Leader Kolb in the News

LEADER BRIAN KOLB: “SENATE DEMOCRATS LEAVING TOWN WITHOUT FINISHING STATE BUDGET IS UNCONSCIONABLE, UNFATHOMABLE”

STATEMENT FROM NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY REPUBLICAN LEADER BRIAN M. KOLB (R,I,C-CANANDAIGUA):

“News that the Senate Democrats have left Albany without finishing the 2010-11 State Budget is unconscionable and unfathomable to me and millions of New York taxpayers who have waited over three months for the Democrat Majorities to do their jobs and get a fiscally responsible spending plan done. This irresponsibility cannot be justified. The Senate Democrats had an obligation to stay in Albany, complete their negotiations and get the 2010-11 State Budget passed without further delay. The Senate Democrats have shirked this shared responsibility with seemingly no regard for the people they are supposed to serve who want a budget passed.”

REPUBLICAN LEADER BRIAN KOLB’S LEGISLATION DECLARING SENECA COUNTY ROAD AS “SAMPSON VETERANS MEMORIAL HIGHWAY” PASSES ASSEMBLY

Portion of State Route 96A guides visitors to Military Museum, future Veterans Cemetery to help honor veterans

Assembly Republican Leader Brian M. Kolb (R,I,C-Canandaigua) announced the recent passage of legislation he sponsored – Assembly Bill A.8961 – officially renaming a portion of State Route 96A in Seneca County as the “Sampson Veterans Memorial Highway.”
(more…)

THE TAX MAN COMETH – AGAIN

Legislative column from Assembly Republican Leader Brian M. Kolb (R,I,C-Canandaigua)

Say this for Albany and our dysfunctional state government: at least it is consistent! As of this week, there are now two missed deadlines to report on. First, the 2010-11 State Budget – which was due back on April 1 – is now, are you ready for this? – 86 days past due. For over seven weeks, Albany has dithered and delayed while stuck in denial about the new fiscal reality the Empire State faces: a $9.2 billion budget deficit, local taxes that are 79 percent higher than the national average and over 800,000 New Yorkers out of work. Any surplus is long gone and been replaced by chronic shortfall, while generational theft has robbed younger New Yorkers of the brighter fiscal future they deserve.
(more…)

GOOD GOVERNMENT GROUP “NY UPRISING” HONORS ASSEMBLY REPUBLICAN LEADER BRIAN KOLB WITH ITS “HERO OF REFORM” SEAL OF APPROVAL

“NY Uprising,” a non-partisan, independent good government coalition founded by former New York City Mayor Ed Koch, honored Assembly Republican Leader Brian M. Kolb (R,I,C-Canandaigua) with their “Hero of Reform” Seal of Approval. Kolb signed NY Uprising’s three pledges to specific reforms in the areas of Independent Redistricting, Ethical Government and Responsible Budgeting.
(more…)

LEADER BRIAN KOLB: EMERGENCY BUDGET EXTENDER’S INCLUSION OF $300 MILLION IN NEW TAXES “POISONED THE WELL” AND CONTINUED A BROKEN BUDGET PROCESS THAT ISN’T WORKING FOR TAXPAYERS

STATEMENT FROM NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY REPUBLICAN LEADER BRIAN M. KOLB (R,I,C-CANANDAIGUA):

“Once again, instead of doing the jobs they were elected to do, the Assembly and Senate Democrat Majorities opted to pass their 12th emergency budget extender. Today’s extender contained a provision that would move forward the state’s collection of taxes on cigarettes sold on Native American lands to non-Native American Indians, a step I have been pushing New York to take for years. However, the legislation did not go far enough. It failed to include motor fuel and other products sold on Native American lands to non-Native American Indians. Another concern was the fact that the measure would not take effect until September 1, which represents another delay that we cannot afford. Make no mistake, New York needs to enforce the law, collect all of these taxes and level the playing field – and it needs to do so now, not in September.

However, this 12th budget extender also contained nearly $300 million in increased taxes and continues a piecemeal approach to budgeting that is not working for taxpayers. Both of these measures ‘poisoned the well’ making it impossible for me to support the extender. New Yorkers already pay some of the nation’s highest taxes – increasing them even further won’t solve our fiscal problems. Nor will allowing New York’s broken budget process to continue unraveling accomplish any goal.

