safe.

Based on these missing pieces, the Majority’s Budget Resolution gets an ‘I’ for incomplete. If our economy is going to make the grade, pro-growth, job creation proposals cannot be an afterthought; they have to be front-and-center on the Assembly agenda everyday until New York’s economy has moved from a fragile recovery to sustained growth.”

Assembly Minority Leader Brian M. Kolb (R,I,C-Canandaigua) will be a guest on WAMC’s “Capitol Connection” hosted by Dr. Alan Chartock TONIGHT, Friday, March 9, 2012 at 10:30 p.m., to discuss the 2012-13 State Budget, redistricting and the 2012 Legislative Session.

The interview will be streamed and podcast at http://www.wamc.org/capcon.html. It can also be heard on WAMC/Northeast Public Radio, WAMC, 90.3 FM Albany; WAMC, 1400 AM Albany; WAMK, 90.9 FM Kingston; WOSR, 91.7 FM Middletown; WCEL, 91.9 FM Plattsburgh; WCAN, 93.3 FM Canajoharie; WANC, 103.9 FM Ticonderoga; WRUN-FM, 90.3 FM Remsen-Utica; WAMQ, 105.1 FM Great Barrington MA; WWES, 88.9 FM Mt. Kisco; and WANZ, 90.1 FM Stamford.

WHO: Assembly Minority Leader Brian M. Kolb (R,I,C-Canandaigua)

WHAT: Leader Kolb will be a guest on “Capitol Connection” with
Dr. Alan Chartock to discuss the 2012-13 State Budget,
redistricting and the 2012 Legislative Session

WHEN: TONIGHT, Friday, March 9, 2012 at 10:30 p.m.
Repeat broadcast on Saturday, March 10, 2012 at 1:00 p.m.

WHERE: “Capitol Connection” hosted by Dr. Alan Chartock
Streamed & Podcast: http://www.wamc.org/capcon.html
Radio coverage map: http://www.wamc.org/coveragemap.html

CONTACT: Joshua Fitzpatrick, (518) 455-3751 joshuakevfitz@yahoo.com

Assembly Minority Leader Brian M. Kolb (R,I,C-Canandaigua) announced today that he will host a series of Town Hall meetings for residents across Ontario County on Saturday, February 4, 2012, to hear directly from local taxpayers, address their concerns and answer questions about state government. During his Town Hall meetings, Leader Kolb will also outline his public policy agenda for more private sector jobs, fewer mandates from Albany and real reform of state government, in addition to sharing details about the recently unveiled 2012-13 Executive Budget proposal.

The following is the schedule for Leader Kolb’s upcoming Town Hall meetings in Ontario County on Saturday, February 4, 2012:

•10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. at the Gorham Town Hall, 4736 South Street, Gorham;
•10:45 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. at the Geneva Town Hall, 3750 County Road 6, Geneva;
•11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at the Manchester Town Hall, 1272 County Road 7, Clifton Springs; and
•12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. at the Canandaigua Town Hall, 5440 Routes 5 & 20 West, Canandaigua

“Town Hall meetings are incredibly important because they help me stay in constant contact with the constituents of the 129th District so I can keep them informed about the latest news of what is happening in Albany and what their state government is doing. The feedback, opinions and insights I receive at my Town Hall meetings have been absolutely invaluable,” Leader Kolb said.

“I receive more good ideas for sensible solutions and effective public policies during my Town Hall meetings than practically anywhere else. A suggestion at a Town Hall meeting can quickly become the basis for legislation or constituent casework that solves a problem with a State Agency, cuts through layers of needless state bureaucracy and helps make New York a more affordable place to live and work for families and job creators,” Leader Kolb explained.

“A more responsive and accountable government that is of the people, by the people and for the people is the basis of our representative democracy – good government begins with the people. With the help and continued partnership of my constituents, I will keep working to ensure the people’s voices are heard in our State Capitol and deliver a strong message that more private sector jobs and less government should be Albany’s top legislative priorities. I look forward to meeting with taxpayers on February 4 as I kick off my 2012 Town Hall meetings in Ontario County,” Leader Kolb concluded.

Assembly Minority Leader Brian M. Kolb (R,I,C-Canandaigua) will be a guest TODAY, January 23, 2012, at 11:05 a.m., on “The Capitol Pressroom” hosted by Susan Arbetter to discuss Governor Cuomo’s 2012-13 Executive Budget Proposal.

The interview will be streamed at http://tinyurl.com/7epgngband podcast at http://tinyurl.com/c5hud9q. The Capitol Pressroom is heard on radio stations WRVO; WBFO; WXXI; WSQX; and WVCR in Central and Western New York, the Southern Tier and Capital Region.

WHO: Assembly Minority Leader Brian M. Kolb
(R,I,C-Canandaigua)

WHAT: Leader Kolb will be a guest on “The Capitol Pressroom”
with Susan Arbetter to discuss Governor Cuomo’s 2012-13
Executive Budget Proposal

WHEN: TODAY, January 23, 2012, from 11:05 – 11:20 a.m.
LIVE interview

WHERE: “The Capitol Pressroom” hosted by Susan Arbetter
Streamed at http://tinyurl.com/7epgngb
Podcast at http://tinyurl.com/c5hud9q

CONTACT: Joshua Fitzpatrick, (518) 455-3751
joshuakevfitz@yahoo.com

On Tuesday, January 17, I had a front row seat for the official unveiling of Governor Cuomo’s 2012-13 Executive Budget. I was very pleased that the Governor’s spending plan reflected many of the specific public policies that I have long been fighting for. Frankly, the Governor’s emphasis on private sector job creation, economic development and transforming state government from a bureaucratic to an entrepreneurial model – by making it leaner, less costly and more responsive to taxpayers – was music to my ears! This “back to basics” approach should set the tone for State Budget negotiations going forward.

