Boyle: State Should Have Deeper Pockets

With New York State in the midst of a budget crisis, Assemblyman Phil Boyle, who represents the 8th Assembly District, which encompasses West Islip, believes the time has come for the state leadership to control its spending, especially during difficult economic times.

Residents of New York State have been left to wait patiently as the state legislature works on the budget, which, by late May, still had not been passed. Boyle supports beginning the fiscal year for the state on July 1, an initiative that was part of Lt. Gov. Richard Ravitch's plan to address the state's fiscal crisis. A part of the plan Boyle doesn't support is borrowing money to pay for operating expenses.

"I'm one of the most fiscally conservative members of the legislature. It's like a family getting another credit card to pay their bills," said Boyle, who lives in Bay Shore.

Among the biggest issues in the state budget process is the amount of state aid that will be coming to schools. School districts were forced to put together budgets for the 2010-2011 school years with the anticipation of receiving a decrease in aid from the state.

While school districts struggle to deal with a decrease in state aid, total state spending it still on the rise. Some lawmakers like Boyle would like to see the state get a handle on the amount it spends. Boyle supports not raising state spending beyond the rate of inflation.

"I don't think raising taxes is the way to do it. We need to lower spending," he said of handling the state's budget crunch.

Lowering spending may ease the tax burden on state residents in some respects, but in the case of schools districts, less spending on education from the state may lead to increased property taxes. The West Islip Board of Education made a decision to keep all of its programs and thus put forth a budget before voters on May 18 that called for a 6.91 percent tax rate increase.

"I don't mind increasing school aid but not more than the rate of inflation; the same with healthcare.  You can't have these big-ticket items that go three, four and five times the rate of inflation. The school boards will have to make some tough choices as to what they're going to fund," Boyle said.

The West Islip Board of Education would gladly accept no increase in state aid. As it stands, the West Islip School District is scheduled to receive In formulating its budget for the next school year, the West Islip $1.6 million decrease in state aid.

In the difficult economic times Long Island residents have endured in the last few years, the tax burden hasn't made it any easier, which is why some lawmakers like Assemblyman Boyle feel it's so important for the state to cut its spending.

"People need tax relief. You can't reduce taxes until you reduce spending," Boyle said.

Assemblyman Boyle is a member of the Republican minority in the Assembly, where Democrats hold a wide majority. Democrats hold a slight majority in the Senate.