New York has been without a complete spending plan for 82 days and the fact we are here in June, on the final scheduled day of Assembly session, voting on still another extender, shows how serious the disconnect is between Albany and the real world.

I will continue leading the fight to collect all of the sales taxes from cigarettes, motor fuel and other products sold on Native American lands to non-Native American Indians. This measure was too important for the Democrat Majorities to try to play politics with. It should have been advanced as a stand-alone piece of legislation, just as we should be passing a fiscally responsible spending plan in its entirety as opposed to more piecemeal extenders.”

-30-

“BUSINESS AS USUAL” REIGNS AT THE STATE CAPITOL – AND TAXPAYERS WILL BE STUCK WITH THE TAB

Legislative column from Assembly Republican Leader Brian M. Kolb (R,I,C-Canandaigua)

Readers have likely heard the old expression “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” Nowhere is that sentiment more apparent, and appropriate, than at our state capitol, as the Assembly and Senate head toward the scheduled conclusion of the 2010 legislative session. As usual, there is a mad dash to finish, where bill after bill is passed in a flurry of legislative activity. Don’t be fooled: this is just Albany trying to make up for entire wasted weeks where little of substance was accomplished.
(more…)

NEW YORK STATE RIFLE & PISTOL ASSOCIATION HONORS ASSEMBLY REPUBLICAN LEADER BRIAN KOLB AS ITS 2010 “LEGISLATOR OF THE YEAR”

The New York State Rifle & Pistol Association today named Assembly Republican Leader Brian M. Kolb (R,I,C-Canandaigua) as their “2010 Legislator of the Year,” due to his sponsorship of the State Legislature’s first ever Sportsman’s Lobby Day and his commitment to preserving the Second Amendment, supporting issues important to sportsmen and strengthening the ability of all state residents to enjoy New York’s great outdoors.
(more…)

MILK, IT DOES A BODY – AND NEW YORK’S ECONOMY – GOOD!

Legislative column from Assembly Republican Leader Brian M. Kolb (R,I,C-Canandaigua)

The month of June is celebrated throughout the country as “Dairy Month” and I cannot think of folks more deserving of our recognition than the hardworking family farmers here in New York State. Speaking as someone who is proud to call our Finger Lakes region home, I have always felt a strong connection to our community’s family farms and am continually impressed by their daily dedication to this way of life. It is a life that begins each day, well before dawn, and never slows down. New York’s family farmers are some of the hardest-working people you will ever meet and are the true backbone of our state’s economy.
(more…)

LEADER BRIAN KOLB: “GOVERNOR PATERSON AND THE DEMOCRAT MAJORITIES HAVE NOT DELIVERED ON THEIR PROMISE OF AN OPEN STATE BUDGET PROCESS – WE NEED TRUE TRANSPARENCY, NOT MORE WINDOW DRESSING”

STATEMENT FROM NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY REPUBLICAN LEADER BRIAN M. KOLB (R,I,C-CANANDAIGUA):

“At our public Legislative Leaders’ meeting this morning, I asked Governor Paterson why he had not provided important budgetary information to the Minority Conferences as was promised, and why the Majorities in both houses have still not convened the Joint Conference Committee as state law requires. Since he seemed to have forgotten, I reminded the Governor that our Assembly Republican Conference had already provided to him, and the other Conferences, a detailed list of ideas to achieve billions in budgetary savings over three months ago.
(more…)

LEADER BRIAN KOLB: “NYS MUST GO FORWARD IN ENFORCING THE LAW AND COLLECTING TAXES ON CIGARETTES AND GASOLINE SOLD ON NATIVE AMERICAN LANDS TO NON-NATIVE AMERICAN INDIANS”

STATEMENT FROM NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY REPUBLICAN
LEADER BRIAN M. KOLB (R,I,C-CANANDAIGUA):

“This morning, I proudly stood with members of the ‘Enforce the Law-Collect the Tax Coalition’ and other state officials from both political parties to again call for New York to move forward in collecting hundreds of millions in revenues being lost through cigarettes and gasoline sold on Native American lands to non-Native American Indians. The collection of these taxes must be a top priority before this legislative session concludes – Albany cannot be allowed to put it off for another year. I will continue speaking out, sponsoring legislation and leading the push for New York to secure these revenues. The time for further delay or additional review is over. It is time to move forward. It is time to enforce the law and collect the taxes.”