Reduction in State Aid Looms for SENYLRC

As of this writing, SENYLRC stands to lose almost $42,000 in state aid. You ask how can this be when the NYS legislature voted as part of its state budget to restore the 5% reduction by the Governor to library systems and public libraries? Well, after the legislature submitted its budget in August to the Governor, the Governor vetoed, among other items, this 5% restoration. Now it was up to first the Assembly and then the Senate to override the Governor’s vetoes. It looked like an override was a sure thing in the Assembly. However, at the 11th hour, the Governor “persuaded” 3 democrats to call in “sick” and avoid the vote. He also convinced those republican assemblypersons who were on record to override the governor’s library veto to switch their vote. As a result, the Assembly fell just short of the override. Without the assembly override, the Senate cannot as a single house override the 5% reduction.

Now come the political “low” point regarding this issue. According to various press reports from around the state, the Governor made a “deal” with the assembly republicans: As a “reward” for securing their no vote of the budget veto overrides, the Governor promised to restore about $4.4 million in cuts to public libraries which reside in the districts of the republican assemblypersons. Each republican will look forward to an average of about $30,000 in additional library funds according the Albany Times Union. What about the districts of the assembly democrats. Evidently they are out of luck. But it gets even better! This money is available from discretionary funds accessible to the Governor and not part of the actual NYS budget appropriation for libraries. As a result the republican assemblypersons can agree to spend it as they wish.

Now, for those who are familiar with the state appropriations to library systems and libraries, the majority is earmarked for library systems. SENYLRC, a library system, along with the Mid-Hudson and Ramapo-Catskill public library systems and the five school library systems, clearly serve multiple libraries in multiple legislative districts – both republican and democratic.

What can be done: We need to contact the governor and legislators – in particular assembly republicans -- and point out to them the injustice of this action. Clearly, state aid for library initiatives is for all types of libraries serving all New Yorkers. Most of this state appropriation is funneled through the library systems in the state. How can the Governor justify the provision of funds only to public libraries in republican districts? Libraries are clearly being used as a pawn in the philosophical and budgetary differences between the democratic controlled assembly and the republican governor…. and who knows where the NYS Senate stands on all of this. The Senate supports libraries but it is becoming clear that Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno does not want to deal with the veto overrides once the Senate returns to session after the November election.

Here is the impact of 5% reduction on SENYLRC’s programs:

Here are URL links to contact the Governor and members of the Senate and Assembly. Please consider contacting your respective legislators and governor as soon as possible. Ask for full restoration of the 5% reduction to library systems, including the Southeastern NY Library Resources Council, that serve all types of libraries in multiple legislative districts -- both Republican and Democratic legislative districts.

GOVERNOR
http:// www.state.ny.us/governor

George E. Pataki
State Capitol
Albany, NY 12224

NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY:
http://www.assembly.state.ny.us/mem/

NEW YORK STATE SENATE:
http://www.senate.state.ny.us/ (click “senators” in the left column)

By John Shaloiko, Executive Director

Southeastern News Online is published bi-monthly by SENYLRC staff.