Posted on 05/28/2009 8:48:29 PM PDT by Impala64ssa
ALBANY — Nancy Calhoun has been in the state Assembly six years longer than Kevin Cahill, but seniority only gets you so far in Albany when it comes to dividing up pork-barrel money. Calhoun, a Republican, has $133,000 to distribute in her parts of Orange and Rockland counties while Cahill, who belongs to the Democratic majority, will spend nearly four times that amount — $525,000 — in his mostly Ulster County district. All told, the three Democrats and three Republicans whose Assembly districts cross Orange, Ulster and Sullivan counties are handing out roughly $1.4 million in so-called member-item grants this year to local governments, nonprofits and first responders, according to a compilation of the awards by the New York Public Interest Research Group. Most are modest contributions of $10,000 or less. But there are a few large grants, the largest being Cahill's $300,000 gift to the Ulster-Greene ARC Foundation, which supports programs for people with developmental disabilities. The funds are to be used to keep and improve workers. A more typical amount is the $5,000 Calhoun gave the Newburgh SPCA to help expand its shelter, which will result in 20 additional pens for stray and abandoned dogs.
As usual, the lion's share of the Assembly's $63.4 million in grants this year goes to the majority party — a cherished perk in Albany. Even Frank Skartados, the Ulster County Democrat who unseated Republican Assemblyman Tom Kirwan in November, got a larger allowance in his rookie year than any of the region's three Republicans.
Senate grants to follow pattern The state Senate hasn't announced its member-item grants yet, but the Senate's new Democratic majority has already signaled that funding will be sharply reduced for the three Republicans representing Orange, Ulster and Sullivan counties.
Last year, the grant total was $6.8 million for Sens. John Bonacic of Mount Hope, William Larkin Jr. of Cornwall-on-Hudson and Thomas Morahan of New City. This year, all 30 GOP senators must split $8 million — the same amount Republicans left for Democrats in 2008 when they still ruled the Senate.
I’m ashamed to be living in NY State. I will be leaving the moment I can.
Get out while you can!
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