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New York at a Crossroads:A Transformation Plan for a New New York

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ANNUAL MESSAGESTATE OF NEW YORK

January 5, 2011

To the Members of the Legislatureof the State of New York:

Today we are at a crossroads.

We are at a time of crisis that has beencreated by national economic pressures, out ofcontrol State government costs and a dysfunctionalpolitical system that has lost the trust of its people.These forces have weakened our State and point usto a road to continued decline.

And yet,tenacity suggest we can turn this crisis into anopportunity to fundamentally remake our State intothe progressive capital of the nation.

By working together, we can transform ourState government and seize this moment to build anew New York for future generations.

The time is now. What we do today willdetermine the trajectory of this State for generationsto come.

Let us make no mistake. Change is not easy,but we must change to return to prosperity. Wemust begin by confronting honestly the challenges

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we face. In government, as in life, you can neversolve a problem you refuse to acknowledge.

As we take a different approach to governing,today we are presenting this message in a settingdifferent from any modern State of the Statemessage. This symbolizes the fundamental changesthat will be ultimately productive and liberating forNew York.

Time of Crisis: Challenges

The national economic decline has hurt NewYork especially hard. We are in the midst of the GreatRecession where nearly 800,000 New Yorkers areunemployed and our people are facing the crush ofthe second highest combined state and local taxburden in the nation.business climate ranked 50th in the nation mustchange if we are to have prosperity. While Upstate

of the nation in its rate of growth

Our government costs are simplyunsustainable at this rate government employeepension and employee healthcare costs will collapsethe State's economy. The cost of pensions and healthbenefits for active and retired employees will growfrom $1.3 billion in 1998-99 to $6.2 billion in 2013-14 almost a 476 percent increase.

State spending continues to exceed incomeand inflation. From 2000 to 2010 State spendinggrew at an average rate of 5.9 percent, whilepersonal income only grew 3.8 percent. Moreover,

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we face an ever-growing budget deficit this year ofnearly $10 billion, but if we do nothing, it grows tomore than $14.5 billion in 2012-2013 and more than$17 billion in 2013-2014.

Despite the exponential growth in the size andcost of our State government, we get little in return.Our schools are not meeting the needs of students,even though we spend the most in the nation oneducation. Our citizens do not have adequate healthcare even though spending on our Medicaid programunderperforms, although we spend 69 percent moreper beneficiary than the national average.

And i State government that hasovergrown local governments have also multiplied.Many of our rising costs come from the fact there aremore than 10,500 local governmental entities.

New Yorkers see thevoting with their feet by leaving. We have one of thehighest rates of out migration in the nation. Youngpeople are leaving the State because of dwindling jobopportunities. From 1998-2007 New Yorkexperienced a cumulative domestic out migration ofapproximately two million people, with 20 to 35 yearolds the most critical demographic group foreconomic growth and community vitality leadingthe way.

The following is a roadmap fortransformation. It lays out a plan that will allow NewYork State to become the Empire State in both nameand spirit again. The actions it calls for are bold andthey must be acted upon.

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A Transformation Plan for a New New York

We need a Transformation Plan for a NewNew York that will allow us to chart a course ofgrowth and prosperity for generations to come. Thecrisis is our moment and we must seize the moment.

To begin, we must transform this State into aneconomic leader once again. What made New Yorkthe Empire State was its thriving private sector.

The heart of our State shield shows two shipssailing on the Hudson. One is a schooner for coastaltravel and commerce and the other is a sloop that isheavily rigged for international trade. Business builtNew York and we are declaring that New York isonce again open for business.

A key element of this program will be holdingthe line on taxes now while working to lower taxes inthe future. To do this, our government needs acomplete attitude adjustment, one that makes us jobfacilitators and not frustrating job creation.

Create Regional Economic DevelopmentCouncils

We must change the way we engage ineconomic development planning and execution.Those working at the local level know their areaeconomies best and we will empower them through

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the creation of regional economic developmentcouncils that can coordinate and integrate Stateagency responses with local government andbusiness activities to create jobs.

These will not be advisory councils butinstead planning and implementation councils thatare empowered to allocate resources. LieutenantGovernor Robert Duffy will lead these councils toensure every State agency is a job creator.

The councils will draw their membershipfrom a broad spectrum of backgrounds, from theprivate sector, to local government, to State agenciesand even higher education leadership.

