Liz ponders this point today. It's a good one.
The proposed allocation in ex-Gov. Eliot Spitzer's spending proposal for the LG's office was $1.378 million, which includes 15 full-time positions. But now that Spitzer has resigned and former LG David Paterson has moved up to take his place, where will all that money go?
Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno is now acting LG, with (he claims) all the powers afforded to that office (just wait until he tries to break a tie vote in the Senate, however, and the Democrats will be in court faster than you can say "two-seat majority").
One thing Bruno didn't inherit, however, was Paterson's $151,500 LG's salary and his staff.
Now, $1.4 million is a small part of the budget, but that money can matter. That could fund something. Granted, we probably won't save the full $1.4 million, but we could save a good chunk of it. |
