CSI gets $9M, but property tax rebate lost after budget vetoes

Staten Island Advance - Thursday, April 27, 2006

The state Legislature finished overriding most of Gov. George Pataki's budget vetoes yesterday, ensuring a windfall for college students but leaving homeowners in the lurch.

Restored to the spending plan was $9 million for the College of Staten Island in Willowbrook, to renovate a fallow building, in addition to other projects.

Also restored was the 12-credit threshold -- the governor wanted 15 -- for students to qualify for the Tuition Assistance Program.

But the property tax rebate, which would have sent homeowners a check averaging around $400 before Election Day, is dead in the water.

A $330 child tax credit applied against income taxes managed to make the cut -- Pataki said it was constitutional, despite prior objections.

Although lawmakers overrode Pataki's veto on the rebate, the governor said that proposal was unconstitutional.

The Legislature is allowed to add to, subtract from or strike items the governor proposes in his budget but can't substitute wording -- a decision upheld by the courts.

Still, Republican Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno said yesterday that, with negotiations bearing no fruit, he would consider suing for the right to issue the rebates.

"This budget difference will get resolved, in my estimation, one way or the other," he said. Earlier yesterday, Pataki told reporters that he simply wouldn't release the funds.

As for the budget, he said the state's strides in improving its financial outlook are "jeopardized" by lawmakers who enacted "a budget that spends too much and reforms too little."

But Democratic Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver didn't mince words -- he released a statement calling the governor's vetoes an "arrogant abuse of power."

Meanwhile, Senate Democrats -- who had threatened to block an override on the member items veto -- struck a deal that would ensure more transparency in the process.

Member item money, known derisively as "pork," is cash set aside in the budget every year for lawmakers to dole out to organizations in their districts.

The Senate Dems said that the money, which isn't detailed in the budget, should be earmarked so taxpayers would know where the money was going.

Now, the details will be provided within 30 days after the member items are paid for, and in the future, will be discussed during the budget process.

Rob Hart covers state government for the Advance. He may be reached at rhart@siadvance.com.

 

By ROB HART
Reprinted here with permission from the