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Assembly Will Barclay

Reforming School Aid Formula Would Even Playing Field for Districts

More state aid should be driven to low-wealth districts than high-wealth districts. Many of the school districts in my Assembly district are low-wealth school districts and therefore are heavily reliant on state aid. When state aid is cut, they feel the cut more acutely than high wealth school districts because of their high dependency on state aid.

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Assembly Will Barclay

Closure of Fort Ontario: A Bad Idea

In an effort to close the state budget gap, the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historical Preservation (OPRHP) recommended closing 57 state parks and historic sites late last week. Unfortunately, included among that list was Fort Ontario. Closing the historic site in the heart of the City of Oswego is a terrible idea. Closure will hinder the region’s ability to attract tourists and stifle education.

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Assembly Will Barclay

Governor’s Budget Does Not Go Far Enough to Reduce Spending

Last week, Governor Paterson released his proposed budget. It’s the first step in the beginning of the budget process and is the foundation from which lawmakers negotiate before its passage in April. In short, in his budget the Governor proposes to slow the growth of state spending but also proposes approximately $1 billion in new taxes and fees. In this column, I highlight some of the more substantive aspects of his proposal.

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