We have a vast network of higher educationalinstitutions in our State, which include our greatSUNY and CUNY systems, and we need to better tapinto their economic potential.

While New York universities rank secondnationally in total research spending, they still lagbehind other states in finding ways tocommercialize New York research. One of the mostimportant tasks of the regional economicdevelopment councils will be to assist thoseinstitutions in transforming their research intomeaningful economic activity.

The initiatives the regional economicdevelopment councils undertake have to producemeasurable results. Competition will drive howscarce economic development resources arecommitted. The regional economic development

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councils will use performance standards todetermine how funds are distributed within theirregions. At the same time, I will propose a fundwhere the regional economic development councilscompete for $200 million of existing money todevelop the best jobs development plan.

Fixing the Recently Enacted Excelsior TaxCredit Program

This pastEmpire Zone tax credit program to expire andreplaced it with a new, more targeted initiative calledthe Excelsior tax credit program. It was a positiveand needed first step, but I will propose makingseveral changes to strengthen the program.

First, the Excelsior program offers a tax creditof $2,500-$5,000 per job for five years. My reformwill give qualifying businesses a tax credit equal to100 percent of the income tax receipts the State will

period of ten years.

Second, the Excelsior program providesproperty tax credits based on the value of theproperty before any improvements made by thecompany thereby producing very little return onthat kind of investment. My program will base theproperty tax credit on the value of a property post-improvement, which will ensure that the companyrealizes the full value of the credit.

Third, Excelsior does not pay any credits untilall of the promised jobs are created, even if the

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project was intended as a multi-year job-creationprogram. I will propose revising this element of theprogram allowing the State to pay the credits as soonas interim milestones are achieved.

Fourth, Excelsior now promises new R&D taxcredits, but makes them unavailable if the companyis taking advantage of other New York State R&D taxcredit programs. This limitation will be eliminatedand allow companies to expand their R&D tax credits.

Fifth, we will streamline the application andapproval process. When businesses are choosingwhether to locate in New York or other states, NewYork economic development officials should be in aposition to make commitments promptly regardingthe availability of tax benefits.

Create and Retain Jobs and Spur EconomicDevelopment

New York State produces a substantialamount of low cost hydropower through NYPA forthe benefit of the public. While some of this power isused to reduce residential energy bills, the balance isused for economic development through severaldifferent programs. The only statewide initiative isthe Power for Jobs program, which providesdiscounted energy to job-creating businesses andnon-profits across New York State.

The program needs legislative action forreauthorization, which has historically only beengranted on an annual basis. However, this approach

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has not served anyone well. First, the programs havenot been open to participation by new businesses.Second, existing beneficiaries have been reluctant toinvest in their facilities without the assurance thatthe benefits will continue for multiple years. Third,the year-to-year extensions have also hampered

and execute long-term budgeting and hedgingstrategies. Finally, the last incarnation of the Powerfor Jobs program lacked critical incentives to rewardparticipating companies for increasing energyefficiency, thereby saving valuable energy andresources not only for themselves, but also for allNew Yorkers.

That is why I will introduce a permanentPower for Jobs program, which ensurespredictability and stability of supply with long-termcontracts and incorporates efficiency incentives toreward such improvements. This will provide avaluable tool to help keep manufacturers in NewYork State, thereby growing the job base.

fundamental component to my economic plan. As ithas shrunk, fewer and fewer New Yorkers are left toshoulder the cost of government. This unfair cycle ofrising costs being placed on fewer residents must behalted.

Enact Property Tax Relief

New York property taxes are out of controland are destroying the State. High property taxes arehurting our entrepreneurs, farmers and

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homeowners. Local property tax levies in New Yorkgrew by 73 percent from 1998 to 2008, more thantwice the rate of inflation during that period. Whenmeasured in absolute dollars paid, Westchester (1st),Nassau (2nd) and Rockland (5th) are among the fivehighest taxed counties in the nation. When propertytaxes are measured as a percentage of home values,13 of the top 16 highest taxed counties were in NewYork. New York has no future as the tax capital ofthe nation and our people cannot afford to pay moretaxes. That is why we need a property tax to givetaxpayers relief.

First, my property tax cap will be set at therate of inflation or 2 percent, whichever is less.

