PlanetAlbany

Insolvency inaction update at Capitol

The scheduled Assembly session has been pushed back to 7 p.m., which I don't think I'm going to hang around for, while the Senate has gone home for the day without acting on the rumored deal to reopen the parks. As for the much more significant issue of the overall budget, the conference committees tentatively scheduled for today never materialized, although they are long overdue under terms of the 2007 budget reform law. (But then so is the budget overdue, as it is almost every year. It's just more of a disaster now because they're running out of money.)

I ran into Sen. Tom Libous, deputy Republican leader, in a hallway where he was complaining about Gov. Paterson to Austin Shafran, chief spokesman for the Senate Democrats. I asked Libous how come he wasn't making common cause with the Democratic governor against Senate Democrats like Shafran, and he said on the contrary he'd look to hire Shafran when Republicans regain the majority. I asked him, after Shafran left, about the absence of conference committees, and he said "They [the Democrats] don't want any, you know that. They're going to do a budget behind the scenes."

Most people would settle for that, at this point, which the Democrats are counting on. Trouble is, it doesn't look like they are capable of producing a budget whether behind or in front of the scenes -- and Republican insistence on cutting rather than raising taxes encourages similar demagoguery on the Democratic side. Meanwhile, the state's insolvency becomes ever harder to hide, and the Legislature demonstrates its own bankruptcy by its failure to act.

Early retirement update

The Senate is likely to take up and pass the early retirement bill tomorrow, from what I could gather from conversations on the floor this afternoon just before a brief session. As I mentioned yesterday, the Assembly passed a two-part bill this week which includes a 55/25 provision, although that provision for NYSUT members was passed into law last month. That law was apparently the product of the Tier 5 pension deal.

The new bill would extend 55/25 to other public sector workers, along with the other part which provides "one-twelfth of a year of additional service credit for every year of credited service, to a maximum of three years of additional credit." The governor is expected to sign the measure, and to commit the executive branch to offering it to employees. Other entities such as school districts will have the option of whether or not to provide the benefit.

The Senate now stands at ease, while the Assembly session has yet to start.

Heed the geezers

I don't know how much can be done to improve the intersection of Washington, Central and Lark, and other places in Albany that are seen as dangerous for pedestrians and bikers by an AARP study (TU). Crossing on foot there does seem a long way to go. A bill being pushed by the AARP, S5711-A, requiring consideration of pedestrian and bicyclist safety in road design, is worth a look -- although I can't find the full text online.

The AARP is also pushing a "smart growth agenda," which seems like a good idea. They might want to have a word with the town of Malta, home of Global Foundries, which is moving the wrong way on its downtown plan. The town is preparing to demand lower buildings with bigger setbacks, which would accelerate suburban sprawl.

Early retirement confusion (updated)

This TU story today says a bill passed by the Assembly Monday "would allow state workers as well as local public employees to retire at age 55 after 25 years of service without penalty." But according to the New York State Teachers Retirement System, "The 55/25 retirement incentive for educators represented by NYSUT, Chapter 45 of the Laws of 2010, was signed into law April 14, 2010. The incentive grants an unreduced retirement benefit to eligible Tier 2, 3 and 4 members who are at least age 55 with a minimum of 25 years of service credit." I think that one just applied to educators.

Confusingly, NYSTRS also refers to "pending legislation" which in Part B "allows Tier 2, 3 and 4 members who are at least age 55 or older with a minimum of 25 years of service credit to retire without an age reduction." Part A of this bill (A11144) "provides one-twelfth of a year of additional service credit for every year of credited service, to a maximum of three years of additional credit." This Part A has aroused the interest of my Tier 1 public school teacher wife, who is not affected by 55/25 legislation. And it's this bill, A11144 , which passed the Assembly this week (so the TU story is not wrong). 

Leaders meeting live blog (updated)

They're late of course. Will Richard "the borrower" Ravitch show up, or is he still in the witness protection program? Is Shelly planning on going to the Democratic convention in Westchester, or will Paterson barricade the roads and air space to keep everyone in town? I'm not there in the Red Room but watching on computer, which you can do here. And here they come.

Paterson says he wants to focus on specific spending cuts, which sounds promising. No Ravitch. Governor is focusing on differences between his and Assembly plans, where he cuts more than they, but says individual cuts are not that far apart although "multiplier effect" comes into play. Paterson says re parks, he tried to address issue yesterday [getting into a dispute with S. Silver] but is negotiating against himself because money must come from somewhere.

"We are in an economic crisis," governor says, as are other states.

Silver starts by referring to death of "an Albany institution," Jay Gallagher, "one of the brighter spots of the Albany press corps ... Our prayers are with the family."

Silver drones on dollar number after number. I feel like Jon Stewart talking about Goldman Sachs, just give them the money. Apparently there are all sorts of staff etc. steps to be taken before conference committees can meet. Staff would need at least until Thursday afternoon, then rank and file would need to weigh in.

Paterson notes Gallagher interviewed "all three of us just three weeks ago" at NYPIRG event.

John Sampson says Senate will be here five days this week (as Paterson said last week he wanted). Regular session only scheduled up to Wednesday.

Paterson said parks can be open if $5 million in new savings are identified.

Brian Kolb endorses Silver's Thursday staff deadline. His people have met with governor's budget staff. Paterson says Kolb's ideas may conflict with labor contracts. Kolb says unions should be open to reopening contracts, not insisting on negotiated raises. (I'm making it clearer than he does, but I think that's what he's saying.)

