ALBANY - The Senate's Democratic minority on Tuesday threatened to end this year's pork-barrel and other discretionary spending worth hundreds of millions of dollars unless the Republicans who control the chamber detail the spending before a floor vote.
“The non-identified slush fund stops here,” said Democratic Sen. Eric Schneiderman of New York City. Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno said Monday that there was no time to detail the spending in bills Tuesday.
Bruno hoped to follow the Democrat-led Assembly in overriding Gov. George Pataki's vetoes of $2.9 billion in spending Tuesday, including tax breaks. Bruno, however, said negotiations would continue with Senate Minority Leader David Paterson, who had called for the disclosure before he directs his members to vote to override Pataki's veto of the “member items” and “memorandums of understanding.”
The so-called pork spending consumes $200 million a year along with millions of dollars more spent under the memorandums of understanding, a legally binding addendum between legislative leaders. The spending is decided by legislative leaders, with $30 million directed by Gov. George Pataki, but the way it's spent isn't detailed publicly in the state budget or before it is approved.
The majority parties get most of the spending, so the Senate Democrats get a smaller share than Republicans.
Republicans have a slim majority in the chamber. The spending has infamously been spent on lawmakers' pet projects back home, such as for cheese museums and Little League uniforms to curry voters' favor. But most of the spending supports essential social and health services and programs, including domestic violence shelters, AIDS clinics, school books for the needy and job-training programs.
“This the public's money. The public has a right to know where it's going,” said Paterson of New York City. “It's time we find out who the real reformers are.”
Paterson said he needs to know each project, how much it would be funded, and which lawmaker recommended it before he votes to sustain the spending. He said he would accept an agreement to make the data public later.
He said he would personally oppose the nine discretionary spending bills in question to try to force greater “transparency” in Albany's budget process.
Paterson said the vote on discretionary spending could be postponed. Bruno wanted the overrides done Tuesday.
Bruno hoped to follow the Democrat-led Assembly in overriding Gov. George Pataki's vetoes of $2.9 billion in spending Tuesday, including tax breaks. Bruno, however, said negotiations would continue with Senate Minority Leader David Paterson, who had called for the disclosure before he directs his members to vote to override Pataki's veto of the “member items” and “memorandums of understanding.”
The so-called pork spending consumes $200 million a year along with millions of dollars more spent under the memorandums of understanding, a legally binding addendum between legislative leaders. The spending is decided by legislative leaders, with $30 million directed by Gov. George Pataki, but the way it's spent isn't detailed publicly in the state budget or before it is approved.
The majority parties get most of the spending, so the Senate Democrats get a smaller share than Republicans.
Republicans have a slim majority in the chamber. The spending has infamously been spent on lawmakers' pet projects back home, such as for cheese museums and Little League uniforms to curry voters' favor. But most of the spending supports essential social and health services and programs, including domestic violence shelters, AIDS clinics, school books for the needy and job-training programs.
“This the public's money. The public has a right to know where it's going,” said Paterson of New York City. “It's time we find out who the real reformers are.”
Paterson said he needs to know each project, how much it would be funded, and which lawmaker recommended it before he votes to sustain the spending. He said he would accept an agreement to make the data public later.
He said he would personally oppose the nine discretionary spending bills in question to try to force greater “transparency” in Albany's budget process.
Paterson said the vote on discretionary spending could be postponed. Bruno wanted the overrides done Tuesday.