Tony Avella calls Cuomo out on it in an open letter to the governor:
Dear Governor Cuomo:
I am writing to you in regards to your recent budget line item vetoes that eliminated certain discretionary funding.
As you may know, I completely disagree with your decision. This funding went to groups that need and rely on this money to survive. In my district alone, you eliminated funding for such groups as the Bayside Little League, Bayside Historical Society, and an anti graffiti initiative. These groups certainly are not pork.
However, I was even more disheartened to learn that BlackRock, the world’s largest investment manager, will be benefiting from a tax break that was included in this year’s budget. It is unfathomable that this company, which earned $2.3 billion on revenue of $9.1 billion and manages over $3.5 trillion in assets, will receive a tax break estimated to be worth at least $5 million while a neighborhood little league cannot receive a $5,000 grant.
Your characterization that these were new budgetary grants is a convenient distraction from the truth that these monies were allocated to specific communities. Those neighborhoods deserve to receive the grants that had been previously promised.
We should be helping these youth groups, senior centers, cultural organizations and little leagues that provide essential services, not companies that cater to and are part of the 1 percent.
Once again, I reiterate my strong opposition to your veto and I ask for an explanation of your actions, especially as it relates to BlackRock.
Sincerely,
Tony Avella
State Senator
11th Senatorial District
I'm not sure why Cuomo is so popular.
Either New Yorkers believe the Cuomo mythology churned out by Murdoch and Zuckerman and Cuomo himself and don't know what a corporatist he is.
Or they support his corporatism.
In my world, stealing from little leaguers to give to the scum at BlackRock is criminal.
But in Cuomo's world, it's just business as usual.
Cuomo, the fascist governor and megalomaniac. Bayside is so screwed with him and Bloomberg holding the moneybags. Avella is great, on the other hand. He does his job and then some, and is very responsive to problems presented over the phone to his office. Avella is a leader and one of the few elected officials I see actually doing what they were elected to do...represent his constituency.
ReplyDeleteI voted for Cuomo and I wish I did not, his actions speak volumes about where his priorities are. His position regarding education clearly follows the education reformers, corporate agenda and as with Obama I will not vote for either of them again. Your blog has more than opened my eyes.
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