Triborough

REPEAL THE TRIBOROUGH AMENDMENT 

             

              As County officials mull over the possibility of raising local sales taxes to help pay down their budget gaps, the reason for that shortfall remains unaddressed in the Governor’s recent budget message.

While containing some decent proposals, the governor’s budget failed to address a key financial problem that affects the entire state.

            Cuomo’s budget outline admirably reduces the fiscal gimmicks and spending hikes that were standard fare in prior years. Notably, however, in a state starved for jobs and economic development, the failure to encourage hydrofracking, and the revenue that could produce,  is deeply disappointing.

            The Governor courageously demands that the powerful teachers’ lobby accept some responsibility for the pitiful condition of our public schools, and pushes for new standards of performance.  The unacceptable fact that NY spends more per pupil than any other state, but gets generally dismal results in return, has been intentionally overlooked for far too long by politicians kowtowing to the influential teachers’ union in return for their votes and contributions.

            Albany cannot resolve its systematic budgetary dilemmas until the elaborate political giveaway to public sector unions, the Tribrough Amendment, is repealed.  That is the law which requires state & local governments to keep for their employees all contractual perks including automatic “step” increases even after the expiration of union contracts.  The governor’s budget fails to address this. County officials throughout the state are detrimentally affected by this.  New York State’s Conference of Mayors, school district leaders and others are urging that this millstone be removed.

            The problem has recently risen to crisis proportions.  Over the past several decades, Albany has depended on ever increasing taxes to pay the bills presented by special interests that have far too much influence with elected officials. Following the recent (and long overdue) passage of the property tax cap, and Governor Cuomo’s appropriate reluctance to hike levies, however, that system of finance has been derailed. More logical means must be found to keep budgets balanced.

            Putting public sector union costs on a realistic and fair basis is the right course of action.  However, the Triborough Amendment prevents this. The Manhattan Institute’s recently released report, “Triborough Trouble,” condemns the costs of this three decade old law.  Guaranteed pay hikes for state government employees alone due to Triborough cost $140 million a year.  That figure doesn’t include the numerous other county and local union costs. For example, Increases for NYC teachers total $150 million, and add $93 million to school budgets statewide. Those numbers represent only a small part of the problem. As the report further notes, Triborough makes it almost impossible to fruitfully negotiate reasonable common sense updates to new contracts.

            For far too long, state elected officials have failed to confront runaway union costs out of fear of losing campaign contributions. New York counties have also suffered from unfunded mandates. It’s time for that to change.