(Associated Press)
ALBANY, N.Y. -- New York state begins its 20th straight year without an on-time budget Thursday, a record of futility unmatched in the nation.
To the dismay of New Yorkers, there's plenty of finger-pointing, angry accusations and some weakly offered excuses but no progress and seemingly no stomach for change. Lawmakers were to observe the dubious milestone by leaving the Capitol on Thursday for a 12-day spring break.
"They're not doing their job, they don't want to address the issues," said Paul Merritt, a photo lab supervisor at the Rochester police department. "If you run your checkbook the way state government does, where would you be?"
Republican Gov. George Pataki, who offered up a $100 billion budget plan in January, said state Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, a Democrat, simply wouldn't negotiate. Silver pinned the blame on Pataki.
"It is late and it's not my fault," chimed in Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, a Republican.
New York's fiscal year begins April 1, earlier than any state. Forty-six states begin July 1, Texas on Sept. 1 and Michigan and Alabama on Oct. 1.
The governor on Monday sent the Legislature emergency appropriation bills to keep state government operating until at least April 18 without a new budget. The Legislature is expected to approve the measures, worth more than $9 billion, before it breaks Thursday.
"It's 20 years of futility -- 20 years with a lack of leadership on a bipartisan basis," said former state Comptroller H. Carl McCall, an unsuccessful 2002 Democratic candidate for governor. "The public unfortunately doesn't recognize the consequences, so it just becomes kind of a joke."
There are plenty of factors contributing to the ignominious run, including the politics of a divided Legislature. It has been more than a quarter century since one party controlled both the Senate and Assembly.
Three times in the past seven years, New York's budget hasn't been adopted until August. New York's budget was last adopted by April 1 in 1984, the second year of Democrat Mario Cuomo's 12-year tenure as governor.
Lawmakers are considering shifting the start of the fiscal year to May 1, but Pataki has said July 1 makes more sense. The later start would give the state time to analyze tax revenues.
Late budgets hurt school districts that must send budget proposals to voters in May without knowing for certain how much state aid they will get. If they guess wrong, local property taxpayers get stuck paying the balance. Nonprofit social service agencies that rely on state assistance often lose funding for a time and can't be sure how much they will get when funding does resume.
In a state with a nearly 99 percent return rate for incumbents, even voters are starting to notice.
"How would they like it if we all filed our taxes late?" asked Rochester security officer Kyle Jacque.
ALBANY, N.Y. -- New York state begins its 20th straight year without an on-time budget Thursday, a record of futility unmatched in the nation.
To the dismay of New Yorkers, there's plenty of finger-pointing, angry accusations and some weakly offered excuses but no progress and seemingly no stomach for change. Lawmakers were to observe the dubious milestone by leaving the Capitol on Thursday for a 12-day spring break.
"They're not doing their job, they don't want to address the issues," said Paul Merritt, a photo lab supervisor at the Rochester police department. "If you run your checkbook the way state government does, where would you be?"
Republican Gov. George Pataki, who offered up a $100 billion budget plan in January, said state Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, a Democrat, simply wouldn't negotiate. Silver pinned the blame on Pataki.
"It is late and it's not my fault," chimed in Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, a Republican.
New York's fiscal year begins April 1, earlier than any state. Forty-six states begin July 1, Texas on Sept. 1 and Michigan and Alabama on Oct. 1.
The governor on Monday sent the Legislature emergency appropriation bills to keep state government operating until at least April 18 without a new budget. The Legislature is expected to approve the measures, worth more than $9 billion, before it breaks Thursday.
"It's 20 years of futility -- 20 years with a lack of leadership on a bipartisan basis," said former state Comptroller H. Carl McCall, an unsuccessful 2002 Democratic candidate for governor. "The public unfortunately doesn't recognize the consequences, so it just becomes kind of a joke."
There are plenty of factors contributing to the ignominious run, including the politics of a divided Legislature. It has been more than a quarter century since one party controlled both the Senate and Assembly.
Three times in the past seven years, New York's budget hasn't been adopted until August. New York's budget was last adopted by April 1 in 1984, the second year of Democrat Mario Cuomo's 12-year tenure as governor.
Lawmakers are considering shifting the start of the fiscal year to May 1, but Pataki has said July 1 makes more sense. The later start would give the state time to analyze tax revenues.
Late budgets hurt school districts that must send budget proposals to voters in May without knowing for certain how much state aid they will get. If they guess wrong, local property taxpayers get stuck paying the balance. Nonprofit social service agencies that rely on state assistance often lose funding for a time and can't be sure how much they will get when funding does resume.
In a state with a nearly 99 percent return rate for incumbents, even voters are starting to notice.
"How would they like it if we all filed our taxes late?" asked Rochester security officer Kyle Jacque.
