Vanderhoef Criticizes State Budget

Rockland County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef today blasted the state Legislature for adopting a budget that fails to provide economic stimulus funding and doesn't provide relief for overburdened taxpayers.  

The state Senate Tuesday night finally approved a new $136 billion spending plan – long beyond the April 1 budget deadline.

"A 7 percent spending increase is unconscionable in this unstable economic climate," said Vanderhoef, a Republican who is running for state Senate in the November election. "It offers no plan for stimulating economic growth or creating jobs and lacks any kind of tax relief for our residents. What it does propose is increased spending and higher fees. The Legislature has failed to adopt a proactive plan for a sound financial future. This is a compelling reason for fundamental change in our state leadership."  

Vanderhoef also criticized the budget process itself, saying the four-month delay in passing the bill put an additional and unfair burden on taxpayers.

"The state is not paying all of its bills and has withheld payments to counties and local governments," Vanderhoef said. "Government should exist to serve the people, not burden them with additional taxes. The public has not been well served by this budget or the convoluted process that produced it."  

Vanderhoef is running for the 38th Senate District seat that represents all of Rockland County and part of Orange County. The seat was held by the late state Sen. Thomas Morahan, who died July 12 after a six-month battle with leukemia.

Morahan, a New City Republican, in the weeks before his death had decided he would not seek re-election. Rockland Republicans nominated Vanderhoef as their candidate, with Rockland Democrats backing David Carlucci of New City, who is Clarkstown's town clerk.

Vanderhoef said he would push for a complete overhaul of the state's spending and the budget process.

 "We need to conduct a top-to-bottom review of state spending to identify fraud, waste and mismanagement, which costs taxpayers billions of dollars a year," Vanderhoef said. "To achieve this we need new leadership and thinking in the Legislature, and my record of success controlling spending in Rockland County shows I have the skills and management insights required."

Carlucci also criticized the state Legislature over the budget and its long-delayed approval.

"As an example of how far our government has spiraled out of control, it took less time (116 days) to write the U.S. Constitution," said Carlucci. "New Yorkers can no longer stand idly by and wait for our elected officials to get around to representing our interests."