Second, any property tax levy increase abovethe cap would be prohibited, unless endorsed bothby the local governing board and a 60 percentmajority of the people.

Third, all local governments and schooldistricts would be covered, including fire and otherspecial districts.

Fourth, only limited exceptions would beallowed for the cap, such as one-time needs for largelegal settlements or extraordinary capitalexpenditures.

Redesign State Government

However, aeconomy must coincide with a fundamental changein how the State governs itself. Only a radical change

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in both sectors will revitalize New York and make usa leader in the 21st century.

Without a serious effort to redesign our

stymied by inefficiency and redundancy. Ourgovernment has layers of overlapping andduplicative structures that have amassed since thelast fundamental reorganization by Governor AlSmith in 1927.

There are more than 1,000 state agencies,authorities and commissions. For example, theDepartment of Health alone has at least 87statutorily created administrative units, including 46councils; 17 boards; 6 institutes; 6 committees; 5facilities; 2 task forces; 2 offices; 2 advisory panelsand a work group.

In addition, economic development efforts arebalkanized across 28 separate agencies andhundreds of public entities with economicdevelopment missions.

To modernize and rightsize Stategovernment, this administration will propose the

Commission whose charge will be to undertake acomprehensive review of every agency of stategovernment and recommend structural andoperational changes to it. The SAGE Commission willbe directed by business leaders, with legislativeinput, whose expertise is in restructuring complexorganizations, and its charge will be simple: makeour State government more modern, accountable and

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efficient. It will reduce the number of agencies,authorities, commissions by 20 percent, in the

institutional responsibility, and improving thedelivery of government services.

To ensure threcommendations are implemented, I will introduce

to submit a plan to the Legislature to eliminate,transfer and consolidate State agencies withoutfurther legislative approval. Once given thatauthorityrightsizing plan to the legislature, which will havethirty days to reject it. If not, the rightsizing planwould go into effect.

Numerous Governors around the nation havethis power, and without it, this administration willstruggle to ensure that special interests cannot blockthe governmental rightsizing we desperately need.

Redesign Local Government

In addition, we must continue to rightsize ourmore than 10,500 local governments throughconsolidations, mergers and shared services.Rewarding local governments that implementredesigned programs that create long-term recurringsavings will help achieve that rightsizing. Therefore,I will introduce Citizen Re-Org Empowerment Grantsthat will cover all or part of the costs of merger anddissolution studies. These grants wouldautomatically be awarded to communities that

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successfully voted to reorganize, merge or dissolvetheir local government. The funds will come from

$100,000 to develop the comprehensivereorganization plan.

In addition, I will create a specialconsolidation bonus pool. Every municipality in NewYork receives unrestricted local aid from the state

Part of the AIM program includes additional state aidwhen municipalities merge or dissolve. Theincreased aid, however, does not have to be used fora particular purpose.

I propose mandating a portion of theincreased AIM funding which results from a localgovernment consolidation or dissolution be givendirectly to taxpayers for immediate tax relief. Underthis program, 50 percent of such additional aidwould have to be used for direct reductions of realproperty taxes. Therefore, if municipalities merge ordissolve, citizens would be guaranteed that, at least,50 percent of the total increased AIM aid would beallocated directly for property tax relief.

Enact an Emergency Financial Plan

The pressing nature of the crisis at hand callsfor both immediate and strategic action. In the shortterm, I am proposing the following EmergencyFinancial Plan, which, when implemented will place

to be on in order to implement the strategic

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transformation outlined in this document. The planwill:

Close the more than $10 billion deficit in the2011-2012 budget without new taxes orborrowing;

Impose a one-year salary freeze on the vastmajority of public employees whose contractsare up for renegotiation as of April 1, 2011;

Hold the line on taxes; and

Impose a State spending cap limiting growthin spending to the rate of inflation.

Transform the Budget Process

The budget process must also be redesigned.First, to make the reductions required, we will needto change our perspective. Unless we fundamentallyredesign our programs the State will be saddled withfuture deficits. The process cannot simply make cuts,it must reinvent and redesign the programsthemselves.

challenges can be solved through a more open andengaged process. Medicaid and education accountfor more than $40 billion dollars of the entire State-funded share of the budget. Working together,across governmental and party lines, state leaderscan find ways to reform our expenditures in thesetwo areas of spending.

