(Long Island, NY) Eleventh-hour calls by the Senate Democrats to reduce the Gap Elimination Adjustment (GEA) as part of a final enacted budget are the height of hypocrisy. It was the Senate Democrats who imposed the GEA in the 2010-11 budget over our objections, along with $14 billion in new and higher taxes. Every Senate Republican voted against creation of the GEA.
The GEA drastically reduced aid to school districts, which consistently cite its elimination as their number one priority. The Senate budget resolution set aside eight times what the Assembly Democrat resolution put forward to reduce the GEA, and we double what the Governor proposed in his Executive Budget.
If this is such an important priority for Senate Democrats, where is their criticism of the inadequacy of the Assembly Democrat proposal?
Since the GEA was enacted, Senate Republicans have been leading the charge to abolish it and to deliver significant funding increases to mitigate its impact. As part of budget negotiations, Senate Republicans are working very hard to undo the damage caused by the Senate Democrats’ GEA fiasco so we can truly help our schools.
