New state Senate Majority Leader John J. Flanagan struck a friendly but assertive tone in a speech recently to members of the Westchester County business community that outlined the good, bad and areas in need of improvement in Albany.
Flanagan”™s political agenda overview was part of a leadership speaker series hosted by The Business Council of Westchester at the Crowne Plaza in White Plains on Sept. 25.
The visit was the Republican majority leader”™s first official stop in the county in his new post, which he assumed in May after former majority leader Dean G. Skelos was indicted on corruption charges.
“(Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo) is advancing a lot of different issues that are helpful and there are some that are quite problematic,” said Flanagan, who represents parts of Suffolk County.
One issue, he said, is emblematic of that conundrum: the minimum wage.
Flanagan reminded the audience of last year”™s heated debate over the minimum wage, which was not increased in this year”™s state budget. At the behest of the governor, the minimum wage did rise for fast-food workers after a wage board Cuomo empaneled recommended an increase from $8.75 to $15 per hour. New York state acting Commissioner of Labor Mario Musolino signed off on the deal earlier this month, which will be phased in over three years for fast-food workers in New York City and over six years for those working in the rest of the state.
“That was essentially preordained before it even started” and without legislative hearings or input, Flanagan said.
The overall minimum wage in the state is set to rise to $9 per hour by the end of the year to comply with legislation passed in 2013.
Earlier this month, Cuomo announced he would make a statewide, industrywide $15 minimum wage a priority in next year”™s legislative session. Flanagan said the debate over the wage hike will be “contentious.”
This year”™s renewal of the property tax cap ”” which keeps taxes on property owners from increasing more than 2 percent annually ”” for four more years, was an important move by the Legislature, Flanagan said.
“While people complain to a certain degree about the property tax cap, the fact is that, if we give more money back in the form of education aid in particular, that”™s the single greatest mitigating factor in terms of relieving local tax burden,” he said.
During the question-and-answer portion of the event, Laurence P. Gottlieb, president and CEO of the Hudson Valley Economic Development Corp., asked Flanagan about what influence the majority leader could have over the anticipated toll increases for the new Tappan Zee Bridge. As part of his question, Gottlieb mentioned his concern about the burden many workers and employers have about being able to afford to cross the bridge for work.
While Flanagan said he has “grave” concerns over the nearly $4 billion cost of the bridge, he reiterated what the governor, Thruway Authority officials and others have said, which is there is no way to know what the tolls will be.
A former aide to Cuomo, Larry Schwartz, said in 2012 the cash toll could go as high as $14. The current cash fare is $5 one-way and $4.75 with an E-ZPass.
“For me, this is a perfect example of why it”™s important to listen. You all are steeped in this far more than I am,” Flanagan said to the event crowd. He added that if jobs are in harm”™s way, “I think we have an obligation to push back. And I hope I”™m leaving you with the impression that I”™m not afraid to push back.”
