The Citizen staff report
For the minority-party state representatives serving Cayuga County, member-item spending in the Legislature has been a sore subject.
The Republican-controlled Senate and Democratic-controlled Assembly have traditionally steered an overwhelming amount of member-item spending - often referred to as pork by outside observers -toward districts represented by their party. But recent reports on the member-item spending process, and the media attention that has come with them, have given people like Assemblyman Brian Kolb, R-Canandaigua, reason to believe the system will at least be improved.
“You're starting to see a lot of media attention on this issue,” Kolb said. “When that happens, there's hope for change.”
Last week, the Empire Center for New York State Policy issued a report on pork-barrel spending that listed some 23,000 pet projects from 2002 to 2005 that totaled almost $480,000 million.
“This is just the surface of the onion,” said center director E.J. McMahon. “The mission is to inform and educate the public. The more available you make this, the more questions the Legislature will be confronted with. We hope it will force them to divulge more of the facts behind this stuff.”
Like Kolb, Assemblyman Robert Oaks, R-Macedon, believes there's some momentum for reform in Albany. The two officials certainly believe the system needs to be improved.
“I would like to have a more open process,” Oaks said.
Each year, Gov. George Pataki, Republican Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno and Democratic Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver reach “memorandums of understanding” on hundreds of millions of dollars earmarked for the pet projects of lawmakers and the governor. But most state lawmakers and the public are not allowed to see exactly where that “slush fund” money is being allocated in the budget.
Kolb said member-items should be posted as line items in the state budget. As it stands now, the state budget for 2006-2007 includes $200 million for member items, a reasonable total in the assemblyman's mind.
“I have no problem if it's full public disclosure, and it's part of the budget process,” Kolb said.
His other contention with the system is the unequal distribution of funds. Because all legislative districts have the same number of constituents, it makes no sense to have massively unequal amounts of funding going out.
“I think everybody should get the same amount,” he said.
Kolb believes his district has managed to secure its fair share of member-item spending, but he has often had to obtain by getting help from Republican colleagues in the state Senate or the governor's office.
Another recent report on Albany spending, though, highlighted the gaps that can exist from place to place. The Center for Governmental Research looked at funding of economic development projects financed by state bonds, sometimes called “capital pork.”
That analysis found Albany and Dutchess counties have received more than $1,000 in capital pork per person since 1997, while 40 other counties have collected less than $100. Cayuga County was near the bottom, at $11 per person.
“The problem is the overwhelming inequities that are in place,” said state Sen. David Valesky, D-Oneida. “If it's not equal, at should at least in proportion to the advantage the majority party has in the Legislature.
“The problem is the process,” he said. “It's a slush fund now.”
The only Cayuga County representative who belongs to a majority party in the Legislature, state Sen. Michael Nozzolio, did not return a call for this story.
To download one or more of the annual lists from empirecenter.org, click on the links below:
Download the 2003 annual list
Download the 2004 annual list
Download the 2005 annual list
The Associated Press contributed to this story
The Republican-controlled Senate and Democratic-controlled Assembly have traditionally steered an overwhelming amount of member-item spending - often referred to as pork by outside observers -toward districts represented by their party. But recent reports on the member-item spending process, and the media attention that has come with them, have given people like Assemblyman Brian Kolb, R-Canandaigua, reason to believe the system will at least be improved.
“You're starting to see a lot of media attention on this issue,” Kolb said. “When that happens, there's hope for change.”
Last week, the Empire Center for New York State Policy issued a report on pork-barrel spending that listed some 23,000 pet projects from 2002 to 2005 that totaled almost $480,000 million.
“This is just the surface of the onion,” said center director E.J. McMahon. “The mission is to inform and educate the public. The more available you make this, the more questions the Legislature will be confronted with. We hope it will force them to divulge more of the facts behind this stuff.”
Like Kolb, Assemblyman Robert Oaks, R-Macedon, believes there's some momentum for reform in Albany. The two officials certainly believe the system needs to be improved.
“I would like to have a more open process,” Oaks said.
Each year, Gov. George Pataki, Republican Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno and Democratic Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver reach “memorandums of understanding” on hundreds of millions of dollars earmarked for the pet projects of lawmakers and the governor. But most state lawmakers and the public are not allowed to see exactly where that “slush fund” money is being allocated in the budget.
Kolb said member-items should be posted as line items in the state budget. As it stands now, the state budget for 2006-2007 includes $200 million for member items, a reasonable total in the assemblyman's mind.
“I have no problem if it's full public disclosure, and it's part of the budget process,” Kolb said.
His other contention with the system is the unequal distribution of funds. Because all legislative districts have the same number of constituents, it makes no sense to have massively unequal amounts of funding going out.
“I think everybody should get the same amount,” he said.
Kolb believes his district has managed to secure its fair share of member-item spending, but he has often had to obtain by getting help from Republican colleagues in the state Senate or the governor's office.
Another recent report on Albany spending, though, highlighted the gaps that can exist from place to place. The Center for Governmental Research looked at funding of economic development projects financed by state bonds, sometimes called “capital pork.”
That analysis found Albany and Dutchess counties have received more than $1,000 in capital pork per person since 1997, while 40 other counties have collected less than $100. Cayuga County was near the bottom, at $11 per person.
“The problem is the overwhelming inequities that are in place,” said state Sen. David Valesky, D-Oneida. “If it's not equal, at should at least in proportion to the advantage the majority party has in the Legislature.
“The problem is the process,” he said. “It's a slush fund now.”
The only Cayuga County representative who belongs to a majority party in the Legislature, state Sen. Michael Nozzolio, did not return a call for this story.
To download one or more of the annual lists from empirecenter.org, click on the links below:
Download the 2003 annual list
Download the 2004 annual list
Download the 2005 annual list
The Associated Press contributed to this story
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