Spitzer's budget bad for Erie County
CHRIS COLLINS Erie County Executive
In his 2008-09 state budget, Gov. Eliot Spitzer has proposed shifting the cost of two major state social service programs, welfare and youth detention, to the counties in order to balance his budget. He has made this proposal with little consideration for hardworking county taxpayers. His decision is unacceptable, and the residents of Erie County should not be expected to stand for it.

New York State residents are already paying the fourth highest property taxes in the nation. The governor's proposal will result in additional property tax increases to pay for his unfunded mandates. Balancing Albany's budget on the back of counties is nothing new but has reached troubling levels under this administration.

New York State and its counties have traditionally split the cost of public assistance. Spitzer's proposal will change this by asking counties to absorb a significant portion of New York State costs. The governor has offered no rationale to the counties for this unfunded mandate. Instead, he is asking individual counties to pay more than Albany for a state-run program. We must end this type of fiscal gimmickry.

Erie County currently supports New York State's welfare and juvenile detention programs by providing $29 million in funding each year. The governor's proposal would force Erie County taxpayers to provide an additional $3 million for welfare programs and $7 million for youth detention over the next two years. Each year, Erie County would give the state a total of $35 million for these social service programs run and mandated by New York State. This is what counties all across New York State will have to absorb to help defer Albany's huge deficit.

These are not the only issues facing Erie County in the governor's budget. Spitzer is proposing unilateral cuts in aid for our nursing homes, community college students, and needed infrastructure repairs.

As anyone in Western New York knows, our most pressing issue is our region's difficulty sustaining economic development. Raising property taxes is not the way to bring new business and new life back into Erie County. Albany cannot continue to overlook the reality facing our state's current and prospective residents. Erie County cannot and will not pay for the dysfunctions of our state capital.

I will be calling upon the Western New York delegation to stand up and protect the taxpayers of Erie County. They know the challenges this community faces, and we need their leadership now more than ever.

Albany must demonstrate true leadership and find real reforms that challenge the status quo and protect taxpayers. Year one is over; it's time for a new day one.