Gary D. Finch

OP/ED FOR THE WEEK OF APRIL 28, 2006

FROM THE DESK OF ASSEMBLYMAN GARY D. FINCH

*MEMBER-ITEM SPENDING A USEFUL RESOURCE FOR LEGISLATORS*

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     The 2006-07 Legislative Budget was the second budget in a row to pass on time and this year included a substantial amount of tax relief for Central New York. Since I was elected by the residents of the 123rd
Assembly District, I have made it a personal goal to make lower taxes a main priority and I am pleased to say I was able to accomplish this goal in this year’s budget.

     Several major tax breaks were included in this year’s budget, including:

• School Tax Relief (STAR) program rebate checks that will return, on average, $309 to senior citizen homeowners and $213 to average homeowners. Checks are set to be mailed in the fall.
   

• An Empire State child tax credit of $330 per dependant child between 4 and 17 years of age to help parents with education-related expenses.
   

• Elimination of, as of April 1, the 4 percent state sales tax on clothing and footwear purchases under $110.
   

• Enhanced STAR program cost-of-living increases for senior citizens totaling $72 million.
   

• Elimination of the marriage penalty, saving married couples $41 million statewide.
  

     Governor Pataki has recently vetoed these provisions; however, my colleagues and I in the Assembly are currently in the process of overriding these vetoes. Along with these vetoes, Governor Pataki has also chosen to veto $200 million in discretionary spending, or “member-item” money.

     Recently, the New York Times has labeled these funds as “secretive pork barrel” spending. Each year, I receive numerous requests from constituents in my district for funding with issues ranging from beautification efforts to funding for fire departments. It is with the help of member-item funding that I am able to fulfill some, but sadly
not all, of these requests.

     Member-item funds are important for the members of the Assembly to have at their disposal for distribution at their discretion. With large districts such as the 123rd, it is often difficult to evenly balance what funding I am able to use, but I assure the residents of Central New York that I do what I feel is in the best interest of the area as their representative in the state Assembly.

     In the last year, I have helped to support numerous projects in Central New York including: the renovation of the Earlville Opera House in Chenango County, the purchase of a new phone system for the Town of Barker in Broome County, the purchase of new books and supplies for the Peck Memorial Library in Marathon, located in Cortland County.

     I have also helped to secure funding for Cayuga County for a Korean Veteran’s Memorial, the Flags for Soldiers Project for the Fifth District VFW in Port Byron, a class trip to Albany for Auburn High’s senior government class, and funding to purchase the program that traces and monitors sex offenders in the community for the Cayuga County
Sheriff’s Office.

     These lists are only partial and much more funding has been secured for efforts throughout my district. Without the help of member-item funding, many, if not all, of these projects may have been halted.

     Member-item funds are important for us, as legislators, to be able to distribute. I am confident in my ability to best represent the residents of the 123rd Assembly District, which is why I am confident in my ability to disperse member-item funds back to these great communities.

     While I agree that the state’s debt must be reduced, I must disagree with those who believe member-item funding is “secretive pork barrel” spending. In fact, it is highly the opposite. Upstate New York is all too often ignored by Speaker Sheldon Silver and his colleagues from New York City. The use of member-item funds for those of us representing upstate New York is important for the benefit of the residents to receive funding for projects that I feel would often be ignored through legislation by Speaker Silver and his colleagues. We must continue the
use of member-item funds in Central New York. These funds are highly effective and very beneficial to the well-being of my constituents.

     I have included with this column a list of member-item expenditures as compiled by the Assembly Republican Ways & Means Office for the benefit of those interested. 

Assemblyman Gary D. Finch - 2003-05 Member Items (23kb .xls file)

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