Saturday, April 27, 2024 | St. Lawrence County, NY
North Country Assemblymen Kenneth Blankenbush R-Black River and Marc Butler R-Newport are slamming Gov. Andrew Cuomo for funding New York City subways while the North Country struggles to keep …
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North Country Assemblymen Kenneth Blankenbush R-Black River and Marc Butler R-Newport are slamming Gov. Andrew Cuomo for funding New York City subways while the North Country struggles to keep bridges open and pave roads.
“The governor recently announced he is pledging more than $8 billion for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to spend on New York City subways and trains. According to reports, the state may need to borrow to keep this pledge, which would send the state over its borrowing cap. This is utterly irresponsible,” Blankenbush said in a released statement.
St. Lawrence County alone would need to spend $285 million over the next decade in order to fix its deficient bridges, roads and culverts, according to a county highway department report issued in 2014.
Butler shared similar views on the announcement.
“Let’s do some quick math – adding up the recently announced Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) deal, the rebuilding of La Guardia Airport, and the Tappan Zee Bridge replacement that still lacks a financial plan, the governor is spending more than $16 billion in taxpayer money on New York City. I understand the needs of New York City are great, but there are more than 8 million upstate residents who live in communities where roads, bridges, and water management systems are largely ignored by the state,” he said in a released statement.
“Furthermore, if the governor plans to borrow to pay for the MTA pledge, I will oppose it vehemently. Any such borrowing may cause our state to exceed its borrowing cap, which negates much of the fiscal responsibility and accountability we’ve been working to instill in the state.”
Blankenbush says the announcement “clearly shows that the governor does not prioritize our needs.”
Blankenbush represents the 117th assembly district, which includes the St. Lawrence County towns of DeKalb, Gouverneur, Hermon, Russell, Edwards, Fowler and Pitcairn.
Butler represents the 118th Assembly District, which includes St. Lawrence County towns from Norfolk and Madrid south to Colton, Clifton and Fine.
