Politics on the Hudson

Reporter Jorge FitzGibbon attended a public meeting hosted by the League of Women Voters today on the county’s proposed 2009 budget. Here’s his report from the event, which was held at the White Plains Public Library:

Aside from the typical — and understandable — taxpayer concerns, a few details and tidbits surfaced as Westchester Budget Director Anne Reasoner and two of her deputies fielded questions from the audience:

• The proposal to abolish 52 currently vacant positions from the county payroll next year, which is promised to save $4.5 million, isn’t as rosy as it seems: The net cut is 20 jobs because the county will fill 32 other posts between this year and next. That includes 14 inspectors for the Board of Elections, which is mandated to install new optic-scan machines.

• The county thought it had a deal when it locked in on a diesel fuel contract for the Bee-Line bus system earlier this year at a price of $3.88 per gallon. Unfortunately — and unexpectedly — fuel prices took a tumble since. But it’s too late, with the price locked in.

• County Executive Andy Spano is serious about cutting his office’s fuel and travel costs by 13 percent, Reasoner said, by eliminating “discretionary” meal spending. “I’m not going to tell you that’s 100 percent, because I can’t say that,” Reasoner said. “But the bulk of what’s left in this budget is for contractually driven costs, which I can’t cut.”

• Finally, First Deputy Budget Director John Delaney said the Department of Social Services, the county’s biggest, was also one of the hardest to cut in the budget. “It’s the department we have the most money to make cuts,” Delaney said, “but at the same time that’s the department that everyone’s going to be turning to as the economy gets bad.”

Westchester County Executive Andy Spano spent an hour or so with our editorial board yesterday talking about the ins and outs of his proposed 2009 county budget. You can see the video here, or for the abridged version, check out Jorge Fitzgibbon’s story on the session.

In a related note, Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner, Yonkers Councilwoman Joan Gronowski and others hosted a meeting in White Plains on the idea of getting rid of county government altogether. Read Jerry McKinstry’s story here.

New York State’s private sector jobs decreased over the month by 13,900, or 0.2 percent, to 7.2 million in October, the state Labor Department reported today.

But the unemployment rate fell from 5.8 percent in September 2008 to 5.7 percent in October 2008, but up from 4.6 percent a year ago.

“New York State’s unemployment rate experienced a statistically insignificant drop in October,” said Peter Neenan, director of the Division of Research and Statistics.

“Nonetheless, most labor market indicators suggest that the state’s economy continued to slow last month: the private sector job count declined over the year for the first time since January 2004; the ongoing effects of the global credit crisis resulted in increased job losses in the state’s financial sector, especially among Wall Street firms; and the unemployment rate was up over the year in all regions of the state.”

   The State University of New York’s student enrollment has reached a new high this year, despite having a net loss of $210 million in cuts by the governor and lawmakers. The student population at the 64-campus system grew by 12,226, almost 3 percent over last fall, to 439,624.

   In the past decade, SUNY has experienced a 20 percent boost in enrollment.

   “This record enrollment is more evidence that students recognize the educational excellence offered by our SUNY campuses,” Carl Hayden, SUNY Board of Trustees chairman, said in a statement. “In a time of difficult economic challenges for students and their families, SUNY clearly is the right choice for an accessible, affordable and high quality higher education experience.” 

   Earlier this week, SUNY trustees approved a plan to gradually increase tuition each year, with the intent of making tuition more predictable and paying for increased expenses at the school. The last time SUNY tuition went up was in 2003, when it increased 28 percent to $2,350.

   Gov. David Paterson has recommended a tuition hike of $300 a semester, starting in the spring. Trustees have endorsed upping tuition by $310 a semester under the same timetable. The governor will take the trustees’ tuition and budget recommendation into consideration before submitting his budget proposal next month.

   The enrollment growth shows there is a growing demand for access to public higher education in New York, which “must be met with the resources required for the continued delivery of educational opportunities that make SUNY a great public institution,” said SUNY Provost Risa Palm.

Today’s media update from the Obama-Biden transition team contained this lighter moment:

“Today is Vice President-elect Joe Biden’s 66th birthday. President-elect Barack Obama surprised him yesterday with cupcakes after their weekly lunch. Then, the President-elect led the staff in singing him happy birthday and gave him a Chicago White Sox hat, a Chicago Bears hat and a bucket of Garrett’s popcorn as gifts.

Vice President-elect Biden will spend his birthday in Delaware and has no public events scheduled. President-elect Obama will hold private meetings in Chicago, no public events are scheduled.”

Since Governor Paterson can’t get the Legislature to go along with his $2 billion in cuts, he’s made two of his own administratively, saving about $98 million.

Only $1.9 billion left this fiscal year.

