A New Senate Majority Website Wants Input on How to Reduce the State’s Budget Deficit

 Memo

 

TO:               Executive Board Members and Council Leaders

DATE:           February 13, 2009

RE:               A New Senate Majority Website Wants Input on How to Reduce the State’s Budget Deficit

The New York State Senate Majority has launched a website that is asking for feedback from state residents on how to close the state’s budget gap. As you know PEF has advanced many options to the budget cuts the Governor has proposed and they are posted on the PEF website (The answers to the State Budget Deficit). In addition numerous members have forwarded to us examples of state agency waste and the hiring unnecessary new state agency managers that continue during these tough fiscal times.

We want to make sure that the Senate Majority (Democrats) hear from our members about our budget savings ideas and examples of waste in state government and that their website doe not just receive input from conservative, anti-union and pro-business groups. Please visit http://www.nybudgetideas.org/ and let them know how you would balance the state budget. Let them know how would you increase revenues (e.g. raise the income tax on the wealthy, reducing the contracting out of state services to private consultants, bottle bill expansion, bulk purchase of prescription drugs, using rainy day funds, federal stimulus money, reforming Empire Zones, and closing corporate tax loopholes) and any waste you see in state agencies including unnecessary hiring of new managers.

Kenneth Brynien

cc:        Statewide Labor-Management Chairs