Now, more than ever, we must continue building on all our considerable successes from last year, when we worked together, showed a true commitment to fiscal responsibility, closed a $10 billion budget deficit and delivered an on-time State Budget that actually cut spending. Folks, this is not “political spin” – these were real accomplishments. While serious fiscal challenges still remain, the immediate danger has passed and New York State must start looking ahead, not behind. I was pleased to hear that the Governor shared my vision, especially in the critical areas of mandate relief, job creation, education and making government work.

ALBANY MANDATES HURT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, DRIVE UP LOCAL PROPERTY TAXES FOR HOMEOWNERS

If you’re a regular reader of my weekly column, then you are well aware of the fact that I have long advocated mandate relief for local governments. Localities across New York must endure cast-iron state mandates – requirements that they start a program, or deliver a service, even though Albany refuses to pay for it – in their local budgets, which leaves little option except to cut critical services or raise property taxes in tough economic times. Having served in local government, and now as one of only four Legislative Leaders serving in state government, I know that localities have been handcuffed by state mandates. Albany mandates – such as Medicaid – imposed on local governments drive-up local property taxes for homeowners, which is why one of my top priorities is stopping Albany’s mandate madness.

A DOWN PAYMENT ON REAL MANDATE RELIEF

The Governor’s Executive Budget included an important proposal aimed at reining in the cost of Albany mandates on local governments: a state takeover of the growth of local Medicaid costs. I have advocated this very same approach – and even sponsored legislation to make it happen last session. State government taking over the growth of local Medicaid costs represents an important down payment on real mandate relief for localities – and real relief for local taxpayers.

CONTINUED FOCUS ON MAKING GOVERNMENT WORK FOR TAXPAYERS, SUPPORTING NEEDIEST SCHOOL DISTRICTS

The effort to continue reducing the size and cost of state government should begin with consolidating State Agencies to bring down government’s high cost to taxpayers and avoid the wasteful duplication of services. I have championed controlling state spending and applaud the Governor for including several proposed agency consolidations and spending reductions in his budget. In addition, the Governor’s plan linked increased education funding with measurable outcomes and greater accountability to ensure that every child in our state – regardless of their zip code – receives a world-class education. I was glad the Governor listened to my call for the neediest school districts that received the largest aid reductions to be first on the priority list.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, CREATING MORE JOBS FOR NEW YORKERS

What New York needs now is a forward-looking, 21st century spending plan that will grow private sector jobs and advance statewide economic development. By proposing greater cooperation between New York’s private and public sectors, the Governor’s plan can realize this goal. Besides greater cooperation, Albany must do its part by further reducing its costs to taxpayers and job creators. Frankly, for years the math has not added up – Albany has spent more than it has taken in; leading to multi-billion dollar budget deficits as far as the eye can see. I believe that we turned the corner with last year’s State Budget and must continue this year with another fiscally sound, on-time state spending plan by April 1. That is my goal.

NEW YORKERS DESERVE A FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE STATE BUDGET

While I will continue reviewing its specific details, based on initial appearances, the Governor’s spending plan appears to be a sound fiscal blueprint. By no means is this spending plan the final word on the 2012-13 State Budget – it is merely the beginning of a necessary conversation about how we can meet the goals of fiscal responsibility, more private sector jobs and a less costly state government without shortchanging necessary investments in New York’s future. However, the Governor deserves credit for making these principles a priority.

DON’T FORGET: MY ONTARIO COUNTY TOWN HALL MEETINGS SLATED FOR SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4

If you would like further details on the Governor’s 2012-13 Executive Budget or my plans for more private sector jobs, economic development and mandate relief for local governments, attend one of my Ontario County Town Hall meetings on Saturday, February 4, where these topics and more will be discussed. Here are the times and locations for my Town Hall meetings:

•10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m., at the Gorham Town Hall, 4736 South Street, Gorham;
•10:45 a.m. – 11:15 a.m., at the Geneva Town Hall, 3750 County Road 6, Geneva;
•11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., at the ManchesterTown Hall, 1272 County Road 7, Clifton Springs; and
•12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m., at the CanandaiguaTown Hall, 5440 Routes 5 & 20 West, Canandaigua.

As always, constituents wishing to discuss this topic, or any other state-related matter should contact my district office at (315) 781-2030, or e-mail me at kolbb@assembly.state.ny.us. You can also follow me on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and informational updates regarding state government and our Assembly Minority Conference.

“Thanks to our success in working together and a commitment to fiscal responsibility, last year we closed a $10 billion budget deficit and delivered an on-time State Budget that actually cut spending. These were real accomplishments. While serious fiscal challenges remain, the immediate danger has passed and we have to start looking ahead, not behind.

What New York needs now is a forward-looking, 21st century spending plan that will, first and foremost, grow private sector jobs and advance statewide economic development. More private sector jobs and a stronger economy must be our top priorities. However, the challenges don’t stop there: we also need to close a current year shortfall of approximately $3.5 billion – without any new taxes, fees, surcharges or fiscal gimmicks – and take the first real steps toward meaningful public pension reform to remove a crushing mandate off the backs of localities.

I was pleased the Governor’s budget reflected specific legislative priorities our Conference has led the charge on: a State takeover of the growth of local Medicaid costs and State Agency consolidations. State government taking over the growth of local Medicaid costs represents an important down payment on real mandate relief for localities, which is something I have advocated for years. Consolidating State Agencies is a common sense solution to bring down state government’s high cost to taxpayers and avoid the wasteful duplication of services. I also applaud the Governor for continuing to control state spending.

The Governor’s spending plan also links increased education funding with measurable outcomes and greater accountability to ensure that every child in New York State – regardless of their zip code – receives a world-class education. I was glad the Governor listened to my call for the neediest school districts that received the largest aid reductions to be first on the priority list.

While I will carefully review its details in the days ahead, from all appearances the Governor’s spending plan will help us accomplish each of these priorities. Today is not the final word on the 2012-13 State Budget, but the beginning of an important process and necessary conversation about how we can meet the goals of fiscal responsibility, more private sector jobs and a less costly state government without shortchanging necessary investments in New York’s future. It is important that all New Yorkers take part in this dialogue as we work to continue moving our state forward and deliver another fiscally responsible State Budget.”

