League of Women Voters of New York State Education Foundation, Inc.
Albany, Saratoga County, NY November 2, 2010 Election
	Jennifer Whalen Answers Questions Candidate for Member of the State Assembly; District 109

The questions were prepared by the Leagues of Women Voters of New York State and asked of all candidates for this office.
Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Questions & Answers

1. What measures do you support to save existing jobs and create new jobs in New York State?

I support reducing costs by providing qualifying companies with energy tax credits to offset new utility taxes contained in the state spending plan and establishing statewide economic development programs to focus on a more holistic approach to developing the Empire State’s human capital. We’ve tried bailouts and stimulus; now is the time for spending restraint and a new focus on the actions that can actually create jobs. The second part of the state’s employment problem is the structural imbalance caused by cost drivers such as Medicaid and debt. I want across-the-board cuts. Unless New York gets its fiscal house in order we will not attract the type of large employers necessary to keep sustainable economic growth in the Capital Region. For example, one in four New Yorkers is now on Medicaid; we spend more for this entitlement program’s recipients than any other large state – including California. Unless we control the growth rate of public spending the Empire State will be bankrupt.

2. How do you think New York can best deal with upcoming unsustainable deficit budgets?

Deficit spending in New York is not the answer. Spending has grown faster than the rate of inflation in our state. The 2010-2011 New York budget raised spending by $9.6 billion over last year’s budget, an increase of more than twice the rate of inflation. Heavy taxation during an economic downturn is a sure-fire jobs killer. In a period when consumer spending is down and the individual savings rate is up, more taxes would be a deadly blow to economic recovery. Politicians use per diems and bill the state for their travel for each fruitless trip to the Capitol during a budget impasse. I want to return transparency and accountability to Albany. I support changes to make late budgets history, including prohibiting the Legislature from going into an early recess. We cannot tax our way out of next year’s $7 billion-plus budget deficit. I want to cut spending and hold the politicians that create late budgets and revenue gaps accountable.

3. What reforms would you propose to address inadequate campaign finance rules and enforcement in New York?

Overhauling New York’s campaign financing to create a totally public system using tax-funded war chests and spending limits is not the answer. There is a problem when incumbency rates are around 98%. This is partly a product of political contributions and special interests bankrolling candidates. It is also, however, a result of gerrymandering and the politicized process of carving out election districts to suit the needs of incumbents. Here’s how we can support fairness without restricting the legitimate free speech rights of individuals and groups to support the candidates they favor with legal contributions. If you received money, voters should know how much and who exactly it came from, particularly in the case of so-called “bundlers.” As former US Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandies said, “Sunlight is the best disinfectant.” If we want to clean up dysfunction in Albany, we can begin by making campaign finance more transparent and accessible to the average New York State voter.

4. What reforms would you support for the redistricting process?

New York’s incumbency rate is tied to its method of drawing district lines. When self-interested politicians are given the opportunity to change their district’s geography to reflect political and demographic changes, the results should not surprise us. I want to remove the temptation to use redistricting as a campaign weapon and give voters a real say in their elections’ outcomes by transferring the current authority to set district lines from the state Legislature to a nonpartisan commission. This commission would not be comprised of politicians but would include appointees only from outside state government and exclude current and former lobbyists. No member of the commission would take a salary from the state government. In order to prevent so-called “ghost commissions” – freestanding commissions whose funding continues to be appropriated long after its services have ended – I would include in the executive order creating this entity a sunset provision to save taxpayers money.

5. Would you support a cap on property taxes and, if so, how do you think school districts can deal with the decrease in revenue?

Sky-high property taxes are killing jobs and driving businesses out of New York State. I support capping property taxes to a limit of 2 percent growth each year or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower. In order to ensure that the operating budgets of school districts can function in light of this reduced revenue I also favor eliminating all unfunded mandates for local governments costing more than $10,000 annually. Unfunded mandates drive up administrative and other costs for schools with paperwork requirements and transportation levies. If Albany wants it, Albany should pay for it. Savings should be dedicated to a district’s reserve fund and utilized in the case of any shortfall. Overspending at the local level has driven up costs in recent years, and it’s time to return these appropriations to a more realistic level.

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Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' responses are not edited or corrected by the League.

Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: October 29, 2010 13:26
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