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Redesign the Medicaid Program

As Attorney General my office foughtMedicaid fraud at every turn. Our unit was namednumber one in the country and recovered over $700million in wasteful and unlawful spending.

We need to continue to fight fraud, but thereal answer is redesign. Our Medicaid program has amyriad of problems. New York State spends 69percent more per beneficiary than the nationalaverage and yet it suffers from escalating costs,inadequate outcomes and widespread inefficiency.We have allowed a senseless, patchwork system todevelop, where every provider tries to maintainmarket share by offering every service, whetherneeded or not. Meanwhile, a small percentage ofindividuals with complex, chronic health conditionsaccount for a vastly disproportionate share ofspending because a coordinated approach to servicesis lacking. There are too many bureaucratic barriersthat get in the way of direct patient care; we arespending too much with too little to show as a result.A fundamental restructuring of Medicaid, that looksto achieve long-term efficiencies and focuses onservices that actually improve health outcomes, willreverse this trend.

To facilitate these difficult decisions I willcreate a Medicaid Redesign Team. Wisconsin usedan innovative process and changed the paradigm bycreating a type of alternative dispute resolutionmeets binding arbitration where the stakeholderswere brought to the table to redesign their Medicaidprogram. The Medicaid Redesign Team will consist of

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all the relevant stakeholders. It will assume theExecutive Budgetworking on redesigning the Medicaid program tomeet the April 1st deadline. Within the context of ournew fiscal realities these groups will be charged withreducing costs through program redesigns ratherthan traditional rate or formula reimbursementchanges. Once I submit my annual budget, the teamwill reach out to legislative committees andleadership to achieve agreed upon restructurings.

Provide Mandate Relief

Likewise, we must eliminate unnecessarymandates which drive up local costs and increase thetax burden. Similarly, I will create a Mandate ReliefRedesign Team that will consist of stakeholders topropose eliminating unnecessary mandates in timefor the April 1st budget deadline.

Redesign Education

Current education funding is largely formula-based grants with no performance incentives. The

based grants, including the Race to the Top program,has resulted in reform.

Therefore, I am proposing two competitivefunds to incentivize management improvements.First, I will propose a $250 million schoolperformance fund for districts that proportionallyincrease performance in the classroom (e.g.improving grades of historically underperformingchildren). The second will be a $250 million

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administrative efficiency fund for districts that canfind demonstrative savings through efficiencies.

These grants will complement the objectivesof the Race to the Top program by stimulatinginnovation in the classroom as well as in theadministrative office.

Transforming the Ethical Environment inGovernment: Clean Up Albany

The People have lost faith in government andwe must restore the public trust. For too long, Stategovernment has been plagued by scandal, corruption,and gridlock. Citizens, in turn, feel alienated fromtheir government and elected officials. The result hasbeen a failure in leadership to fix our fiscal house,reduce taxes, and get people back to work.

Therefore, I will introduce legislation that will

Institute Campaign Finance Reform

In order to restore trust and accountability ingovernment, we must reform the very foundation ofdemocracy the ballot box.

Currently, individuals can contribute up to$55,900 to candidates for statewide office, anembarrassingly high amount. On top of that, New

corporations as well as unrestricted transfersbetween PACs and parties and candidates. In short,

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dominance of wealthy contributors and specialinterests in our government.

Fundamental campaign finance reform mustinclude a system of public funding of elections. NewYork City was one of the first to implement a systemthat publicly finances campaigns through the New

provides public matching funds for candidates, basedon the amount of contributions raised from NewYork City residents. Like New York City, the Stateneeds a system of public campaign financing to setlimits on campaign spending and increaseparticipation by qualified candidates who otherwisewould lack the means or connections to raisecampaign funds. In order to ensure that the public isgetting a return on its investment in public financing,candidates will be required to participate in publicdebates to receive those funds.

An additional step to restore the public trustwill be a restriction of lobbyist campaigncontributions. Permissible and non-permissible usesof campaign funds will also be clarified, and non-campaign related, personal uses of these funds willbe outlawed and strenuously enforced.

Create an Independent RedistrictingCommission

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representatives decide what their districts shouldlook like.