Dean Skelos starts with Medicaid. Says Dems are "party of no" on reforming it. NYS spends 70 percent more per enrolee on Mediciad than national average. Wants more eligibility screening, does not think new federal health care law prohibits it. Anti-fraud measures, including finger imaging. Delay expansion of Family Health Plus, he calls for. Tighten eligibility loopholes. Medicaid expected to grow 37 percent over next 3 years, we need to slow it down. Also wants agreement on charter schools so NY can compete for Race to the Top funding ($700 million). Skelos says Andrew Cuomo has adopted many GOP ideas, including opposition to borrowing. Asks re Ravitch plan, opposes borrowing.

Paterson says plan mischaracterized, but doesn't rule out borrowing, but wants to focus on spending cuts now.

Sampson jokes about whether Skelos is endorsing Cuomo. Skelos says "all four" gubernatorial candidates oppose borrowing and higher taxes.

Paterson tries to get back to "substance" not politics.

Kolb asks about Race to the Top and Power for Jobs.

Paterson says Power for Jobs negotiations ongoing. On Race to the Top, gov says encouraged by NYSUT agreement (on linking teacher evaluations to student test results).

Paterson gets back to budget gap numbers, and broader budget issues. Why is budget late? "It's me," because he won't agree to higher spending.  He's glad to hear "leaders have agreed to get together in conference committees on Thursday (they did?). There'll be another leaders meeting at 11 next Tuesday, and maybe another one this week. Staff will meet. And that's it. Done before 11, which given late start makes meeting about 45 minutes long.

Jay Gallagher, RIP

I don't have much to add to this post, which is headlined "Good Bye Boys." That's a reference to the annual last song of the LCA show, which Gallagher performed in for many years. He was in the 2010 show earlier this month, despite having advanced pancreatic cancer. Congratulated on his performance (as Richard Ravitch) at a rehearsal, he said he wished he could phone it in for the actual shows. But he didn't, he went on, and now he is gone. Here are the last words of that song:

Sing strong, boys,
Our song, girls.
So long all,
We're done. 

Questions for Sheldon Silver

If Andrew Cuomo thinks (as he said yesterday) that Albany's current corruption is worse than the Boss Tweed era, isn't that a shot at a purported ally who has been speaker of the Assembly for the past 16 years, and who is engaged in an ongoing dispute with the current governor about ethics? Cuomo also called for full disclosure of legislators' private-sector income, independent ethics oversight of the Legislature and an independent redistricting commission, all of which Silver has been resisting. It's fortunate for Silver that Gov. Paterson vetoed the ethics bill this year, because that means the issue is still alive and open for compromise.

Silver can still compromise on the budget, too. Cuomo's call for a state employee wage freeze and a 2 percent property tax cap gives Silver and other legislators cover to annoy unions less by accepting Paterson's proposed cuts in education and other areas. He could accept the governor's revised sugared-soda tax, too, and in return demand that last year's income-tax hikes on the wealthy be made permanent (now they are scheduled to sunset and worsen future budget crises).

Whether he thinks he'll still be a player next year, or is looking for a substantive coda to his public career, the way forward for Silver is to deliver a productive budget and ethics reform. What is he waiting for?

Paladino whiffs

Fred Dicker, who expects Carl Paladino's radio ads to bump up his poll numbers next week, had the gubernatorial candidate on his Talk 1300 radio show this morning. Paladino said he is committed to getting on the Republican primary ballot, and to securing a third party line -- independent, if he is spurned by the Conservatives -- but didn't have anything resembling an adequate answer when asked about the state budget. Yes, he'd keep the parks open. So, Dicker asked, how would he deliver that promised 20 percent overall spending cut? He said he would prevent out-of-state residents from getting welfare and subsidized SUNY tuition, and cut the "layers of bureaucracy" in places like the Department of Corrections -- which, he hastened to say, doesn't mean cutting correction officers. And that was it. I kinda like Paladino, and have no time for the establishment Republicans who are trying to shut him out. But it's pretty pathetic when the supposedly fire-breathing conservative makes David Paterson look tough.

Uninspiring leaders meeting

I watched it online this morning which I don't regret, since it didn't seem worth schlepping in for, and was so depressing I couldn't even bestir myself to blog about it immediately. Best line was Gov. Paterson's (picked up by John Sampson), "It is what it it is" (which is also what my chemical dependency counseling professor is always saying). The leaders were not polite, with the Republicans presumably trying to tap into public anger. At one point Paterson had to say "if I can get everyone's attention here," which was not enough to immediately interrupt a side conversation between Assembly leaders Sheldon Silver and Brian Kolb. Silver seemed to get boxed into a corner regarding conference committees, which as a result may actually happen. Best threat was the governor's saying he would call special session days through the next couple of weeks, when out of town political conventions are scheduled. But for the moment, the budget does not look close, which means the fiscal hole gets ever more cavernous.

Budget omens not good

There is a public leaders meeting scheduled for 11 a.m. tomorrow (Tuesday), the first one in several weeks and you can watch it here, which sounds like it might be promising, right? But it turns out Tuesday is the end of the legislative work week (because of a Jewish holiday), and Gov. Paterson is scheduled to be in New York City before the end of the day. So it doesn't look like they'll be entering a marathon session of really negotiating (in public or private) a state budget, which is seven weeks overdue.