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Statement from Assemblyman Chad Lupinacci
This week I voted against the fiscally-irresponsible one-house budget proposed by the Assembly Majority because it lacked funding for Sagamore Children’s Psychiatric Center, failed to deliver for our students and provided little mandate relief for struggling towns, schools and businesses.
Sagamore Children’s Psychiatric Center is an integral resource for people in crisis in our community. Instead, of providing for care of those at a time of need, the Majority’s budget continued the devastating cuts that put some of the most vulnerable in our community at risk. Restoring services and enhancing care options for those in need of help should be our top priority.
Of additional concern to me was the clear lack of emphasis by the Majority on the state of our education system. Providing our children with a quality education is an integral part of our job as legislators. As a former school board member, I know how critical Gap Elimination Adjustment funding is for our schools. They need and deserve to have those funds restored; a $1.3 billion shortfall is unconscionable. We must also push for a restoration of library aid, a cut which has been proposed by both the governor and the Assembly Majority.
I also found the lack of mandate relief a disturbing trend for our local governments and businesses. The state is often far too quick to tell others what to do, and providing mandate relief is essential if we want to keep New York competitive with our business climate and lower the property tax burden. Today roughly 90 cents out of every tax dollar paid in local property taxes goes to cover state mandated costs and residents are demonstrating their disapproval with their feet, moving from New York and making it even harder on those who remain.
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