They are, from his budget proposal:

Rescind 2008-09 Vacation Exchange Program: Currently, management/confidential employees are allowed to exchange limited amounts of unused vacation time for cash payments. This program would be rescinded for 2008-09.   (2008-09 Savings: $5 million, 2009-10 Savings: $0 million).

Change Timing of NYC STAR Payment. Consistent with existing statutory authority, the December 2008 STAR payment to the City of New York would be moved to June 2009.  This will have no impact on New York City’s Financial Plan, as the payment would be made in the same City Fiscal Year. (2008-09 Savings:  $93 million, 2009-10 Savings: $20 million)

Gov. David Paterson doesn’t think he would be obligated to appoint another woman to replace Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton if she becomes a member of President-elect Barack Obama’s cabinet.

“I wouldn’t feel obligated,’’ Paterson said. “But I’m not really going to think about that or address that kind of an issue until and if she leaves.’‘

Interviewed by Gannett News Service as he walked to a meeting with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in Washington, Paterson declined to comment on whether Clinton should leave the Senate.

“I think that’s a decision she has to make,’’ he said. “I prefer her to (be) where she feels she can make the greatest contribution.’‘

Earlier in the day, upstate Democratic Rep. Louise Slaughter said she left a message on Clinton’s cell phone urging her to stay in the Senate. “She is an internationally known and beloved figure already,’’ said Slaughter. “And it’s my opinion that giving up elected office for appointed office is a pretty jolting thing to do. I really would like it if she stays where she is.’’

Sen. Chuck Schumer declined to comment on what his advice to Clinton would be. “Any advice I give to her will be private,’’ he said.

   Elected officials, members of the Kennedy family and other heavyweights gathered today to officially rename the Triborough Bridge—which connects Manhattan, Queens and the Bronx—the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge. The Triborough opened in 1936 and includes three bridges, a viaduct and 14 miles of approach roads connecting the boroughs, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

   In January, then-Gov. Eliot Spitzer proposed the name change, calling Kennedy a “bridge builder” in a metaphoric sense because he dreamed of a country where “all individuals work diligently to help the poorest among us to life themselves out of poverty.”

   Robert F. Kennedy was a U.S. senator from New York between 1965 and 1968, when he was assassinated during his campaign for president. He was U.S. attorney general under his brother, President John F. Kennedy, and resigned after his brother was assassinated in 1963. In New York, Robert Kennedy created programs for underprivileged and disabled children.

   Robert Kennedy is the subject of a new lesson plan in New York, called “Speak Up, Speak Out: Robert F. Kennedy, Champion of Social Justice,” which was developed by New York State United Teachers in collaboration with Gov. David Paterson’s office and the state Education Department. The impetus for the project was a call from Kerry Kennedy, the seventh of RFK’s 11 children, to NYSUT President Richard Iannuzzi.

   “Robert F. Kennedy’s legacy lives on in countless individuals who fight for justice around the world—and in every child who is inspired by his legacy to, ‘speak up, speak out,’” Kerry Kennedy wrote in a letter to educators around the state.

   In a letter about the RFK education project, Paterson called him a great American with a humanitarian vision. He cited a quote from RFK: “Each time a man stands up for an idea, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope…”

(Photos: MTA, Time Life Pictures/Getty Images.)

Senate Minority Leader Malcolm Smith, D-Queens, called from Washington D.C. this afternoon as he, Governor Paterson and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan, were between meetings with New York’s congressional delegation.

He too said he was embarrassed by the lack of action Tuesday by the state Legislature. But he said they will work better when Democrats take over the Senate in January.

“They treat the minority a little differently,” he said of Senate Republicans. “They did not give us the amount of respect in the house that I will give to the Republican conference in the minority. I will give them that kind of input and opportunity to be involved.”

Smith said the Democratic leaders had already met with Reps. Nita Lowey, Jose Serrano and Charles Rangel. They were meeting later in the day with other Washington leaders, including Sen. Charles Schumer.

The state leaders are pushing for a federal stimulus package to help states, and Smith said they also want to let Washington know that New York will first help themselves out of this crisis.

“I wanted to reassure our congressional delegation that we are going to get our fiscal house in order and that we understand that we have to control spending and cut back on the bloated government that we had,” said Smith (above with Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos at yesterday’s leaders’ meeting.)

Moreover, he said the stimulus package and a bailout of the automobile industry would help upstate New York, which has about 8,500 jobs tied to the automobile sector.

“We couldn’t get it done in Albany yesterday, but we are right back to work today in Washington explaining to them that we will be responsible in January and we need their help,” Smith said. “We can’t cut our way back to prosperity. We’ll have to do things to create jobs.”

(AP photo)

New York Now has the some of the more memorable moments from yesterday’s leaders’ meeting.

We’ll let the exchanges speak for themselves.