Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and state legislators have barely begun to address California's deficit-ridden state budget, but the New York Legislature adopted a $122 billion budget Wednesday – and that gives Steve Maviglio, top spokesman for Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez, an opportunity to complain.
"New York Republicans support a balanced approach to the budget," Maviglio observed in an e-mail to Capitol reporters. "Why can't California Republicans?"
The New York budget, passed 10 days after the beginning of that state's fiscal year, includes $1.5 billion in new revenues from closing tax loopholes and raising taxes and fees on cigarettes and a flock of expenditures including museum admissions and manicures.
The cigarette tax boost was $1.25 per pack and will make cigarettes in New York City the most expensive smokes in America, the New York Times observed. The budget was worked out largely by the Republican head of the state Senate and the Democratic speaker of the state Assembly. It raises overall spending by 4.9 percent, with the bulk of the increase going to schools and colleges.
Interestingly, it includes $700 million that legislators can dole out to public works projects in their districts. The New York Times account of the budget is available here.
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