REPUBLICAN LEADER BRIAN KOLB: NEW YORKERS ARE FED UP AND WANT ACTION ON THE LATE BUDGET‏

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

“During our gathering today, I again called on Governor Paterson to convene public Legislative Leaders’ meetings to break the budget impasse and for the Democrat Majorities in both houses to begin following the law by convening Conference Committees to get a spending plan done. I also urged the Governor to move forward with the collection of hundreds of millions in taxes on cigarettes and gasoline sold on Native American lands to non-Native American Indians. With a $9.05 billion budget deficit, it makes absolutely no sense for state government to continue allowing this revenue to go uncollected.

New York’s budget is now 48 days past due and there is still no plan or clear way forward offered by either of the Majorities. Our Conference has repeatedly called for timetables and an open, transparent process, while offering specific cost-savings proposals to close the budget deficit to the Governor and both Majority Conferences. We have received no response to our budget ideas.

Simply doing nothing or allowing another 48 days to go by without having a State Budget in place is unacceptable. Our Assembly Republican Conference is ready to go and ready to act.”

DID YOU MISS ASSEMBLY REPUBLICAN LEADER BRIAN KOLB GOING ON-THE-RECORD WITH REAL SOLUTIONS TO FIX NY’S BROKEN STATE GOVERNMENT?‏

Video of Leader Kolb speaking about the need for reform during “Albany On-The-Record” is now available on-line at the State Assembly website

Assembly Republican Leader Brian M. Kolb (R,I,C-Canandaigua) recently took part in “Albany On-The-Record,” a first of its kind public forum focused on reforming state government sponsored by a coalition of New York’s leading good-government groups.

During the forum, Leader Kolb discussed the specific solutions being advanced by the Assembly Republican Conference to fix New York’s broken state government, including the creation of an independent Legislative Redistricting Commission and convening a non-partisan, grassroots “People’s Convention to Reform New York.”

Video of Leader Kolb’s appearance is available at http://tiny.cc/ku7ge or by visiting Leader Kolb’s webpage on the State Assembly website at http://www.assembly.state.ny.us/.

STATE COURT OF APPEALS GOT IT WRONG: THE CAYUGA INDIAN NATION IS NOT ABOVE THE LAW‏

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

Regular readers of this weekly legislative column are well aware of my firm belief that all of our laws must be applied and enforced equally. In the United States of America, no individual or group is above the law – nor is anyone below it. The fair, impartial application of the law without fear or favor is one of the most bedrock concepts of our entire legal system. This is reflected in the age-old expression “justice is blind.”

NYS COURT OF APPEALS RULING GOT IT WRONG

While justice may be blind, it can also be imperfect. A clear example of this was the State Court of Appeals ruling this past Tuesday, May 11, that the Cayuga Indian Nation could continue operating above the law and refuse to collect the taxes on cigarettes sold on Native American lands to non-Native American Indians. In the case of Cayuga Indian Nation of New York v. Cayuga County Sheriff David S. Gould, our State Court of Appeals, New York’s “court of last resort,” ruled 4-3 in favor of the Cayuga Indian Nation. I, and many other New York taxpayers, strongly disagreed with their decision.

A growing coalition of citizens and businesses who believe in the rule of law have been calling for the collection of these taxes for well over a decade, only to have our pleas fall on deaf ears. The total state revenue that could be generated through the lawful collection of taxes on cigarette sales made on Native American lands to non-Native American Indians could total upwards of $600 million for cash strapped New York State.

COLLECTING THE TAXES COULD GENERATE $600 MILLION IN REVENUE

When you stop to consider that New York is facing a cash crunch and a $9.05 billion budget deficit, you quickly realize that if the state actually enforced the collection of these taxes, it would go a long way toward reducing its fiscal shortfall. Instead of closing parks, stiffing construction contractors, laying off teachers, furloughing public employees, cutting essential services or hiking taxes on middle class families and businesses, wouldn’t it make more sense for state government to enforce the law and collect the taxes? Clearly it would, which is why a few months ago I publicly called on Governor Paterson to ensure regulations were in place to allow the collection of these taxes to move forward. The Governor said the necessary regulations would be enacted by July and I am going to hold him to that promise!

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LEADER KOLB: STATE COURT OF APPEALS GOT IT WRONG, CAYUGA INDIAN NATION IS NOT ABOVE THE LAW

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

“I strongly disagreed with today’s 4-3 ruling by the State Court of Appeals that will allow the Cayuga Indian Nation to continue its policy of refusing to collect taxes on its sales of cigarettes to non-Native American Indians. This decision undercuts efforts to ensure a fair and level playing field for all businesses, not just a select few. A fundamental premise of our judicial system is that our laws must be applied on an equal basis. Today’s decision runs contrary to this principle and sends a message that the Cayuga Indian Nation gets a pass and can operate above New York’s laws. I agree wholeheartedly with Judge Pigott’s dissenting opinion that affirmed New York’s power to collect the taxes on cigarettes sold on Native American lands to non-Native American Indians. The Court should have heeded Judge Pigott’s well-reasoned dissent that was based firmly in the law and its equal application.”

