Albany, NY – Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, in a powerful signal to Gov.-elect Andrew Cuomo, says he is ready to hold the line on state spending next year — as well as rule out any new taxes or fees.
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“I think the national trend, and the New York trend, would indicate that people are not looking to tax increases as the solution to our fiscal problems,” Silver told The Post.
Silver, a liberal Democrat with powerful union ties who has repeatedly stymied efforts by the last three governors to restrain spending, said he was fully behind Cuomo’s pledge to slash the budget to close a projected $8 billion deficit for the fiscal year beginning April 1.
Silver, who has privately told members of his leadership team that he sees no choice but to make major spending cuts next year, also disclosed that he had invited Cuomo to address a closed-door meeting of the Assembly Democratic Conference in the next few weeks to bluntly outline “the realities” faced by the state.
“I have spoken with Gov.-elect Cuomo and asked him to have a session with the conference to talk about the issues and the realities of what we face and put us together on a path of resolving it,” Silver said.
“I think it’s clear that the governor-elect’s message that he’s not interested in increases in taxes and spending should serve as a message that the only way major cuts can be avoided is if money from Washington somehow arrives to make up the shortfalls,” he continued.
Silver, however, said he saw no possibility that the federal government would provide the states with a third round of stimulus spending, especially since Republicans will control the House of Representatives next year.
A spokesman for Cuomo told The Post, “The governor-elect welcomes the speaker’s statements and looks forward to working closely with him and his conference to address the severe financial problems facing New York.”
Cuomo, who won a landslide 28-point victory, campaigned on pledges to reduce state spending, oppose tax increases, and freeze public-employee salaries for at least a year.
He has told associates in recent days that “massive spending cuts” in the areas of Medicaid and education will be needed to balance the budget.
Some associates are urging him to make the toughest cuts in his first year in office, in hope that public unhappiness over the reduction in programs and services will dissipate by the end of his term.
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Lt. Gov.-elect Robert Duffy may play the deciding role in the battle for control of the state Senate once he takes office Jan. 1.
With the winners of three Senate seats still to be decided, there’s a chance Democrats and Republicans will wind up in a 31-31 tie, with neither able to choose a new majority leader.
The lieutenant governor is empowered to cast a vote to break ties on procedural matters like choosing a new leader, and there’s no question he’ll take his lead from Cuomo if he’s required to do so.
Another possibility being discussed for breaking a tie is the defection of one of three Democrats to Republican ranks: Carl Kruger of Brooklyn or Ruben Diaz of The Bronx, both with long-standing ties to the GOP, or David Valesky of Syracuse.
Diaz won’t switch. He is the most left wing Democrat in the entire Senate on economic issues. And he knows that he won his own seat when his *predecessor* switched parties. He WOULD be very likely to cut deals with the Republicans to preserve current high levels of support for social programs. (Remember that in the NY Senate, it is the Republicans who have historically been the big spenders and that is unlikely to change.)
Another year of grid lock in Albany and the Mayor will say he has no choice but to raise taxes again.
“Some associates are urging him to make the toughest cuts in his first year in office, in hope that public unhappiness over the reduction in programs and services will dissipate by the end of his term.”. So its not about the states fiscal problems. As expected Cuomos all about being in power & staying there.