Someone forgot to tell Gov. Andrew Cuomo that the state Legislature is completely dysfunctional and incapable of getting anything done on time.
Thanks primarily to his leadership and the cooperation of Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, a Republican from Rockville Centre, the state has accomplished what was long believed to be impossible.
A balanced state budget was passed one day before the April 1 deadline. State residents had come to expect that the state budget would be late and the government would be forced to run on emergency appropriations. This in turn made life difficult for local governments that couldn’t pass their own budgets on time without knowing what they would be getting from the state.
The governor demonstrated his considerable political skills when he won the passage of the Marriage Equality Act that allows gay marriage in New York State for the first time. To be certain there are thousands of New Yorkers who remain morally opposed to this legislation. Cuomo softened the sting by making sure that the act includes language that protects churches, temples and other religious institutions who cannot will not allow gay marriages on their properties.
But it was the governor’s 2 percent property tax cap that will have the greatest impact on Nassau County homeowners. The tax cap limits the increase in property taxes in a given year for school districts and local municipalities to just 2 percent, or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower. This is particularly important for residents living on fixed incomes who have watched their taxes rise each year while their income remained the same.
It was altogether appropriate for the governor came to Lynbrook to sign the legislation. Property taxes have made Nassau County one of the most expensive places in America to live.
“It works, it’s simple, it’s a long time coming but today it is a reality,” Cuomo said. He added, “I think people are surprised at the level of success we’ve had in Albany. People are reacting to the accomplishments in Albany.”
Skelos, who sponsored the bill along with state Sen. Jack M. Martins (R-Mineola), thanked the governor for coming to Nassau County to sign the legislation.
“It was a tremendous session and if there’s one theme that can come out of this session,” he said, “it’s that New York is back on track and we showed government is willing to work together in a bipartisan fashion and there’s certainly hope for issues people feel are insurmountable. Hope is there.”
People are so shocked by what has been accomplished in Albany that there is already talk of Gov. Cuomo running for president in 2016.
A Blank Slate Media Editorial
