This information comes to us from our colleagues at NYAPRS and begins with a short note: Following is a copy of the talking points for the State of the State Address Governor Paterson gave just now. Included in some additional materials that were released are the following: “Governor Paterson will consolidate and merge state agencies and functions, realizing substantial savings for the State through better integration of staff resources, increased efficiency, elimination of duplicative efforts and staff reductions.” The Governor also proposes merging operation of state’s nearly 350 call centers and help lines and consolidating state agencies email systems into a single system. He proposes a spending cap that limits State Operating Funds growth to the average rate of inflation from the 3 prior calendar years. In his speech, the Governor vowed “whether it be by vetoes and delayed spending, I will not write bad checks.”
A Time to Rebuild: An Era of Reform & Recommitment
Key Points on Governor Paterson’s State of the State Address
January 6, 2010
Governor Paterson’s State of the State Address lays out a blueprint to rebuild New York – rebuild our State’s economy into a national model of ingenuity and strength; rebuild the people’s confidence in the stability of our State; rebuild our manufacturing to meet the energy standards of this enlightened age; and rebuild the trust that the people of New York once had in their government.
The Governor knows that we must take firm and decisive steps to rebuild New York – with fiscal reform, ethics reform and an economic development plan that helps businesses put our people back to work.
Fiscal Reform
To rebuild New York, we need to enact fundamental fiscal reform that makes government more accountable to taxpayers. For too many years, Albany has spent recklessly and without any long-term strategy. The old way of budgeting is unsustainable.
· Governor Paterson’s plan for fiscal reform includes real and lasting cuts to the bureaucracy; a merging of agencies that duplicate efforts; the public tracking of agency performance; and a longterm strategy for fiscal planning.
· To help make government more accountable and transparent to taxpayers, Governor Paterson will deploy EmpireStat, a new program to track the progress of State agencies. EmpireStat will be a critical tool for the Governor and the public to assess whether the State, its agencies and authorities are making real progress in the areas that matter to New Yorkers. The Governor will use this tool to conduct agency performance reviews, to hold agencies responsible for their performance, to report directly to New York State taxpayers on that performance and to provide direction for improvement where necessary.
· Governor Paterson has proposed major reform legislation that would cap the growth of State government spending. A spending cap would help control State expenditures, improve New York’s long-term fiscal integrity, and make government more accountable to taxpayers. This fiscal reform bill is tied to a circuit-breaker property tax relief program that would provide direct relief to taxpayers once the State’s fiscal house is in order.
Ethics Reform
Governor Paterson’s Reform Albany Act is driven not by the illegal actions of any one person, but instead by what is still legal and rampant throughout the entire system of government. The corrosive effects of outside influence and inside decay have bred cynicism and scorn from the people of New York. T. This Act will restore the trust and faith that people expect and deserve.
· The Reform Albany Act puts the interests of the people of New York ahead of the lobbyists and special interests. The ultimate goal of this reform is to bring fairness and openness to a government that has little of either. The centerpiece of the Reform Albany Act would be a new independent Ethics Commission to oversee our entire State government.
· The Reform Albany package would establish an independent State government ethics commission composed of individuals who have no relationship with the State officers they oversee and make fundamental changes to the way Albany operates in secret by eliminating the Pay-to-Play atmosphere. In addition, a bold new public campaign finance system would drastically reduce the maximum campaign contributions allowable, ban corporate contributions and provide for a 4:1 public matching system with enhancements to encourage participation.
· Beyond ethics, pay-to-play and campaign finance enforcement, the Reform Albany agenda will establish Term Limits for Members of the Legislature as well as statewide elected officials by limiting State Assembly and State Senate to six, two-year terms and limiting statewide office holders to two, four-year terms.
Economy & Jobs
Fiscal and ethics reforms will help form the foundation of New York’s economic comeback, but to pull all of this together our State needs an economic development program that is suited to the times we live in and the jobs that the people of New York aspire to.
· Governor Paterson’s plan will restore New York’s economy to greatness, with a focus on New Economy jobs; a rebuilt manufacturing base; a modern energy infrastructure; and a commitment to helping New Yorkers lift themselves up.
· The Excelsior Jobs Program will replace the outdated Empire Zones. A collection of three aggressive tax incentives is the centerpiece of the most innovative job-creation agenda in the history of New York. This new effort – focused on New Economy growth jobs of the future – will be
strategic, cost-effective, and transparent.
· Colleges and Universities are catalysts for new technology. That is why Governor Paterson proposes a $25 million New Technology Seed Fund to create the next Silicon Valley, right here in New York State. The Fund will help institutions of higher learning grow their research and strengthen their partnerships with the business community to advance their work.
· Governor Paterson is committed to maintaining New York’s status as the financial capital of the world. The Governor proposes a bold initiative to establish the infrastructure for a revived New York Insurance Exchange (NYIE) to bring buyers and sellers of complex commercial insurance closer together, providing increased transparency and security for everyone in the process.
· We will also look to our historic manufacturing industries and make them new again – with clean energy retrofits for small businesses; a reformed Power for Jobs program; and a groundbreaking initiative – the Manufacturing Legacy Program - to buy up, retrofit and sell abandoned manufacturing sites scattered across the state.
· Governor Paterson proposes a Sustainable Neighborhoods Project to address the vacant housing crisis in Upstate New York – a new program to revitalize prime housing stock that sits vacant in Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Albany and other great cities around our State. The Sustainable Neighborhoods Project will allow State and local officials to focus limited resources strategically on environmentally-responsible initiatives. With more than 23,000 vacant housing units, Buffalo will serve as the starting point for the project.
· Rebuilding New York’s economy means creating opportunities for all New Yorkers. A more diverse and competitive business climate will mean more jobs and more money in the pockets of hardworking New Yorkers, which is why Governor Paterson has made investment in MWBE’s a key piece of his overall economic development strategy. The State is continuing to open the door to success for any New Yorker who has talent, drive and passion for their business to succeed by creating a permanent council to encourage the use of MWBE firms in public contracting.
Time and time again, New Yorkers have demonstrated the ability to rebuild and renew – that is the promise of the Empire State. Governor Paterson’s plan to rebuild New York will strengthen our State, grow our economy, and get New Yorkers back to work.