Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently presented his $178 billion executive budget proposal for the 2020-2021 fiscal year. Anyone looking for an avenue to promise and prosperity experienced a significant reality check. New York was facing a $6.1 billion budget deficit back in November 2019; what the governor failed to mention is that his “savings plan” did not come to fruition and the state deficit has now grown to almost $7 billion. He provided little information on an exact solution to a significant financial crisis. 

For the second time, the governor will rely on a Medicaid Redesign Team to find significant savings in the massive program that he controls. The panel has been asked to find $2.5 billion in savings, which is far from a guarantee. Doing so without damaging the health-care system or struggling local governments is an even bigger stretch.

 As usual, the governor included a healthy share of politically driven policies in a budget that should stick to dollars and cents. But for everything included in the proposal, the executive budget was more notable for what we didn’t hear. 

• There was only a single, vague reference addressing new criminal-justice reforms that have been dominating headlines and threatening public safety across New York state.

• There is no plan to address the $57 billion debt New York has accumulated, which is expected to grow to more than $60.4 billion by the end of the fiscal year. 

• Despite New York’s notoriously high taxes, there was no new commitment to reducing the cost-of-living and financial burdens that New Yorkers face. 

• The governor, unfortunately, made no acknowledgement that 1.4 million people have packed up and left the state in the last 10 years, including 77,000 in 2019, the worst in the nation.

 The heart of any state budget should be fiscal responsibility — limiting spending to what is needed and cultivating long-term, sustainable growth. Gov. Cuomo’s budget relies heavily on smoke-and-mirror initiatives that look good on a projector but fail to address the core issues New York State faces. Of course, airport and infrastructure projects are critical investments in the state’s overall economic viability, but they are not a substitute for true fiscal reform.

 But, there is much work to do, and none of it is easy. I am hopeful that as we move toward the April 1 budget deadline, we will work collaboratively to address the most pressing financial issues holding New York back, and do so openly and inclusively. As the governor said in his address, “our entire agenda doesn’t work if New Yorkers don’t have confidence in the process.” We couldn’t agree more. Our minority conference stands ready to work with him toward fixing the issues that have prevented our state from reaching its full potential.                      

William (Will) A. Barclay, Republican, is the New York Assembly Minority Leader and represents the 120th New York Assembly District, which encompasses most of Oswego County, including the cities of Oswego and Fulton, as well as the town of Lysander in Onondaga County and town of Ellisburg in Jefferson County. Contact Barclay at barclaw@assembly.state.ny.us or (315) 598-5185.

Most of us know that upstate New York struggles. When it comes to economic matters, it does. Fewer new jobs, new businesses, and expanding businesses than most parts of the U.S. enjoy.

Upstaters suffer nearly the lowest income growth of any region in the U.S. The Southern Tier has particularly bad figures.

We know upstate cities were gutted beginning 50 years ago. Most downtowns stagnated, factories shuttered, and populations dwindled.

Many a small town has taken it on the chin as well.

Some Upstaters don’t mind. They like it that you can go back to an upstate community 40 years later and it all looks the same as it was. Some towns could use a slogan like: “We ain’t changed much.” Or “You’ll find things just as you left them.”

There is something to be said for that. Progress is sometimes only so-called.

We can admire the valiant efforts of some upstate cities to revive themselves. They have helped developers convert empty warehouses to condos. They have restored old theaters and hotels. They have seen beat-up neighborhoods gentrified.

Driving through them you can almost hear the refrain: “We haven’t given up!”

Revival is an uphill battle. This is because people keep trickling out of Upstate. Communities struggle to pay for schools built for twice the number of students who now attend.

Rejuvenation would be easier if the tide was coming in. That is if more people arrived and more businesses brought their capital and their jobs into Upstate. Instead, of course, the opposite occurs. And has for many years.

There is a type of lethargy that eases its way into communities that lose jobs, people, and businesses. Because among those losses are volumes of energy and enthusiasm and ideas. The losses Upstate become gains for communities elsewhere.

The losses include money. Many upstate communities are just not as wealthy as they used to be. Their charities, churches, and community projects suffer. My local United Way raises about as much money today as it did 25 years ago.

Most of us know why Upstate has taken it on the chops. It suffers from a number of “mores.” More or higher taxes than most parts of the country. More costly regulations that hamper businesses. More restrictions from state government that make businesses feel that they are not welcome. More barriers to economic growth. For example, the virtual ban on new pipelines and the fracking ban.

Developers sing the blues about the many ways the state inflicts costs on them they would not face in other states. Upstate farmers are about to be hit by new costs thanks to a farm-labor rights and unionization bill. Upstate landlords will soon be hit by the sorts of rent caps that the Big Apple has suffered for decades. Those caps drove rents sky-high in New York City. They will do the same Upstate.

Is there any way to reverse the situation? Yes. But we are not likely to see them in two lifetimes.

Our leaders could turn New York into a low-tax state. We now have about the highest taxes of any state. If we had the lowest, we would attract people, businesses, and business expansion. The pattern is clear. People and businesses move from high-tax to low-tax states.

Could we become a low-tax, low-regulation state? Not likely. During the glory years, we built government and infrastructure befitting a wealthy state. One whose population and businesses were growing by the year. Now we are stuck with these built-in costs — as our population and wealth diminish.

Here is a comparison you won’t like to see. The square footage your county’s operations take up today versus 40 years ago. The county’s population may be the same now as it was then. Good chance that is the case. But the square footage is probably two or three times as great. All of that has to be heated and maintained.

It is needed because the state has imposed and mandated so many programs on the counties.

Shrink the role of the state. Shrink state government itself. Shrink the regulations, employees, buildings, and vehicles that the state and counties require. That would help.

Good luck with that. It would call for rabid reformers among our politicians. They would need support from voters who absolutely demanded and insisted on such reforms.

Have you seen much of that lately?

If we split the state into two, we would see reforms. Downstaters run the state. That’s no secret. Downstaters care little or nothing about Upstate. Also, no secret. If their morning news told them Upstate fell off a cliff last night, they would shrug and go about their lives.

If Upstate was a separate state, the new legislators and governor would address its problems and promise. They would heed the voices and demands of Upstaters. Unlike Albany today, they would have no choice.

There have been calls galore for splitting the state. But sweet little enthusiasm for it from New Yorkers, be they Upstate or Downstate.

So, I guess Upstaters will just have to make the most of the current situation —because prospects for really big changes are few.

Meanwhile, Upstate offers knockout beauty. It offers cities of character and small towns brimming with charm. If you are happy that things don’t change much, stick around.

From Tom…as in Morgan.      

Tom Morgan writes about political, financial, and other subjects from his home in upstate New York. You can write to Tom at tomasinmorgan@yahoo.com, read more of his writing at tomasinmorgan.com, or find him on Facebook.