Message From Assemblyman Jim Conte

2012 LEGISLATIVE SESSION FULL OF POTENTIAL

Governor Cuomo’s State of the State address was an uplifting speech on the progress our state made last year as well as a sober reminder of the work that needs to be done this year in order to move the state forward in 2012.

One of the biggest challenges lawmakers will be forced to confront is providing substantial mandate relief toLong Island’s school districts and local governments.  Mandate relief is instrumental in our efforts to lower the region’s property taxes and can help address the  unfair practice of making local families pay for policies crafted in Albany.

Mandate relief, coupled with the property tax cap that I voted to enact last year, will help to reduce Long Island’s property taxes and will give our schools and local governments a chance to better utilize their resources in order to enhance the services they provide to our community.

The Governor’s State of the State address also focused on the need to improve the economy.  By expanding economic development and building on the success of last year, namely SUNY2020 and the partial repeal of the MTA payroll tax, lawmakers and the Governor can continue to work at making the Empire State a more affordable place to do business while increasing our investments in an innovative economy that grows jobs.

Through job creation and economic growth, lawmakers can lay the foundation for a stronger economy and bolster state revenue.  This will help to ensure that the state’s obligations to Long Island’s schools and hospitals are met without the need for higher taxes, new fees or new borrowing. 

New revenues, coupled with an increased effort to right size state government, is the formula needed to control state spending and place New York on a sound economic footing. To limit state spending, I will continue to push for a cap on state government spending and work with my colleagues in the Legislature and the Governor to modernize the state workforce and cut programs and departments that no longer meet the needs of a dynamic 21^st century society.

There are many challenges that need to be met in the 2012 session.  By meeting these challenges, we will be able to unlock New York’s potential and lay the foundation for a stronger and more sustainable economic recovery. 

Jim Conte
Member of the Assembly
10^th District (Nassau & Suffolk Counties)