By Courtney Dentch
Pataki issued the vetoes to shave off $1.8 billion from the $101.6 billion budget passed Aug. 11 by the state Senate and Assembly, targeting the items added by the lawmakers in what state Sen. Toby Stavisky (D-Whitestone) called a game of “legislative chicken.””He's to blame for a lot of this,” she said. “He's daring us to override his vetoes and I hope we do.”The budget, already more than four months over the April 1 deadline, may have to wait until mid-September for a final accord, said Assemblyman Barry Grodenchik (D-Flushing).Pataki said he trimmed off hundreds of expense items because the Legislature's budget was out of balance by $669 million and would create budget gaps in future years.”The budget sent to me simply spends too much and reforms too little,” Pataki said in a statement. “Allowing this budget to take effect unchanged would represent a blow to New York's finances, both in the current fiscal year and in future years.”Pataki left items he had proposed in his executive budget intact, but slashed items that were added on by the state lawmakers, Grodenchik said. Among those vetoes were capital and operating dollars for City University schools and funds for tuition assistance for students.Queens has four CUNY campuses: LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City, Queensborough Community College in Bayside, Flushing's Queens College and York College in Jamaica.Nearly $28 million in state aid that the Legislature earmarked for LaGuardia and Queensborough projects were cut as part of the vetoes. LaGuardia had hoped to use some of those funds to refurbish the underused Center 3 building near the Queensborough Bridge, said Jose Orengo, executive assistant for external relations.”It's an old building and we only utilize 30 to 40 percent of that building,” he said. “The rest of the building needs renovation.”At Queensborough, administrators are worried about funds for the Holocaust Resource Center as well as building renovations.”Right now we're in limbo,” said Susan Curtis, spokeswoman for Queensborough. “We're hoping they restore what we need, not only for Queensborough but for the rest of the CUNY system.”Projects at other schools, including a $30 million renovation of a Queens College science building were left untouched because they were part of Pataki's initial budget.Health care, environmental and transportation programs were also hit by the vetoes.The governor still has to come together with the Assembly and the Senate to reach an agreement. The lawmakers could override the veto, but it seems likely that many of the cuts will be restored, said state Sen. Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose).”We're not talking overrides in the Senate,” said state Sen. Serphin Maltese (R-Glendale). “We plan to engage in fruitful negotiations. The question is when.”Between the Republican National Convention pulling Pataki and other GOP members to New York City next week, the primary election Sept. 14 and the Jewish holidays, some say it is unlikely the budget will be addressed until mid-September.”The governor was trying to make a statement,” Maltese said. “It was regrettable that the Assembly, the Senate and the governor could not agree before but it was important to pass a budget.”The budget already set a record for the latest agreement in state history when it was passed by the Legislature earlier this month.Reach reporter Courtney Dentch by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 138.