Therefore, as part of my reform agenda, I willintroduce legislation creating an independentredistricting commission that will produce the newdistrict maps for New York State after each Census.The work of Senators Gianaris and Valesky, as well asformer New York City Mayor Ed Koch, shows thatindependent redistricting will help restore the publictrust. My legislation will ensure that the commissionworks transparently, public hearings will be held inevery corner of New York and they will solicitcomments and feedback from individual voters,organizations and stakeholders. Its proposed districtmaps will be subject to extensive public commentand revised when necessary before being finalized.

Create Independent Monitoring andEnforcement of Ethics Laws

I will fight to establish an independent stateethics board with robust enforcement powers tooversee financial disclosure and to investigate andpunish violations of law by members of both theexecutive and legislative branches. Currently, our

entities, each lacking the independence necessary toensure that allegations are fully and fairlyinvestigated, prosecuted and punished when foundto be true.

Require Full Disclosure of Outside IncomeSources and Clients

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To ensure that our elected representativeswork for the people they represent first, they shoulddisclose the sources and clients that produce anysignificant outside income they receive. Ourgovernment is without adequate disclosure rules andthus allows legislative members to earn outsideincome that is all but immune from public scrutiny.We therefore must require greater disclosure ofthese activities.

Companies and individuals who do businesswith the state should have no undue influence overelected officials. Accordingly, we must enact lowcontribution limits for public contractors andlobbyists. Furthermore, lobbyists, publiccontractors, their immediate family members, andpolitical committees controlled by them, will berequired to report contributions to candidates andparty housekeeping accounts made within 36 days ofan election no later than 48 hours after thecontribution is made.

Strip Pensions for Public Officials Convictedof a Felony in Connection with Abusing thePublic Trust Placed in Their Office

Currently, New York State public officials canstill receive their State pensions, even after havingbeen convicted of a felony like bribery or publiccorruption for a crime directly related to the officialactivities of his or her office.

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Therefore, I will introduce legislation tocreate a process for reducing or revoking pensions,

public officials convicted of a felony related toabusing the public trust in the course of his/herduties and official responsibilities.

Improving Government Performance andTransparency through Technology

Technology has provided powerful new toolsto make New York State government more open,innovative and cost effective. As Attorney General,my Project Sunlight used technology to providegreater transparency and accountability in Stategovernment. I will expand that effort by creatingOpen NY a web-based system that will furtherincrease transparency, accessibility and improvegovernment performance by putting State spending,contracts, budgets and meetings online.

Open NY will use the power of the Internet topromote a new era in transparency and openness inNew York State government. New Yorkers will beable to examine the State budget and see how Stateagencies are spending their tax dollars. A spendingreport card will be posted and make clear whichtaxpayer funded projects are working and which arefailing. This will provide citizens, for the first time, aclear explanation of how their taxes are spent withinthe State budget.

Make New York the ProgressiveCapital of the Nation Once Again

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As we transform our State we will reclaim itsstatus as the progressive leader in the nation.

Better Protect Consumers and Investors

Caveat emptorno longer be the philosophy of government thathelped create the recession we are still reeling from.Albany was nowhere to be found when the GreatRecession hit and our citizens were jolted by thefallout from collected debt obligations, derivativesand other financial products that were allowed togrow out of control with no meaningful governmentintervention.

Many New Yorkers have lost their homes, jobsand life savings. To help protect our citizens in thefuture I will introduce legislation creating a newDepartment of Financial Regulation. The newlyformed department will merge the InsuranceDepartment, Banking Department and the ConsumerProtection Board, and will be capable of regulatingmodern financial services organizations. A primarymission of this new agency will be to stand up forconsumers, protect them against predatory lendingand unlawful foreclosure practices, and provideaccess to good, honest and capable financial servicesat competitive rates.

A Cleaner, Greener Environment

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We must do a better job developing regionaldevelopment strategies. Therefore to protect ourenvironment for generations to come, I propose we

A $100 million competitive grant toimprove our environment. These competitive grantswill encourage communities across New York todevelop regional sustainable growth strategies.Grants will be awarded to the best and mostinnovative comprehensive regional plans thatcoordinate sustainability efforts in housing,transportation, emissions control, energy efficiencyand create jobs, while taking into account thecumulative impact of prior development.

Moreover, the program will furtherenvironmental justice and protection. Environmentalinjustices disproportionally affect low income andminority communities. Going forward, myadministration will renew the Sdefending its most vulnerable populations whileprotecting the air, water and soil we all need byvigorously enforcing the laws that protect NewYorkers.

