We should not celebrate Governor Cuomo and the State Legislature passing a budget on time. This is what they get paid to do. This budget was negotiated behind closed doors by Governor Andrew Cuomo, State Senate Republican Majority leader Dean Skelos, State Senate Democratic Independent Caucus leader Jeffrey Klein and Democratic State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. Only they, their key aides and many of the infamous Albany State Street lobbyists were privy to the details. Democratic State Senate minority leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Republican State Assembly minority leader Brian Kolb, along with virtually all members of the State Senate and Assembly, were left out of the process.
There should have been an open budget process agency by agency. The public, media and members of the legislature should have been afforded sufficient time to read the fine print line by line, page by page and conduct an open debate before adoption.
Larry Penner
Great Neck
