‘Bruno Pushes Budget Reform’

The New York Sun reports that Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno met with the paper to show support for Proposition 1, a constitutional amendment opposed by business and good government groups alike, on November’s ballot [“Bruno Pushes Budget Reform Amendment,” Alec Magnet, New York, October 25, 2005].

When asked what he would do if the amendment that gives the Legislature control over state spending passed, and the Democratic Party gained control of both houses of the Legislature, and the governor’s office, Mr. Bruno replied, “I would move to any place other than New York State – you wouldn’t be able to live here.”

In his one-of-a-kind rhetorical style – or perhaps anti-style – Mr. Bruno’s comments were a delightful inversion of Voltaire’s idea that men use speech to conceal their thoughts. The senator spoke truthfully about the amendment; more truthfully than its supporters might think prudent – but he was only partly right.

It won’t require the addition of a Democratic governor to make New York unlivable if Prop. 1 passes. The Legislature has proven it is fully capable of doing that with a Republican in office and no Prop. 1 powers over his budgets. They’ve jacked state spending so high it is already driving people and business away. Over-taxed young people are now leaving Long Island and upstate cities in record numbers. If Sheldon Silver and Mr. Bruno are given even more authority to spend, tax, and borrow, private sector job growth could go from 41st in the nation to last in a New York minute.

Since 1996, our Legislature has added $12.2 billion to executive budgets. According to the state comptroller, it will cost $4 billion this year alone to cover interest from debt to cover their excessive spending. That debt services will rise to nearly $6 billion by 2010. Throw into the mix Prop. 1, and you have a recipe for fiscal disaster.

After 20 years of late budgets, the highest state and local tax burden in America, enough debt to choke a horse, and an economy ranked 41 in private sector job creation, our Legislature was labeled the “most dysfunctional” in the nation.

Now, alone comes Prop. 1 – a deceptive and dangerous proposal, all the more treacherous for being dressed-up like “reform,” that asks voters to give this same bunch the right to shove any governor aside and hijack the $100+ billion state budget. And all they have to do is, well – nothing.

That’s right. If a governor’s budget isn’t passed by them at the start of the fiscal year, the Prop. 1 power-shift occurs and they take over. In the past 20 years, our Legislature has only enacted one on time budget – so we know that they know how to do nothing.

Something else we know … politicians love to spend money, for the good things it buys – as well as the votes that it influences. So they over-spend, in good times and bad, no matter the consequences.

The framers of our current constitutional budget processs (Franklin D. Roosevelt and Al Smith) sought budget-writing authority for the executive branch – not the legislature, and for good reason. They knew the voters needed protection against spendthrift politicians and that could only be assured were they able to hold one person to account for fiscal responsibility – a governor.

If the voters mistake Prop. 1 for reform, accountability will be lost and we might as well give up trying to control spending or reduce taxes and debt. Prop. 1 would be a recipe for fiscal disaster. That’s why a former governor, Hugh Carey, took one look at the amendment and called it a “power-grab … and a purse-grab.”

Voters must say no to Prop.1, so that whoever occupies the governor’s office can bring spending and taxes under control. It may be our last chance to take the “forsale” sign off the Capitol and return state government to the people.

MARK ALESSE
State Director
National Federation Of Independent Business
Albany
(www.nfib.org/ny)

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