Politics on the Hudson

Here’s the official statement from the press shop of Westchester County Executive Andy Spano, who’s sounding rather ebullient about Gov. Paterson’s budget proposal:

Westchester County Executive Andy Spano today praised Governor Paterson’s leadership as “bold, direct and honest,” as the Governor outlined his efforts to control spending as New York faces its worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.
“Every elected official should be standing shoulder to shoulder with Governor Paterson today. He has outlined a bold plan to control state spending,” Spano said. “He has made difficult decisions in his efforts to secure a brighter future for all New Yorkers. He has not shied away from the task to get New York on a sound financial footing and neither should the officials who will now be reviewing his budget.
“Governor Paterson’s budget calls for everyone to buy in. It calls for shared sacrifice and shared pain, because that is the only way to move New York ahead. The door is open to smart decision-making, as the Governor alluded to.” Spano said.
“Regardless of political party, regardless of special interests, all elected officials and advocates must support the governor and work with him as he tries to bring New York State back to its former glory. This is no time for partisanship. We must all work together to benefit the residents of New York for the future of our great state.”

The statement from an unrelated Spano, Assemblyman Mike Spano, D-Yonkers, after the jump.

“Governor Paterson released his proposed budget today amidst one of the toughest economic climates in recent memory.   Due to the financial crisis on Wall Street and the downturn of the national economy, the State of New York is experiencing a large loss of revenue.

As such, I will fight for the City of Yonkers to ensure that it gets the funding it needs while we make the tough decisions to rectify this budget crisis.”