Due to popular demand, I am once again hosting a series of Town Hall meetings so citizens can have the opportunity to let me know personally of their concerns. The feedback, views, opinions and insights received at these Town Hall meetings will shape the 2012 public policy agenda I will champion during the new Legislative Session.

TOWN HALL MEETINGS: A TIME-HONORED AMERICAN WAY OF MAKING YOUR OPINIONS KNOWN!

Town Hall meetings are as old as American democracy itself and have their direct roots right here in the Northeast. Town Halls are a model of self-governance where citizens can publicly raise important issues and take an active role in the affairs of, and learn more about, their government and the people serving in it. Town Hall meetings helped fan the earliest flames of liberty and independence so crucial in America’s founding – and their importance carries on over 200 years later.

SAVE THE DATE: SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4, FOR MY ONTARIO COUNTY TOWN HALL MEETINGS

The following is the schedule for my 2012 Town Hall meetings in Ontario County. I look forward to holding additional meetings in other parts of the district later this year, so be sure and stay tuned for regular updates. I encourage you to attend one or all of my Town Hall meetings and help spread the word with family, friends, neighbors and co-workers. Your opinion matters!

ONTARIO COUNTY TOWN HALL MEETINGS:

10:00a.m. – 10:30 a.m., at the Gorham Town Hall, 4736 South Street, Gorham

10:45 a.m. – 11:15 a.m., at the Geneva Town Hall, 3750 County Road #6, Geneva

11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., at the Manchester Town Hall, 1272 County Road 7, Clifton Springs

12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m., at the Canandaigua Town Hall, 5440 Routes 5 & 20 West, Canandaigua

SHARE YOUR VIEWS ON PRIVATE SECTOR JOB CREATION, RELIEF FROM ALBANY’S RULES, REGULATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS, 2012-13 STATE BUDGET AND REFORMING GOVERNMENT

This session, this year, I believe we need to continue working together to finish the people’s business that includes the following agenda:

•Rebuild New York’s economy, jumpstart economic development and focus on growing private sector jobs right here in the Finger Lakes and all across New York;

•Deliver relief from unfunded mandates – all the ridiculous rules, regulations and requirements Albany imposes – for local governments, school districts and taxpayers;

•Reform and redesign New York’s Medicaid program, which is the nation’s costliest, to cut costs for local government and reduce the property tax burden on homeowners;

•Institute a State spending cap, which will force Albany bureaucrats to balance the state’s checkbook, just like you and I do every month;

•Deliver tax relief and cut bureaucratic red tape for job creators, so they can create new jobs and invest in New York’s future;

•Ensure low-wealth and average-wealth school districts have the support they need to make sure ALL of our children receive a quality education;

•Invest in high-tech jobs and support research and development efforts so that our college graduates and young families can stay in New York;

•Hold the line: no new taxes, fees, surcharges or borrowing;

•Restructure and redesign government by consolidating State Agencies and delivering high-quality customer service to all taxpayers;

•Enact comprehensive pension reform; and

•Demand a new culture in Albany of transparency, openness and accountability.

I firmly believe that this shopping list of common-sense measures will move the ball forward and help bring private sector jobs back to New York. Our government works best when the people it serves make their voices heard loud and clear to the elected officials entrusted with the privilege of representing them. With your help and continued partnership, I will keep delivering a strong message that more jobs and less government must be our top priorities. I look forward to seeing you on Saturday, February 4th!

As always, constituents wishing to discuss this topic, or any other state-related matter should contact my district office at (315) 781-2030, or e-mail me at kolbb@assembly.state.ny.us. You can also follow me on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and informational updates regarding state government and our Assembly Minority Conference.

“Last year, I said Governor Cuomo’s first State of the State Address would give New York a much-needed opportunity to hit the ‘reset button’ and we did exactly that by delivering an on-time State Budget that reduced government spending, successfully closing a $10 billion budget deficit, passing a property tax cap and enacting a statewide energy plan. Our Conference had long advanced each of these policies and we were glad the Governor embraced them.

One year later, the state of our state is stronger and New York is beginning to head in the right direction. The Governor’s speech today is an opportunity for us to build on the accomplishments from 2011 and keep New York moving forward. However, the mission of transforming New York and fixing our state government is far from finished – in fact, we have only just begun. We need more jobs and less government for a better New York. This session, this year, we need to continue working together and finish the people’s business:

•Rebuild New York’s economy, jumpstart economic development and focus on growing private sector jobs;
•Deliver on the still unfulfilled promise of unfunded mandate relief for local governments and school districts;
•Reform and redesign New York’s Medicaid program that is the nation’s costliest;
•Institute a State spending cap;
•Deliver tax relief and cut bureaucratic red tape for job creators;
•Ensure low-wealth, high-need school districts have the support they need;
•Hold the line: no new taxes, fees, surcharges or borrowing;
•Restructure and redesign government by consolidating State Agencies and delivering high-quality customer service to all taxpayers;
•Enact comprehensive pension reform; and
•Demand a new culture in Albany of transparency, openness and accountability.

If we can fulfill these goals, not only will we see another historic Legislative Session, more importantly, we will have taken a major step toward delivering a smaller, smarter, less intrusive state government worthy of the New Yorkers we serve. Let’s get to work.”

Last week’s column, “2011: The Year In Review, Part I,” outlined some of the major successes from the recent Session from the months of January through June. These included the swearing-in of a new Governor, an on-time state budget and my ongoing efforts to save taxpayer dollars. Part II highlights July through December. Traditionally, these are months of the year when legislators spend time in their districts, but legislative issues still arise and need to be debated. It is never quiet in Albany!

JULY: JOBS, JOBS, JOBS!

Our focus needs to be on fixing the economy and creating jobs. After Session concluded, I said the immediate priority was constructing a true economic development plan to create jobs and put over 700,000 unemployed New Yorkers back to work. I sent a letter to Governor Cuomo urging him to rescind the New York State Department of Labor’s recent Unemployment Insurance (UI) Interest Assessment Surcharge imposed on all businesses and refund any businesses that have paid this assessment to date. I suggested using a portion of the nearly $800 million in surplus first quarter tax receipts from the current fiscal year to cover the $95 million interest payment of the federal loans, instead of nickel-and-diming businesses with another costly assessment.

