November 24, 2009
A stern warning from the governor to Albany lawmakers: it's time to get something done. If the state legislature isn't up to the task, the governor wants the power to do it himself.
In an afternoon address Tuesday, Governor David Paterson gave two options to the legislature.
Option one is for the legislature to come up with ways to reduce the budget to maintain fiscal stability. Option two, emergency legislation granting the governor one time authority to make the necessary changes bypassing the legislature altogether.
“I will submit a second piece of legislation, the executive option proposal. This would grant me as governor a onetime authority to balance our current budget, preserve our credit rating and keep New York afloat. I say this to the legislators: this budget must be balanced,” Paterson said.
Paterson says this move is drastic but necessary in order to maintain New York's fiscal standing.
He's concerned the state will run out of money in December and become unable to pay state workers.
Elmira College political science professor Jim Twombly calls it a scare tactic to get the legislature moving.
“Maybe this is the wake-up call the legislature needs to get it done. If you remember just days after his appointment of Richard Ravitch as lieutenant governor, the legislature came to an agreement and stopped the coup,” Twombly said.
Twombly says it's unusual for a governor to make a request like this but it makes sense when a legislature refrains from supporting unpopular budget cuts.
