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Senator Bruno held a press availability at the Capitol following the Governor�s Budget Address. |
Statement by Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno
Tuesday, January 22, 2002
Governor Pataki has done a commendable job in balancing the fiscal restraint required by the slowing national economy and the September 11 attacks with a commitment to promised tax cuts and a future-looking plan to reinvigorate and revitalize our economy.
In addition to preserving individual and business tax cuts that have been the cornerstone of our plan to stimulate the economy of our state, his budget commits record new funding for economic development, including expanding our investment in high-tech and biotech job development along the lines of the Senate�s "Gen*NY*sis" initiative.
His Economic Opportunity Fund initiative will provide sorely needed funds to create new jobs in the Hudson Valley, Upstate and on Long Island.
As we look forward to supporting these initiatives, we will also work to address other areas of need, including continuing our commitment to improved public schools, to assure that families continue to benefit from the TAP tuition assistance program that has made higher education possible for tens of thousands of New Yorkers, and to provide adequate funding for highway and bridge infrastructure projects that are critical to our renewed economic resurgence.
The challenges we face are enormous: multi-billion dollar, multi-year budget gaps, the effects of a national recession that already have cut deep into our job base, the challenge of enhanced security to better protect our citizens. Smart decisions -- and smart investments -- in prior years already have helped us accomplish a great deal on behalf of the people of this state. We will meet these challenges and continue to make our sate stronger than ever.
Click here to read the Governor�s remarks from his 2002 Budget Address
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