In addition, to help create jobs, I am continuing my push for a “People’s Convention to Reform New York,” which will help enact long overdue reforms that our state government still needs. In July, an essay I wrote back in the wintertime was published in the Albany Government Law Review titled “New York’s Last, Best Hope for Real Reform: The Case for Convening a State Constitutional Convention.” To view my essay on-line, go to http://tinyurl.com/cxoctcn. For more information on my support for a non-partisan, grassroots “People’s Convention” or to sign our online petition, go to www.reformny.org.

AUGUST: KEEPING FIREARM COMPANIES – AND THOUSANDS OF PRIVATE SECTOR JOBS – IN NEW YORK STATE

In August – as in the entire year – my focus was still on jobs, jobs, jobs. I joined Tom King, President of the New York Rifle and Pistol Association in calling for Governor Cuomo’s Regional Economic Development Councils to make the retention of firearm companies such as Remington Arms; Just Right Carbines; Kahr Arms; Kimber Manufacturing; Turnbull Restoration and Dan Wesson Firearms a top economic development priority for the Empire State. I also said that the state Legislature needed to do its part and stop considering costly government mandates, such as micro-stamping, that do little to keep New Yorkers safe, yet drive up the cost of owning a firearm and create a climate where companies that produce them no longer feel welcome.

SEPTEMBER: HURRICANE IRENE AND TROPICAL STROM LEE DEVASTATE MANY UPSTATE COMMUNITIES

Sadly, September began with heartbreak in the form of cleanup and recovery from the destructive record flooding of Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. The storms impaired local governments, devastated businesses and damaged regional roadways, bridges and other critical infrastructure that are the lifeline for citizens, commerce and communities across New York. About a week later, the Binghamton area of the Southern Tier was pounded by record rainfall from the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee.

To help affected communities repair, rebuild and recover, I asked Governor Cuomo to redirect $50 million of the $200 million in state economic development funding currently targeted for the administration’s Regional Council Initiative. While many repairs have been made, there are people still struggling to rebuild their homes, their businesses and their lives due to the storms.

OCTOBER: DMV INSTITUTES A BAD POLICY – AND THEN BACKTRACKS AFTER MY CRITICISM

Heading into October, the DMV instituted a new policy allowing motorists to “self certify” that they meet the vision requirement necessary to drive. I wrote to the Governor to request his immediate involvement in reversing this ill-advised policy change that would have put motorists’ lives at risk and undone decades of progress made toward New York’s roadways ranking among the safest in our nation. Due to the overwhelming outcry of disapproval, the DMV reversed its decision to eliminate the eye test. Thank goodness!

NOVEMBER: GOVERNOR RELEASES MID-YEAR UPDATE TO FINANCIAL PLAN

On November 14, Governor Cuomo released his mid-year update to the financial plan, about two weeks late. It estimated a current fiscal year deficit of $350 million and projected the next fiscal year’s deficit to be $3 to $3.5 billion. Our Assembly Minority Conference projected a current fiscal year deficit of $424 million and an out-year budget deficit of $3.46 billion.

What we need to close that looming deficit, prevent future deficits and protect taxpayers is a state spending cap. I introduced legislation – Assembly Bill A.5370 – that would enact a state spending cap based on changes in the Consumer Price Index, or CPI (an index measuring changes in the price level of consumer goods and services purchased by households) and make sure that the cap was actually followed. My bill would cap the growth of state operating funds spending to no more than the average rate of inflation of the three previous calendar years. A spending cap would put the brakes on Albany’s spending binges, force the State Legislature to set priorities and require state government to start living within its means.

DECEMBER: SPECIAL SESSION DID NOT ADDRESS ALBANY’S SPENDING PROBLEM, HIKED TAXES IN NEW YORK STATE

Unfortunately, Albany was “business as usual” during an extraordinary session called for the first week of December. The Albany tax code deal was negotiated in secret behind closed doors and did not include a state spending cap or a Medicaid spending cap, vehicles to reduce Albany’s out of control spending.

Our Assembly Minority Conference offered up two amendments – Assembly Bill A.5370 and Assembly Bill A.8453. Our state spending cap amendment (A.5370) would have capped year-to-year increases in state spending to the average rate of inflation of the three previous calendar years. The Medicaid spending cap amendment (A.8453) would have frozen the municipal share of local Medicaid costs at the current level, an important step toward reducing Medicaid costs and delivering unfunded mandate relief for localities. Both amendments were defeated by the Assembly Democratic Majority by votes of 88 to 51 (state spending cap) and 74 to 63 (Medicaid cap).

I said publicly that we should be doing more to protect taxpayers by capping local Medicaid costs, enacting a state spending cap and doing this through an open, public process where these issues are debated and discussed in the light of day. I believe that tax hikes have NEVER been the answer for creating more private sector jobs and long-term prosperity for New Yorkers, and I still believe that today. I will continue to bring these issues to the Assembly floor during the 235th Legislative Session beginning in January and will proudly keep fighting and standing up for taxpayers across the state.

As always, constituents wishing to discuss this topic, or any other state-related matter should contact my district office at (315) 781-2030, or e-mail me at kolbb@assembly.state.ny.us. You can also follow me on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and informational updates regarding state government and our Assembly Minority Conference.

As mentioned previously, this week’s column will serve as the first of a special two-part series looking back at 2011 and the year that was, highlighting some of the major successes from the recent session as legislators prepare to return to Albany in January for the 235th Legislative Session.

When people look back on 2011 from a state government perspective, I believe it will be remembered as an historic year that began a long process of moving our state toward reclaiming its rightful place as a national leader in private sector job creation, excellence in government and reducing the taxpayers’ burden. While we cannot say that each of these issues have been resolved entirely, we can say that 2011 gave us a head start toward achieving real progress.

