Larkin: "with all the hullabaloo ... we accomplished a lot"

ALBANY – The $122 billion state budget was finally adopted by the State Legislature late Wednesday, nine days late, which is not bad by New York State standards. There were still the complaints by county officials about traditional state expenses being shifted to the counties, but state lawmakers said they were pleased with the millions they brought home to the Hudson Valley and Catskills regions.

Assemblyman Kevin Cahill of Kingston, a Democrat, is pleased with the way the spending plan fell into place.

“We were able to increase education funding to $21.4 billion; that’s $1.75 billion more than last year, and literally millions of dollars more for schools in Dutchess and Ulster County,” he said.

Cahill also pointed to $62 million for capital projects at SUNY New Paltz and Ulster County Community College.

Senator John Bonacic, a Mt. Hope Republican, and Democrat Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther of Forestburgh, also noted some $10 million for Sullivan Community College and $20 million for Orange County Community College.

But, Republican Assemblyman Thomas Kirwan of Newburgh, who voted against the entire budget, said at a time when the state is facing a recession and should be tightening its belt, it isn’t.

“Some of the stuff is just unbelievable -- $2.9 million to keep the Buffalo Bills in New York, $1.4 million for the lieutenant governor’s office. I don’t know where the money is going; we don’t have a lieutenant governor,” he said. “It’s just really out of control spending.”

Kirwan, opposed to member items, said since the money was included in the budget, he used his allotment for local projects.

Republican Senator William Larkin of Cornwall-on-Hudson was satisfied with the way things shook out.

“When you can take a budget that a governor gives you and two months later you can turn it around, and with all the hullabaloo in Albany, I think we accomplished a lot.”