Quoted in full below, the release sees Martland using his strongest words to date in taking incumbent Sen. Breslin to task specifically and summing up his reasons for running generally.
Martland Calls on Breslin, Senate to Get Back to Work and Pass Budget
With budget 2 weeks late, no agreement in sight, do-nothing Senate takes 2 days off.
(Albany) - State Senate candidate Luke Martland today called on Assistant Majority Leader Neil Breslin (D-46th) and State Senate leaders to stop the politics as usual, return from their mini-vacation, and get a budget passed.
The Legislature is required by law to pass a budget on April 1. Two weeks later, with the budget hole above $9 billion and steadily growing, no budget has been passed. The Democrats and Republicans apparently can’t even agree on when conference committees (that were supposed to have been convened months ago) should meet. And, to top it all off, the Senate decided to take Thursday and Friday off!
“This is exactly why I am running for the New York State Senate,” said Martland. “The leadership we have is dysfunctional and not capable of putting a budget together. They are not capable of governing this state. Even worse, the same Senators who can’t pass a budget on-time have taken Thursday and Friday off. Why? Are they tired?”
“It is time to put partisan political posturing aside and do what is right for the people of New York,” said Martland. “Neil Breslin is Assistant Majority Leader and has been in office for 13 long years. Where’s his leadership? Where’s his ability to get things done?
How can the Senate not do its job – and then give itself two days off?”
Martland noted that Senator Breslin, despite receiving a tax-payer funded salary of over $100,000 a year, has a second job at a large Albany law firm and asked, “While the Senate is taking Thursday and Friday off, will he be working at his second job?” Martland, on the other hand, has promised to not have any outside employment and will work year round, 24/7, for the voters.
“Until we clean out the professional politicians who refuse to work hard, cannot pass a budget on time, and then have the arrogance to take a long weekend, nothing will change. The fact is that nothing will change and none of New York’s problems will be fixed until we change who we elect to serve us!”
Luke Martland's stand on issues can be found at www.LukeMartlandSenate.com.
Emphasis mine – SP
I happen to agree. Senators make a decent amount of money for their work, and all workers should get some time off now and then regardless of occupation. But these guys just got back from vacation for the Easter holiday! I don't see any holidays in the next couple days...
Unless you count today! Did you do your taxes? While the State Senate can apparently miss deadlines all it wants without repercussions, what happens to one of us if we "forget" to file today?
This is reasoning that any New Yorker should be able to agree with, and Luke Martland's words above remind me of very similar statement I've heard from regular New Yorkers over the years. Perhaps it's time for do-nothing Senators like Breslin who sneak off by themselves to retire; perhaps it's time to send candidates like Martland who speak for us all to take his place.
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This blog was first posted to the front-page of The Albany Project.
It wasn't until later that I found out that April 16 is actually National Stress Awareness Day. Oops?
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