Responsibility for making New York a

the quality of our environmental programs for cities.Farmers can also take advantage of energy efficiencytechnology. This will not only help improve thecondition of our environment, but also help reducecosts for rural residents who have been hit hard bythe fiscal crisis. My administration will expandopportunities to improve energy efficiency in theAgricultural sector.

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Economic Opportunity for all New Yorkers:Expanding Minority and Women-OwnedBusiness Enterprises

Of the 1.9 million business entities operatingin New York State, more than 50 percent are owned

the vast majority of which are small businesses, are acritical driver of the New York State economy, bothin terms of revenue generation and employment. Yetour MWBEs have historically faced significantbarriers to competition that persist to this day.

We need to make sure that MWBEs have theopportunity to earn their fair share of thbusiness. That is why I will direct State agencies todouble the current minorities and women-ownedbusiness participation goal from 10 to 20 percent. Inaddition, I will propose easing bonding restrictionsthat MWBEs face as well as expand the Owner-

where the governmental agency, rather than theindividual contractors, purchases umbrella insurancecoverage for a specific project, for all contracts let bythe specific agency, or for all contracts of a specifictype. This will expand the contracting and businessdevelopment opportunities for MWBEs and othersmall businesses.

Juvenile Justice

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Our infrastructure is stuck in 20th centuryideas while our practice has moved into the 21st.Recognizing that incarcerating low to medium riskjuveniles actually increases the likelihood of futureoffending, we have turned to newer and moreeffective methods that will reduce the rate of adultreoffending. These methods focus on keeping thesechildren closer to home and out of institutions.Therefore, keeping empty facilities open is not onlyunnecessary, but also unacceptable. The inefficiencyof the practice is only compounded by the dollarswasted; a bed in a facility costs $624/night or$228,015 a year, and a bed in a communityresidential home costs $948/night, or $346,034 peryear.

Because of a State law mandating a 12-monthnotice requirement for closing these facilities, thereare a number of facilities in which staff are there butno residents. The fact that the State is forced to payto run an empty facility amounts to an extraordinarywaste of public funds, funds which could be re-invested into programming that works and is morecost-effective. I will propose legislation repealingsuch a requirement.

My administration will focus on an immediate

consolidation. The staff at decommissioned facilitieswill be given priority for relocation to other facilities,retraining and/or re-employment opportunities intheir fields of expertise.

My Administration will commit to a policy ofreforming the system making sure that our

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troubled youth populations are best served withmeaningful programming, so that they may go on tolive productive lives.

Expand Fresh Food into Urban Centers:Urban Markets meets NY Produce

More than three million New Yorkers live in

rural, lacking adequate access to supermarkets andgrocery stores. Typically lower-income, individualswho reside in food deserts have difficulty providingnutritious, healthy food options for their families.

The growing trend in favor of locally-grownfood presents a great opportunity for New Yorkfarmers and consumers. There are currently about450 farmers markets in New York State, 130 of whichare located in New York City. These markets aresuccessfully bringingproducts to consumers. For example, theGreenmarket Program in New York City, founded in1976, has grown from 12 participating farmers tomore than 200 family farms and fishermen, with over30,000 acres of farmland supporting the Program.Over the last few years, the number of these marketsin urban areas, as well as direct sales from farmstands, has grown. Expanding markets in our urban

bringing healthy food options to where they aresorely needed.

I will aggressively seek ways to expand thesemarkets. First, we need to continue the Hunts Point

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revitalization a two-pronged approach involving

Point Terminal Produce Market, located in the Bronx,supplies a large portion of the produce for New York

Not only will the Hunts Point revitalization bolsterthe retail food sector as a whole but coupled withsupport for other markets it will provide an avenuefor local farmers to market their produce directly tothe New York City metropolitan region. This projectwill further enhance the Upstate economy bycompleting the cycle of production to consumptionall within a few hundred miles.

Second, I willother market facilities within lower-income, lower-access neighborhoods to increase the availability ofhealthy food options to the individuals who livethere.

