When Senators Pedro Espada & Hiram Monserrate turned on their fellow Democrats and took part in the coup in Albany, many speculated on the reason why they did it.
Was it because Espada was denied $2 million in pork?
Did Monserrate want Democratic Senators to help pay his legal fees?
Was Espada killing tighter rent regulations?
Did Tom Golisano promise them something?
Who knows for sure?
But Wednesday night, Republican Senate Leader Dean Skelos told us what he claims is the real reason!
http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/16629/text-of-senate-gop-response/#more-16629
The Governor and his Democrat allies passed a budget that raised taxes and spending to levels never before seen in this state.
They made life miserable for taxpayers, businesses and working families who were already struggling.
They went behind closed doors and delivered the worst budget in state history.
They were responsible for the biggest increase in spending ever and the largest tax increase in this state’s history.
They raised taxes on businesses, crippling efforts to create new jobs.
And what does this mean to you? It means you won’t get your STAR property tax rebate check.
It will cost more to send your children to college.
And you’ll pay $2400 more per year in state taxes.
The budget was bad enough, but to add insult to injury, a month later they imposed even more new taxes on jobs for businesses downstate.
So the Governor says we are in an economic crisis. He is right. But the crisis is largely of his own making.
The crisis peaked a month ago when Democrats and Republicans in the Senate said enough is enough.
There’s one problem with Skelos explanation.
If Espada & Monserrate really agreed with the Republicans about the budget & taxes, they could have done something really simple before the crisis.
Espada & Monserrate could have just joined with the Republicans and voted against the budget & the taxes in April!
The budget would have been defeated by a vote of 32-30. Governor Paterson & Assembly Speaker Silver would then have had to negotiate with the opponents of the budget and it would have had to be changed so that some of what Skelos is complaining about would not have happened.
But Espada & Monserrate didn’t do it. They voted for the budget and the higher taxes.
And the result is that all the bad things Skelos complains about did happen plus we are now in the crisis with nobody in charge of the Senate.
Nice try, Dean, but I think I’ll stick with speculating about Pedro & Hiram’s motives.