Source: New York Times - City Room
Publication Date: Jan. 22, 2008

Reaction has been pouring in to Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s second executive budget, in which he proposed an array of new taxes and fees, $1 billion in health care cuts and scaled back plans for new education aid and property tax relief.

From Marcia Bystryn, executive director of the New York League of Conservation Voters:

We applaud Governor Spitzer for taking a stand on climate change, environmental funding, mass transit and open space in his proposed executive budget,” said Marcia Bystryn, executive director of the New York League of Conservation Voters. “We look forward to working with the governor, the Assembly and the Senate to ensure that these and other proposals can become budget realities.

From Buffalo to Brookhaven, our built environment is responsible for a significant portion of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions,” Bystryn said. “Encouraging the use of bioheat can dramatically reduce carbon emissions, and we applaud Governor Spitzer for proposing the restoration of the biofuel tax credit, which will help clean our air and ease our dependence on fossil fuels at a time of skyrocketing oil prices.

The governor also made a bold statement about a congestion pricing plan for New York City, by proposing a “lock box” account. The lock box would ensure that all revenues generated from congestion pricing are deposited into a distinct account that cannot be co-mingled with other MTA funds for any purpose.

The inclusion of a lock box in Governor Spitzer’s proposed budget is a strong signal of his support for congestion pricing, and an indication that congestion pricing will be moving ahead in Albany this year.