FinallyCommunity Supported Agriculture ( CSA ) program.CSAs are partnerships between farmers andcustomers whereworth of crops in advance. This model reduces the

the season in order to purchase equipment, seeds,fertilizer and other necessary items for production.Given the limited access to capital for many smallbusinesses, including farms, CSAs are an innovativeway for farmers to get much-needed up front fundingfor the growing season and fresh food into areas ofthe State that desperately need it.

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The fact that SNAP and WIC food benefits areprovided through the electronic Benefits Transfer

this often presents an obstacle to accesseven when farmers markets are located nearunderserved communities, because operatorstypically lack the technology to accept this form ofpayment. In these instances, SNAP/WIC participantsmiss out on the opportunity to purchase fresh foods,while local farmers lose the opportunity foradditional sales. In New York City, investments havebeen made as part of the Grow NYC initiative toenable farmers markets to accept EBT cards as aform of payment, which has had a dramatic effect interms of increasing EBT transactions. The Stateshould promote the acceptance of EBT cards atfarmers markets as a way to increase access to andthe consumption of fresh foods. I therefore willexpand CSAs by ensuring that residents can use theirexisting benefits for payments or pay in installments,by ensuring the infrastructure is in place so that CSAscan easily accept Special Supplemental Nutrition

Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children

Equality for all New Yorkers

Fairness demands that marriage equalitybecome a reality now. New York has been surpassedby many other countries which have legalizedmarriage for same-sex couples including Canada, theNetherlands, Belgium, Spain, South Africa, Norway,Sweden and Portugal; as well as by many statesincluding Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermontand New Hampshire.

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Marriage equality is a question of principleand the State should not discriminate against same-sex couples who wish to get married. Withoutmarriage equality same-sex couples, and theirfamilies, are unjustly denied over 1,000 federal and700 state rights and responsibilities. For instance,spouses have hospital visitation rights and can makemedical decisions in the event of illness or disabilityof their spouse; employers offer spouses sick leave,bereavement leave, access to health insurance andpension; and the law provides certain automatic

not a will exists. None of these rights existautomatically for same-sex couples in the absence ofmarriage.

Therefore, we must make marriage equality areality.

Protect Reproductive Rights

A woman facing an unplanned or problempregnancy should have the opportunity to make thebest decision for herself and her family, whether herdecision is continuing the pregnancy, adoption, orabortion. I will continue to vigorously protect a

the Reproductive Rights Act, which will protect thefundamental right of reproductive freedom and awoman's right to make private health care decisions.The Reproductive Rights Act will ensure that therights of individuals to make difficult and personalhealth care decisions will be preserved.

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Expand Affordable Housing

Perhaps no part of the economy has been hitharder than the housing sector. With the collapse oftraditional sources of financing, withering homevalues, and a contagion of foreclosures weakeningour families and communities, the need is greaterthan ever for New York to find innovative ways toincrease the supply of affordable housing.

Therefore my administration will vigorouslythe new law authored by Assemblyman HakeemJeffries, allowing the SONYA Mortgage InsuranceFund to be used for refinancings, thereby facilitatingthe conversion of overleveraged buildings intoaffordable housing.

A Moment of Opportunity

This is our moment of opportunity and NewYork is not alone the entire nation is in transition.Other states are currently facing worse financialproblems, so an opportunity for New York to againdemonstrate its leadership exists. The 1975 NewYork fiscal crisis showed that we can work togetherduring tough times to make the State thrive again.

Coming together is essential and therefore itis critical that we put politics aside. Democrats,Republicans and Independents must rise above ourlabels and put New Yorkers first.

And we need the people of New York need tore-engage. Democracy works best when the peopleare energized. As Franklin Delano Roosevelt said,

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ic who counts; not the manwho points out how the strong manstumbles, or where the doer of deeds couldhave done them better. The credit belongs tothe man who is actually in the arena, whoseface is marred by dust and sweat and blood;who strives valiantly; who errs, who comesshort again and again, because there is noeffort without error and shortcoming; butwho does actually strive to do the deeds;who knows great enthusiasms, the greatdevotions; who spends himself in a worthycause; who at the best knows in the end thetriumph of high achievement, and who at theworst, if he fails, at least fails while daringgreatly, so that his place shall never be withthose cold and timid souls who neither know

At every difficult moment in ohistory New York has emerged as a leader and todaywe will do so again. By implementing the changeslaid out in this plan, our State will be setting a coursefor economic growth, greater governmentalaccountability and integrity in leadership.