JANUARY: A NEW GOVERNOR AND A CHANCE FOR NEW YORK TO HIT THE “RESET” BUTTON

The swearing-in of new Governor Andrew Cuomo meant a fresh start for New York State and the chance to leave years of Albany’s partisan gridlock and “governance by crisis” mindset behind. I said that the Governor’s State of the State Address, delivered on January 5, 2011, represented a fresh start and a chance for New York to hit the “reset” button. Many of the themes the Governor outlined – returning to fiscal responsibility, instituting better management of state government and taxpayer dollars, delivering real tax relief, rebuilding our economy and strengthening ethics – were cornerstone issues I have long been fighting for. I pledged my bi-partisan cooperation with the Governor so we could transform New York State for the better.

FEBRUARY: COMMENTING ON 2011-12 EXECUTIVE BUDGET, OFFERING SUGGESTIONS TO MAKE NON-PARTISAN REDISTRICTING REFORM A REALITY

February saw the Governor unveil his 2011-12 Executive Budget, a comprehensive spending plan that began a long overdue, and at times painful, process of restructuring, redesigning and reforming state government by taking concrete steps toward reducing government’s cost and size. Once again, the Governor was reading from my policy playbook!

In February, I sent the Governor a letter outlining my specific recommendations aimed at improving his “Redistricting Reform Act of 2011” to ensure a redistricting process that was 100 percent fair, non-partisan and delivered the competitive elections New Yorkers deserved so they had a real choice on Election Day. I urged the Governor to join me in taking partisan politics out of redistricting by establishing a truly independent Legislative Redistricting Commission.

MARCH: DELIVERING AN ON-TIME STATE BUDGET THAT ACTUALLY CUT SPENDING

With one day remaining before the state’s April 1 fiscal deadline, we passed the 2011-12 State Budget on March 31, delivering an on-time spending plan for the first time in a long time. The budget was by no means a perfect spending plan, but a realistic and necessary one. It involved tough choices that began a long overdue – and sometimes painful – process of reducing spending, rightsizing state government and reforming Albany’s broken culture of tax-and-spend. The budget contained important victories including defeat of a “Success Tax Surcharge” extension, closure of a $10 billion budget deficit, enactment of the Power for Jobs program and a reduction of government spending.

APRIL: USING TECHNOLOGY TO SAVE TAXPAYER DOLLARS, RECOGNIZING NEW YORK’S “TAX FREEDOM DAY”

As part of my ongoing effort to save taxpayer dollars and reduce costs during these tough economic times and era of multi-billion dollar State Budget deficits, in April I asked residents to connect with me electronically through e-mail and social media outlets like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, to reduce legislative mailing costs and save taxpayer dollars. I am pleased to report that, thanks to constituents who are now contacting me electronically, my office has been able to significantly reduce its legislative mailings and, in the process, save thousands of taxpayer dollars. So be sure and keep those e-mails, Facebook posts and Tweets coming!

Also in April, I recognized New York’s “Tax Freedom Day,” which was America’s third latest and said Albany could not continue putting tax relief on the backburner. Our state’s Tax Freedom Day – April 24 – represented when folks had finally earned enough to pay off their annual tax bill and was 12 days after the national Tax Freedom Day of April 12. I said New York is still one of America’s highest-taxed states and that unless Albany took concrete steps to reduce the burden of our property, individual income, corporate, gasoline and sales taxes, New York’s engine of job creation – the private sector – will remain stuck in neutral.

MAY: LISTENING TO CONSTITUENTS DURING MY “TELE-TOWN HALL”

May 18 was my “Tele-Town Hall Meeting” which featured an important conversation about New York’s future with thousands of local constituents from across the 129th Assembly District. A Tele-Town Hall is an innovative outreach tool that lets elected officials like me hear from, and speak with, constituents simultaneously during a lively and informative telephone conference call. During my Tele-Town Hall Meeting, I had the opportunity to communicate with thousands of residents who asked me specific questions and took part in opinion polls seeking their views on issues such as tax relief, reducing spending, creating private sector jobs and rightsizing state government.

JUNE: PUSHING FOR UNFUNDED MANDATE RELIEF, RECOGNIZING AN IMPORTANT LEGAL VICTORY IN THE FIGHT TO ENFORCE THE LAW

As the 2011 Legislative Session was nearing completion, the issue of unfunded mandate relief had fallen off Albany’s radar as absolutely nobody was talking about it. In my opinion, that was completely unacceptable and represented a clear failure on Albany’s part to “get it.”

I said that simply doing nothing while Albany’s unfunded mandates continued pushing local governments, school districts and taxpayers toward bankruptcy was NOT an option! This is why I gathered our Conference, County leaders and local government advocates in the State Capitol to make one final push for unfunded mandate relief before the 2011 Legislative Session concluded. Joining me were County leaders such as Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks, and local government supporters such as New York State School Boards Association Executive Director Tim Kremer. We called for up-or-down votes on a host of legislation that would, among other things, cap state spending, freeze the local share of Medicaid costs for counties and force the state to pay for its unfunded mandates.

In addition, June saw a landmark State Appellate Division ruling that lifted the temporary order preventing the collection of taxes on cigarettes sold on Native American lands to non-Native American Indians. As the only Legislative Leader in state government who has continually pushed for enforcing the law on this matter, I said the ruling was a big victory for upstate taxpayers, businesses and everyone believing in the rule of law. Now that the legal roadblocks were removed, I said New York had a “green light” and should move full speed ahead with enforcing the law, collecting the taxes and leveling the playing field. I urged the Department of Taxation and Finance to begin the tax collections immediately.

COMING NEXT WEEK: 2011: THE YEAR IN REVIEW, PART II

Next week will feature Part II of 2011: The Year in Review, picking up where the 2011 Legislative Session left off, focusing on the months of July through December and everything that took place during that timeframe. The column will focus on my fight to stop the Unemployment Insurance Interest Assessment Surcharge imposed on small businesses, the devastation caused to New York by Hurricane Irene and the continued efforts of certain liberal politicians in Albany to revive the Success Tax Surcharge – exactly as I predicted would happen in this weekly column back in May!

