NY Governor Hopeful Lazio Proposes Budget Reform

By Carlet Cleare

Rochester, NY – Republican gubernatorial hopeful Rick Lazio proposed two laws that he says would aid in New York's fiscal crisis.

Lazio says giving the governor and state comptroller more power would help out with what he calls the state's "broken budget process".

"The first one would create a system where if there were a mid-year deficit, the comptroller and the governor acting together could certify that the deficit existed and the legislator would have the opportunity to close the deficit on its own," Lazio says. "But if that doesn't happen in thirty days the governor would have authority to impound or freeze spending accounts or reduce spending accounts to bring the deficit into balance."

Lazio says other New England states, like Massachusetts, empower their governors to make budget cuts in extreme cases.

Conversely, he says the move relieves legislators from blame or backlash for passing tough budget cuts.

Lazio says if elected, he'd take the "heat" for any in-year budget reductions.

New York State is facing a $3.2 billion budget deficit, and could likely reach $4 billion, if not resolved.

Lawmakers met in Albany this week to settle on a plan to equal out the budget deficit; no agreement has been made.
Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb said earlier this week that lawmakers were at a 70% agreement.

At the time, Kolb said education and health care were the two hottest cuts on the table.

Lazio may be a possible opponent to Governor David Paterson in the 2010 election year.