LEADER KOLB: GOVERNOR PATERSON’S PROPOSED FURLOUGHS DO LITTLE TO SHRINK THE SIZE AND COST OF STATE GOVERNMENT OVER THE LONG-TERM‏

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

“Governor Paterson’s inclusion of furloughs in today’s latest emergency budget extender does little to shrink the size and cost of state government on a long-term basis. Furloughing workers will not fix the significant structural imbalances that have produced a $9.05 billion budget shortfall and a late State Budget that is now 40 days past due. New York needs real solutions to its financial crisis, solutions like consolidating and merging State Agencies, preventing Medicaid fraud, collecting taxes on the sales of cigarettes made on Native American lands to non-Native American Indians, and capping state government spending. These are the specific solutions to reduce the size and cost of state government that I have previously proposed and will continue urging the Governor and my fellow Legislative Leaders to act upon.”

ASSEMBLY REPUBLICAN LEADER BRIAN KOLB: ALBANY ON-THE-RECORD COULD BE THE START OF SOMETHING SPECIAL – NEW YORK NEEDS MORE PUBLIC FORUMS ON REFORMING OUR BROKEN STATE GOVERNMENT‏

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

“I was proud to take part in today’s ‘Albany On-The-Record’ forum and outline my strong support for reforming New York’s broken state government. Our Assembly Republican Conference and I have been leading the charge for meaningful governmental, fiscal, budgetary and ethical reforms to clean up the scandals, corruption and financial mismanagement that have come to define Albany. A ‘People’s Convention to Reform New York,’ which our Conference and I are championing – and 2,200 New Yorkers have supported at www.reformny.org – could make many of the reforms discussed today a reality. Albany On-The-Record may be the start of something special – but it cannot be the last word on reform. We need more of these public forums that will empower taxpayers to join the fight to take back their state government.”

ASSEMBLY REPUBLICAN LEADER BRIAN KOLB: GOVERNOR PATERSON FIDDLES WHILE NEW YORK’S CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY BURNS

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

“Governor Paterson continues to make construction contractors play an unnecessary and costly waiting game by not including state funding for certain road and bridge projects in his emergency budget extenders. The Governor’s refusal means necessary infrastructure work, and New York’s struggling economy, will remain stuck on the road to nowhere. Last week, our Assembly Republican Conference offered an amendment that would have restored the state funding held by the Governor. Today, we did so again and urged the Governor to stop fiddling while New York’s construction industry burns. The Governor’s inclusion of federal funding in today’s extender is only a drop in the bucket since much of that money is merely a pass through. Our Conference stands with construction workers and businesses in calling on the Governor to stop playing these games and release all of the overdue state funding.”

LEADING THE FIGHT FOR A FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE, ON-TIME STATE BUDGET: A TIMELINE OF ASSEMBLY REPUBLICAN ACTION‏

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

Three weeks and counting – that is how long New York has been without the 2010-11 State Budget which was due back on April 1. Instead of action, taxpayers have gotten excuses from the Democratic leadership in both houses of the state Legislature and Governor Paterson. Their excuses are many and, frankly, they are unconvincing. Let’s be perfectly clear: New Yorkers don’t want excuses from politicians in Albany as to why the 2010-11 State Budget is late. What they want are real solutions that will move this stalled process forward and get the budget done.

ASSEMBLY REPUBLICANS: PUSHING FOR GREATER ACCOUNTABILITY & TRANSPARENCY IN STATE GOVERNMENT

Real solutions are exactly what our Assembly Republican Conference and I have continually offered to close the state’s $9.05 billion budget deficit and reform New York’s broken budget process. Not only have we publicly offered our ideas, but we have also called for action plans and timetables as part of our ongoing push for greater accountability and transparency in state government. I want to share with you a timeline of what Assembly Republicans have been doing for well over a year to solve New York’s fiscal crisis and deliver the on-time, fiscally responsible State Budget that taxpayers deserve.

A TIMELINE OF CALLING, AND VOTING, FOR FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY

March 31, 2009: Our entire Assembly Republican Conference voted against the 2009-10 State Budget and warned that its dramatic increase in spending was fueled by non-recurring federal stimulus monies, that it eliminated middle class property tax relief and added $8.5 billion in new taxes and fees;

July 19, 2009: As state revenues continued their dramatic decline and New York’s unemployment climbed to a 26-year high, I called on Governor Paterson to convene a series of public Legislative Leaders’ meetings to deal with the exploding state budget deficit;

October, 2009: Our Assembly Republican Conference submitted a series of “conversation starters” on the Deficit Reduction Plan (DRP) to Governor Paterson and other Legislative Conferences that would achieve over $3 billion in budgetary savings when fully implemented. Some of our ideas included the extensive consolidations and mergers of State Agencies;

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