As always, constituents wishing to discuss this topic, or any other state-related matter should contact my district office at (315) 781-2030, or e-mail me at kolbb@assembly.state.ny.us. You can also follow me on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and informational updates regarding state government and our Assembly Minority Conference.

Approximately one month from today, the New York State Legislature will convene for its 235th Legislative Session. Members from the Assembly and Senate will return to Albany during the first week of January for the opening day of Session and for Governor Cuomo’s annual State of the State Address delivered to all New Yorkers. I will be in Albany to hear what Governor Cuomo has to say and look forward to continuing to partner with him, my fellow Legislative Leaders, colleagues and anyone else who shares my commitment to improving the quality of life here in the Empire State.

NEW SESSION OFFERS THE PROMISE OF RENEWAL

The start of a new Legislative Session brings with it the promise of renewal and another opportunity to make New York State the place we all want it to be and, more importantly, the place we know it can be. The energy, enthusiasm and spirit of bipartisan cooperation to get things done for the people we collectively serve makes the kick-off of Session a truly special and productive time. Frankly, we need that same can-do spirit and willingness to work together to extend throughout the entire Legislative Session.

READY TO HIT THE GROUND RUNNING!

Every Session is unique, presenting its own challenges and opportunities for policymakers from each of the respective Legislative Conferences to offer real solutions that will solve New York’s problems. 2012 will be no different as we work to close another multi-billion dollar budget deficit – as much as $3.46 billion, according to our Conference’s projections – and continue our efforts to jumpstart New York’s lagging economy, while extending prosperity and opportunity for all our citizens. I am ready to hit the ground running and build upon all the successes from the 2011 Legislative Session!

BUILDING ON THE 2011 LEGISLATIVE SESSION’S MANY SUCCESSES

In case you forgot, some of the many successes from the previous – and historic – Legislative Session included items that had long been stuck on Albany’s proverbial backburner. Highlights of what we were able to accomplish included our taking the first step toward delivering real property tax relief, passing an on-time State Budget that closed a $10 billion shortfall, and beginning the effort to rightsize state government and reduce its crushing costs to taxpayers.

POLICY PRIORITY FOR 2012: ECONOMIC GROWTH FOR THE EMPIRE STATE

The centerpiece of my 2012 legislative agenda will focus on economic growth – cutting spending is simply not enough; we need to GROW New York’s economy to get the more than 700,000 unemployed individuals back on the job. My goal is to grow the private sector by getting government out job creators’ way. This includes cutting job-killing red tape and curtailing regulations so our state becomes a more competitive place to start and operate a business.

RETURN NEW YORK TO A NATIONAL LEADER FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH

Based on my 25 years of proven private sector experience, I know New York can return to its rightful place as a national leader for economic growth and a private sector economy that is the envy of the 49 other states. We can accomplish these goals by forging smart private-public sector partnerships while streamlining costly and outdated government bureaucracy. Here are a few policy specifics that will be important parts of my 2012 policy agenda:

•Enact a state spending cap based on changes in the Consumer Price Index;

•Ban ALL new unfunded state mandates and suspend existing unfunded mandates unrelated to health and safety;

•Continue forging new private-public partnerships by building on initiatives such as the statewide Regional Economic Development Councils;

•Restructure, reform and repair New York’s Medicaid program which has grown into the nation’s costliest;

•Conduct greater oversight of State Agencies to ensure they are not acting as roadblocks to private sector job creators;

•Fix New York’s tax code so it is simpler, fairer and flatter for everyone; and

•Implement private sector “best practices” such as Six Sigma to transform state government so it operates leaner, smarter and delivers better customer service.

If we set aside political partisanship, 2012 will be the year we transform New York into a national destination for more Fortune 500 companies, small businesses and entrepreneurs to invest in and expand their operations. Economic growth will be good for job creators, good for taxpayers and good for New York State!

COMING SOON – 2011: THE YEAR IN REVIEW, PART I

For next week’s column, as is customary every December, I will prepare the first of a special two-part series looking back at 2011 and the “year that was,” highlighting some of the main focal points from the previous Legislative Session and intervening months. So be sure to look for “2011: The Year in Review, Part I” beginning next week!

As always, constituents wishing to discuss this topic, or any other state-related matter should contact my district office at (315) 781-2030, or e-mail me at kolbb@assembly.state.ny.us. You can also follow me on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and informational updates regarding state government and our Assembly Minority Conference.

“After carefully reviewing the Administration’s recently released Mid-Year Update to the Financial Plan, our Assembly Minority Conference submitted a report to the State Division of Budget and other Legislative Conferences projecting a current-year budget deficit of $424 million and an out-year budget deficit of $3.46 billion. Even with the Success Tax Surcharge that remains in place until December 31, we anticipate that New York’s Personal Income Tax receipts are lower than what is estimated. It is important to remember that all of these projections represent a moment in time. Much of the downturn is being driven by lagging consumer confidence, uncertainty regarding global financial markets and anxiety over what is happening in Washington, D.C., and what could happen in Albany. Restoring consumer confidence and providing economic certainty for job creators will stabilize the economy, increase consumption and help get unemployed New Yorkers back to work.”

Several weeks ago, I asked for your feedback – and boy, did you ever respond! Thousands of constituents took part in my 2011 Legislative Survey and shared their views on matters ranging from pocketbook issues like the property tax cap and closing New York’s budget deficit, to hot button issues such as same-sex marriage and hydrofracking. As promised, after carefully tabulating all of the responses, here are the results to my 2011 Legislative Survey:

For the first question, as to whether things in New York State are headed in the right direction, 22.6 percent of respondents said right direction, 63.8 percent said wrong direction, and 13.6 percent offered no response.

When asked if they agreed or disagreed with the following statement – “The recession in New York has ended and our economy is finally growing again” – 7 percent of respondents agreed, 88.1 percent disagreed, and 4.9 percent had no opinion.

