News
from STATE SENATOR
Liz Krueger
New York State Senate, 26th
District
COMMUNITY BULLETIN – December 2003
Message from Liz . . .
Last month, I participated in a conference sponsored by the Citizens Budget Commission entitled “Fixing New York State’s Fiscal Practices.” This conference was particularly inspiring because of the broad range of people it brought together in support of budget process reform, which has been a major focus of mine since I entered the Senate. Over one hundred people from across the political spectrum representing government, industry, labor and the non-profit sector attended the conference. The conference focused on practical reforms that would result in a more transparent, participatory, and fiscally responsible budget process.
A number of the proposals developed in the conference are similar to legislation I have already introduced, including the creation of a state independent budget office, strengthening the committee system in the legislature and creating joint Assembly-Senate budget conference committees, and moving the date by which a budget must be enacted. There were also a number of additional proposals, such as requiring the budget to be balanced in accord with General Accepted Accounting Principles, and placing a constitutional limit on the amount of debt the state can incur.
What was most encouraging about the conference is that is seems to be part of a growing movement to change the budget process in Albany. This movement is unusual because of its ideological diversity. In fact this week, the conservative Public Policy Institute of the Business Council of New York is addressing various budgetary reform measures as part of its conference on controlling the cost of state government. I’ve been trying for years to find an issue I agreed with the Business Council on, and I’m pleased to have finally found one. Liberals and conservatives may have different ideas about where New York State wastes its money, but we can agree on the process by which governmental decisions should be made. I believe that the development of significant pressure on legislators from both the left and the right is one reason for some optimism that some improvements in our budgeting process can be achieved.
Last year at the beginning of the legislative session, the Republican Senate Majority leader Joe Bruno introduced a budget reform package which contained a number of positive elements, such as changing the date for the budget and requiring budgetary conference committees, that I was able to support. I believe that the current political climate has created the opportunity for these proposals to be expanded on and improved, in large part because the Republicans will feel it necessary to respond to the growing pressure from their political base. Democrats in the Senate and the Assembly must not miss this opportunity, and I will be working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to build a consensus around a package of measures that will move us toward a more open, transparent, and fiscally sound budgeting process in New York State.
Community
Spotlight
Update
on Democracy 101!, the Civics Education Project :
Democracy 101!, the Civics Education Project
is now in its second year.
Approximately 35 students have participated in the first two sessions of
the seven-session curriculum, which culminates in a “Mock State Senate” at City
Hall in May. Based on feedback from
last year’s participants, we have significantly expanded the content of the
project. This year’s students are an
enthusiastic, intelligent group with diverse political opinions, and based on
the early sessions I expect another lively floor debate in the Mock State
Senate – no doubt more lively than most of the debates in the real State
Senate. If you know a high school
student who would be interested in the project, there is still time to
join. Contact Brook Pieri in my office
at (212) 490-9535 for more information.
Free Cardiac and Vascular Health Risk
Assesments:
NYU Medical Center
is offering free cardiac and vascular health risk assessments for New York City
residents between the ages of 40 and 70 who are not currently under treatment
for cardiac or vascular disease. For more
information, contact the Cardiac and Vascular Center at NYU Medical Center at
212-263-7709.
Heat and Hot Water Complaint
Information:
By law, apartment, co-op and condo
building owners or managers must provide adequate heat between October 1 and
May 31. During this period, between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., if the outside
temperature is below 55 degrees Fahrenheit, owners must heat apartments to at
least 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., if the outside
temperature is below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, owners must heat apartments to at
least 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Owners must also provide hot water at a minimum
constant temperature of 120 degrees Fahrenheit all year round. Tenants whose building owners fail to
provide adequate heat or hot water should first try to speak with the owner or
building manager about the problem. If an owner is unavailable or does not
correct the problem, tenants should then call the City's Citizen Service Center
at 311, open 24 hours per day, seven days per week, to lodge a complaint.
New York Cares Coat Drive:
The 15th
annual New York Cares Coat Drive is taking place through December 31st. Coats donated through this program are
distributed to needy New Yorkers at homeless shelters, community centers,
churches and synagogues, and agencies serving seniors. You can donate coats at Grand Central
Terminal, Graybar Passage, from 7:30-9:30am, at the 17th Precinct at
167 East 51st Street, the 13th Precinct at 230 East 21st
Street, or any Washington Mutual Branch.
As
you probably know, last June, New York State’s highest court found the state
educational funding formula did not meet the basic needs of New York City
school children. The court gave a
deadline of July 30, 2004 for the state to implement the Campaign for Fiscal
Equity (CFE) decision, and the events of the next few months will be critical
in determining whether the state meets that deadline. There are a number of opportunities for public participation in
this process that I wanted to bring to your attention.
In
September, the Governor appointed a Commission on Education Reform, charged
with making recommendations as to how the state can implement the court
decision, which found that New York State was not meeting its obligation to
provide a “sound, basic education” to students. The Commission is scheduled to release its report in March, after
a series of public hearings. The timing
of the release of this report virtually ensures that the Governor will not
begin to address funding inequities in this year’s executive budget, which will
be released in January, before the Commission has completed its work.
Despite
this important limitation, the Commission’s report will be critical in either
providing impetus for positive change or in reinforcing the status quo. It is therefore essential that there is
meaningful public participation in the hearing process. There is a hearing this Friday, December 12th
at the Adam Clayton Powell State Office Building, 163 West 125th
Street, from 12-6PM. Contact my
office at (212) 490-9535 for further information on this and future hearings.
In
addition to the public hearing process, the Commission on Education Reform is
conducting a “costing-out study” which will provide financial analysis of the
funding needs to meet the court mandate.
The Commission has indicated that it sees this study as complementary
with the work of the Campaign for Fiscal Equity, which has been preparing its
own costing-out analysis, The New York Adequacy Study. I am gratified that CFE will be offering
this independent analysis, as I continue to have concerns regarding the makeup
and focus of the Governor’s Commission.
CFE is also providing opportunities for public comment and participation
in the drafting of their study, scheduled for release in February 2004. CFE will hold a Public Engagement Meeting
on the New York Adequacy Study on Thursday January 15th at the
Association of the Bar of the City of New York. For more information, contact my office at (212) 490-9535.
The
Commission report and the CFE study will provide critical information for the
legislature as we attempt to meet the court mandated deadline of July 30th. That said, my experience in the legislature
makes me skeptical that we will seriously address this critical issue. Resolving the issue of school funding
formulas will be extremely difficult for the legislature, and is likely to
become a political football in the months ahead. Because the issue has the potential to pit one region of the state
against another, since school funding formulas currently favor suburban
districts over both rural and urban districts, it will require an unusual
amount of political courage from the legislative leadership to move forward
with real reform. I will be fighting to
make sure this happens, but I can envision the likelihood that by August the
issue will be back in the courts, who will then likely appoint a special master
to resolve the issue. Then it will be
up to the special master to utilize the information provided by the commission
and the CFE in finally addressing the needs of New York’s students.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
District Office: 211
East 43rd Street, Suite 1300, New York NY 10017 (212) 490-9535 Fax:
(212) 490-2151
Albany Office: Room 302, Legislative Office Bldg., Albany
NY 12247 (518) 455-2297 Fax: (518) 426-6874
On the Web at
http://www.lizkrueger.com