Posted on 03/29/2013 5:31:38 PM PDT by neverdem
New York's Assembly passed the state's $135 billion budget for fiscal year 2013-2014 on Thursday just before midnight, the third budget in a row to be delivered on time in a state known for regularly being late.
Lawmakers rushed to sign off on the legislation during a week that was punctuated with religious holidays and have succeeded in getting the job done ahead of the start of the state's fiscal year on April 1.
Getting the budget ready on time may not sound like much to be proud of, but it is being touted as a triumph in a state where seasoned budget watchers recall over a decade of tardiness when budgets would sometimes run into late summer.
"While three on-time budgets in a row shouldn't sound like much, in New York state this is the first time it has happened in almost 30 years," state Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a video address on his website on Friday. "Year after year the budgets became a flashpoint for the chaos and dysfunction of state government."
Stripping the government in Albany of its tardy image was key for Cuomo who is keen to burnish his credentials as a capable operational manager able to bridge party lines. His name has often been raised as a possible Democratic presidential candidate when President Barack Obama's term ends in 2016.
The Assembly's 13-hour session broke up just before midnight on Thursday and featured extended debate over a stack of failed amendments. They included one that tried to torpedo a tax incentive widely seen as a way to lure the Tonight Show, a popular and long-running late-night talk show, from California back to New York City where it began life in the 1950s.
The measure provides a tax break for certain types of television production and...
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
The irony here is that Chris Christie’s track record across the river in New Jersey has probably done more than anything else to push the State of New York to govern itself more responsibly.
Ah, nothing has changed Andy, it's still dysfunctional.
The Feds borrow 139 Billion every 45 days.
I think that’s part of it. Other than that, he’s just a hard lefty.
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