For the question of whether a respondent, or someone they knew, had been laid off from their job in the past year, 66.5 percent said yes, 29.3 percent said no, and 4.2 percent had no response.

Regarding whether there should be 9,800 state workforce layoffs to close New York’s projected multi-billion dollar budget deficit, 48.8 percent of respondents said yes, 22.5 percent said yes – but with less than 9,800 layoffs, 16.1 percent said for the state to find the savings somewhere else, 8.3 percent were undecided, and 4.3 percent did not offer a response.

Concerning closure of New York’s projected multi-billion dollar budget deficit, 80.6 percent of respondents favored consolidating and merging State Agencies, 31.2 percent supported reducing spending on education, 61.6 percent said to cut State Agency budgets by 10 percent, 34 percent favored reducing Medicaid program services, 49.2 percent said to offer incentives to public employees for early retirement, 61.3 percent said for the state to institute a hiring and wage freeze for public employees, 58.5 percent called for collecting sales taxes from cigarettes and gasoline sold on Native American lands, less than one percent supported increased borrowing, and 6.8 percent favored a tax increase.

The question of enacting a property tax cap elicited a strong response, with 59 percent favoring a property tax cap that included mandate relief, 19.4 percent supporting the property tax cap, 7.7 percent opposing the property tax cap, 10.9 percent being undecided, and 3 percent providing no response.

Regarding my push for convening a non-partisan, grassroots “People’s Constitutional Convention” to reform state government, 54.7 percent of respondents were strongly in favor, 24.6 percent were somewhat in favor, 3.4 percent were somewhat opposed, 4.1 percent were strongly opposed, 11.1 percent were undecided, and 2.1 percent did not provide an answer.

For the question of whether legislative districts should be redrawn by an independent, non-partisan Legislative Redistricting Commission, 65.8 percent of respondents were strongly in favor, 15.8 percent somewhat favored the idea, 3.4 were somewhat opposed, 4.1 percent were strongly opposed, 8.2 percent were undecided, and 2.7 percent did not provide an answer.

As to the best way to enact meaningful ethics reform and clean up our scandal-plagued state government, 61.7 percent of respondents supported term limits for legislators, 60.4 percent supported term limits for Legislative Leaders, 63.9 percent wanted campaign finance reform, 62.5 percent chose comprehensive ethics reform, 72.4 percent favored public disclosure of outside income earned by legislators, and 44.3 percent supported convening a “People’s Constitutional Convention.”

The question as to whether New York State should allow same-sex couples the legal right to marry received a strong response, with 23.8 percent of respondents supporting same-sex marriage, 39 percent opposing same-sex marriage, with 28.5 percent favoring a different approach, such as civil unions, 5.9 percent being undecided on the issue, and 2.8 percent opting not to provide an answer.

On the issue of whether New York State should access its natural gas reserves through the process of hydraulic fracturing, 43 percent of respondents supported this type of energy exploration, 36.9 percent opposed hydrofracking, 18.1 percent were undecided, and 2 percent had no opinion on the matter.

Finally, regarding my upcoming “Tele-Town Hall” meeting on Wednesday, May 18, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., 24.6 percent of respondents said they would like to participate, 50.6 percent said not at this time, 16.8 percent were undecided, and 8 percent had no opinion.

Again, thank you to everyone who took part in my 2011 Legislative Survey and shared their views on the important public policy issues facing New York State!

DON’T FORGET: MY “TELE-TOWN HALL” TAKES PLACE MAY 18

Please join me for an important conversation on New York’s future by taking part in my Tele-Town Hall meeting Wednesday, May 18, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. On May 18, at 6:30 p.m., you can join the conversation by calling 1-877-229-8493 and entering PIN number 17906 when prompted (your phone will be muted but you can still listen in). During the “Q&A” period, you can press “zero” on your phone to ask me a question. I hope you will join me and thousands of residents from the 129th Assembly District for this important constituent outreach event!

As always, constituents wishing to discuss this topic, or any other state-related matter should contact my district office at (315) 781-2030, or e-mail me at kolbb@assembly.state.ny.us. You can also follow me on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and informational updates regarding state government and our Assembly Minority Conference.

With the 2011-12 State Budget completed, I believe the state Legislature needs to shift into overdrive so we can achieve real progress on a whole host of important unfinished business. Topping Albany’s to-do list are the following priorities: delivering a property tax cap for homeowners, providing unfunded mandate relief for local governments and school districts, strengthening ethics for state officials, and enacting comprehensive pension reform to reduce costs for taxpayers and localities.

In order to translate these priorities into substantive policies that become law, it is vitally important that I continue to hear from, and communicate with, constituents all across our 129th Assembly District. Your views and opinions will directly shape my legislative agenda for the remainder of the 2011 session. Simply put, I want to hear from you!

LET’S KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING: PARTICIPATE IN MY UPCOMING TELE-TOWN HALL!

You are invited to be my guest and take part in a “Tele-Town Hall” that I will be conducting on Wednesday, May 18, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. This free event I am proudly sponsoring is open to all residents of the 129th Assembly District. In case you are unfamiliar, a Tele-Town Hall is essentially an interactive telephone conference call that allows me to have a live discussion with thousands of constituents that I have the privilege of representing in the State Assembly.

TAKING PART IN MY TELE-TOWN HALL IS EASY AND CONVENIENT

Between work, school, soccer practice, piano lessons, recitals, and birthday parties, mom, dad and the kids are constantly on the go – and family schedules are busier than ever. This sort of hectic pace can make it very difficult for individuals to find time to attend one of my traditional Town Halls in person. That is why Tele-Town Halls are such a helpful resource. Now, thanks to the latest in communication technology, you can use the phone to take part in a Town Hall without ever leaving the comfort and convenience of your own home!

You do not need any special equipment or some fancy phone to take part in my upcoming Tele-Town Hall. All you need is a regular telephone and an interest in joining a thoughtful conversation about our state government and the issues that matter to you and your family.

