Common Sense: We got your number

Your government has numbers. All sorts of numbers. Unfortunately, the numbers often do not add up. And when they do not add up, we the taxpayers are usually the ones footing a new tax, fee or toll increase.

Let’s take two recent sets of numbers. Universal pre-K and the MTA’s vaunted East Side Access proposal. The governor says universal pre-K will cost around $350 million over the next five years to implement. The commissioner of educations says it is more like $1.6 billion. A noticeable difference I think would be the only point we could all agree upon.

And the East Side Access is an even greater case of the numbers not adding up. Originally, the cost of this project — which will make commuter movements from Long Island more direct to the East Side of Manhattan — was estimated at $6.3 billion dollars and a 2013 completion. Today, it is estimated to cost $9.3 billion with a 2020 completion date.

Obviously, these enormous differences raise questions about the methods used to create the estimates which played a major role in green lighting these proposals in the first place. The governor’s entire state budget will be thrown out of whack if the five-year estimate for universal pre-K actually is closer to the $1.6 billion vs. the $350 billion he is using.

That has across-the-board implications on all aspects of the budget. And the MTA is talking about a possible 12 percent fare increase as it deals with various labor-related contract issues. A $3 billion capital budget miscalculation can go a long way in raising your debt service costs.

State Senator Marty Golden — who I serve as chief of staff — and Assemblymember Nicole Malliotakis have been asking a lot of questions, particularly on the East Side Access over-run.

Essentially, the project is the establishment of a new station deep underneath Grand Central Station. A $9.3 billion price tag for a single new transportation center which is larger than the entire transportation capital budgets for many states simply seems incredible.

* * *

The New York State Conservative Party’s recently completed political action conference in Albany was one of its more successful. Certainly, appearances by Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino and former gubernatorial candidate Carl Palladino garnered a great deal of press coverage. And attendance in an important year, in which all statewide officers as well as the entire state legislature is up for election, was high.

Of course, the conference was far more — with numerous speakers rotating in and out on a variety of topics over the two days. Individuals such as budget expert E.J. McMahon and education advocate Jim Cultrara helped update the party on important state issues including the Education Investment Tax Credit sponsored by Senator Golden.

Others, like Congressmembers Tom Reed and Christopher Gibson, brought a national perspective to the group. Author and former Reagan speechwriter Peggy Noonan was the luncheon speaker with Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos and Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb headlining a dinner with Conservative Party-endorsed legislators in which State Chairperson Mike Long released the party’s 2014 legislative agenda.

The Brooklyn Conservative Party was well represented at the conference by Vice Chairperson Fran Vella-Marrone, Ross Brady, David Ryan, Paul Balukas, Cantrell Gore, Neil Mostofsky, Lima McCabe, Janet Kassar and others.

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.