Belt Tightening

To the Editor:
State Senator George Onorato made the following statement in response to Governor Pataki’s 2006 State of the State address to the Legislature:
“In his 12th and final State of the State address to the Legislature, Governor George pataki laid out an ambitious agenda for 2006 that is sure to appeal, on the surface, to the people of New Hampshire. Oops, I’m sorry. I meant New York.
“I strongly agree with many of the Governor’s proposals for the New Year, including his call for a greater crackdown on sexual predators, an end to the statue of limitations in rape and sexual assault cases, and greater tax relief for our state’s families, seniors and businesses. I also appreciated his thoughts on steps New York might take to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, help our students better succeed in math and science, create jobs, and provide additional funding for high-needs schools in New York City and across the state.
“I don’t think anyone can argue with these aspirations. They sound great. But as always, the devil is in the details, or more specifically, in the upcoming Executive Budget proposal and other legislation the governor will submit to the legislature in 2006.
After all, what exactly does he mean by additional funding for New york City schools when he has consistently battled the Campaign for Fiscal Equity court ruling?
Where exactly will the money come from to fund new tax cuts? What is in the cards for our health care system and higher education? These are just a few of the unanswered questions.
“In a few weeks, when the governor submits his new state budget proposal, we’ll all have a better idea of how he hopes to move his agenda forward in 2006. Furthermore, we’ll all learn exactly what kind of pain may be disguised in what he hopes to gain.”