Just follow these easy instructions to take part in my upcoming Tele-Town Hall:

a.. Starting at 6:30 p.m., on Wednesday, May 18, you can connect to my Tele-Town Hall by calling 1-877-229-8493 and entering the PIN number 17906 when prompted;

a.. Your phone will be muted, but you can still listen in;

a.. During the question and answer period, you can press “zero” on your telephone if you would like to ask a question;

a.. You will then enter a line-up and be informed when it is time to pose your question; and

a.. When our Tele-Town Hall meeting is over, all you need to do is hang up – it’s that easy!

During the Tele-Town Hall, you can ask questions related to state government and public policy. Some of the many topics that we may touch on during our conversation include the unfinished business I mentioned earlier (passing the property tax cap, delivering unfunded mandate relief, strengthening ethics laws and enacting pension reform), along with other priorities such as creating more private sector jobs, and cutting bureaucratic red tape and job-destroying government regulations. However, I also will make sure there is plenty of time for you to ask questions during our Tele-Town Hall.

STAYING IN TOUCH WITH YOU IS MY TOP PRIORITY

Tele-Town Halls are part of my continued efforts to use the latest information and communication technologies to stay in constant contact with constituents. In addition to Tele-Town Halls, I also make frequent use of e-mail and Social Media resources such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and websites to share the latest news you can use.

My Tele-Town Hall is a terrific opportunity for you to join your friends, neighbors, and me for an important discussion about the future of New York State. So be sure to save the date and time – Wednesday, May 18, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. – and get ready to join in the conversation!

As always, constituents wishing to discuss this topic, or any other state-related matter should contact my district office at (315) 781-2030, or e-mail me at kolbb@assembly.state.ny.us.

You can also follow me on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and informational updates regarding state government and our Assembly Minority Conference.

New York State has a budget – now the real work begins.

In the very early morning hours of Thursday, March 31, the State Assembly passed the first on-time State Budget in several years. The enacted 2011-12 State Budget was by no means a perfect spending plan, but a realistic and necessary one. This year’s budget provided a dose of fiscal reality and a much-needed financial wake-up call for a state government that has taxed too much, spent too much, borrowed too much and reformed too little.

BUDGET CONTAINED TOUGH, PAINFUL CHOICES

Make no mistake: the budget involved many tough choices that will begin a long overdue – and sometimes painful – process of reducing spending, rightsizing state government and reforming Albany’s culture of tax-and-spend. Simply put, we have a budget that will require state government to live within its means, just as millions of hard-working New York families and businesses have done, and continue to do. While this budget is not the final word on the matter, it represents an important beginning of what must be an ongoing conversation on the need to change how Albany does the people’s business.

IMPORTANT VICTORIES FOR NEW YORK: DEFEAT OF THE “SUCCESS TAX,” CLOSURE OF $10 BILLION BUDGET DEFICIT, EXTENSION OF POWER FOR JOBS

The spending plan contained several important victories for taxpayers, including the defeat of an attempted extension of the job-destroying “Success Tax,” closure of the state’s massive $10 billion budget deficit, enactment of the Power for Jobs program to help retain and create jobs, decreased government spending, along with no new borrowing or tax increases.

Equally important, the budget caps the future growth of costly programs like Medicaid, which threaten to drive many local governments to the brink of bankruptcy. The spending plan also authorized the merger and consolidation of State Agencies that have overlapping functions. Both of these necessary structural reforms will reduce the cost of government – and costs to taxpayers.

None of the aforementioned victories happened by accident. They are specific public policy priorities that our Assembly Minority Conference has long fought for – not just during this year’s budget cycle, but in prior years as well. Our
Conference is glad that Governor Cuomo listened. We are always happy to share our playbook for a better New York!

MUCH UNFINISHED BUSINESS

The fact that we were able to pass an on-time budget during these especially challenging economic times offers a glimmer of hope that real change is possible, even in Albany. Moving forward, we must apply this same non-partisan approach to addressing all of the unfinished business that, unfortunately, was not included as part of the State Budget. Some of that unfinished business includes:

a.. Delivering Unfunded Mandate Relief: Deliver relief from Albany’s unfunded mandates – the rules, regulations and red tape imposed by state government – that are the major cost drivers for local governments and school districts;

a.. Reducing Property Taxes: New York homeowners still pay some of the nation’s highest property taxes, we must provide real property tax relief for overtaxed families;

a.. Growing the Economy: Getting nearly 800,000 unemployed New Yorkers back to work must be a top priority, the best way to do so is by reducing our state’s high cost of doing business and becoming more economically competitive with the 49 other states;

a.. Shrinking Government’s Impact on the Private Sector: Streamlining job-killing regulations and cutting government red tape are essential to fostering an economic climate where private sector jobs can grow;

a.. Cleaning Up Albany: Passing comprehensive ethics reform will clean-up Albany’s culture of corruption, restore public confidence and end the embarrassment of pay-to-play scandals that have cast a dark cloud over state government;

a.. Providing More Value to Taxpayers: While the budget reduced government spending, we must provide more value to taxpayers by cracking down on government waste, fraud and abuse which will further reduce government’s cost to taxpayers; and

a.. Enacting Pension Reform: Public pension obligations total in the billions for state and local governments. We must defuse New York’s public pension time bomb by enacting common sense fiscal reforms to control the growth of these costs.

SMALL STEPS TAKEN TOWARD A LONG JOURNEY

Timely passage of the 2011-12 State Budget was just the beginning of a series of steps that must happen before we can truly claim a new day has dawned for New York State. Our taxes, price of government, and cost of doing business are still some of America’s highest. State government is still too big and bureaucratic. There are far too many of our fellow citizens out of work, hurting and in need of help. Now isn’t the time for endless self-congratulations in Albany – now is the time to get back to work. Today, the real work begins for the New York State we deserve.

As always, constituents wishing to discuss this topic, or any other state-related matter should contact my district office at (315) 781-2030, or e-mail me at kolbb@assembly.state.ny.us. You can also follow me on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and informational updates regarding state government and our Assembly Minority Conference.