I intern at the state legislature for the chair of the education committee and I was in the state senate chambers while the budget debate was going on. Here are a few photos I got.

For those who haven't even seen the budget, here it is:
http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/1374/picture146p.jpg

And here are more:
http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/7788/picture149s.jpg

The elevator to the Senate Chamber:
http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/3118/picture145o.jpg

Senators just sitting around. These are the democrats-the Republicans essentially boycotted the session today in protest of the bill. Government being efficient...as usual.
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/2001/picture150l.jpg
http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/3545/picture151a.jpg
http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/6899/picture152a.jpg
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/9775/picture153f.jpg
http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/7165/picture154n.jpg

When the session finally got started, this guy got up to plead for continued funding for some SUNY schools on long island(Old Westbury and Stony Brook). He did this in tandem with another guy, but both of them got owned. The motion was defeated pretty handily.
http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/6156/picture156c.jpg

All I can say is.... thats some pretty major paper waste. Why don't they just distribute the budget electronically and make just a couple of hard copies?

Exactly, it would cost a bit to buy all the monitors for each seat, but they could all run off the same server and save tons of money. Im sure the geezers would be too confused to figure out how to use the computer though. My dad can barely type an email and hes only 65. Some senators are like 80 arent they?

governments still want a paper trail because in their eyes, computers are not as permanent or secure.

The paper is the absolute least of the waste depicted in those photos.

Absolutely meaningless "debate" seeing as they just voted the way Dchbgs. Smith and Silver told them to.

So how many people read that budget before approving of spending the public's money? I'm guessing none.

So how many people read that budget before approving of spending the public's money? I'm guessing none.

The interns(read: Me and a bunch of other high school and college kids) read quite a bit of it. The senators less. Usually we end up writing memos/summaries for them.

The New York State Legislature - the biggest waste of taxpayer money on Earth.

Here are a few more pics from recent sessions:

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/114/picture173k.jpg
http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/5599/picture172g.jpg
http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/2070/picture170b.jpg
http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/7059/picture169b.jpg
http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/535/picture127c.jpg
http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/623/picture125l.jpg

http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/9674/picture120a.jpg
http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/3601/picture118h.jpg
http://img243.imageshack.us/img243/5946/picture117.jpg

You guys are going to hate the legislature even more after I post these photos.

George Amedore is an assemblyman from Schalmont, NY(nearby Schenectady).

http://www.georgeamedore.com/

My class met with him for a while a few months ago. He seemed like kind of a cool guy. he had a working class demeanor, but his dress indicated to us that he was pretty well off. Then we learned that he actually is vice president of this homebuilding company, which confirmed that.
Anyway, today I found out that he had an office in Guilderland. I usually drive right by it without a second thought, but I hit the brakes immediately when I saw this:

http://img518.imageshack.us/img518/3787/ad047.jpg
http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/3346/ad046.jpg
http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/3996/ad045.jpg
http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/1383/ad044.jpg

That's a Maserati Quattroporte-MSRP $119,750. Just thought it was kind of cool to see one. It belongs to one of Amedore's family members, I think.

Here's where you might all have concerns about the waste of money thing:

http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/4894/ad051.jpg
http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/2791/ad052.jpg

This is a GMC Yukon SLT. It has assembly plates, which let me know immediately that this is that black SUV that I hear all of the legislators drive around in(this particular one belonging to Amedore). $46,000 MSRP, cost of ownership estimated at around $60,000. And remember, all of the legislators have access to these, even though you could argue that its excessive(a Tahoe is $10k less).

Well, those legislators need a big oversized POS like a Yukon to navigate those upstate streets that haven't been paved in 30 years because there's no money to fix them thanks to unfunded state mandates and 9% or whatever annualized spending increases.

Were it not for state-mandated Medicaid expenses, Erie County would not need a property tax. I find it hard to believe there are not at least 40 or more counties in the same situation, especially given Erie County's own penchant for corruption and waste.

This is a GMC Yukon SLT. It has assembly plates, which let me know immediately that this is that black SUV that I hear all of the legislators drive around in(this particular one belonging to Amedore). $46,000 MSRP, cost of ownership estimated at around $60,000. And remember, all of the legislators have access to these, even though you could argue that its excessive(a Tahoe is $10k less).Yes, because heaven forbid our wonderful legislators should drive around something a bit more modest or fuel efficient. Yes, waste our taxpayer dollars on excess fuel when we're trying to lessen our dependence on oil. You just gotta love New York State politicians, don't you?

We should just abolish the legislature. It's not like they even do anything, anyways. All the decisions are made by the top 3.

Yes, because heaven forbid our wonderful legislators should drive around something a bit more modest or fuel efficient. Yes, waste our taxpayer dollars on excess fuel when we're trying to lessen our dependence on oil. You just gotta love New York State politicians, don't you?

Indeed. :yes: They should help themselves on fixing the fiscal crisis by selling them and buying SMARTs.

They drive those big ass SUVs here too.

Can someone clarify this car thing for me? Are these state-owned cars that the state congress can borrow for random trips (like how maybe a Planning Department uses a state car to drive around when on official business)? Does the state give the congressmen these cars? Are they "on loan" to the congressmen indefinitely, until they get voted out of office?

Not too sure, but I don't think that they can only use them for non work-related purposes.

Can someone clarify this car thing for me? Are these state-owned cars that the state congress can borrow for random trips (like how maybe a Planning Department uses a state car to drive around when on official business)? Does the state give the congressmen these cars? Are they "on loan" to the congressmen indefinitely, until they get voted out of office?

The Maserati is a separate matter, but the Yukon is a state-owned vehicle registered to the Assembly(the Senate and other state government bodies have them to) and paid for by the state. The legislator to whom the car is assigned can use it for a variety of things-most commonly, they use them to travel between Albany and their constituency. They have access to the vehicles for as long as they are in office since its just one of the perks that comes standard with the job.

It doesn't have to be used solely for official trips either. This particular Yukon was outside of Amedore's office in Guilderland, and I can only assume that he wasn't there on assembly related matters. Jim Tedesco was accused of making too much use of the state vehicles for non-legislative matters, but legally he could use it as he pleased(so long as he wasn't doing anything illegal).

I can't believe that New York effectively gives cars to the senators and representatives. I am almost certain that our congressmen and congresswomen have to drive themselves to our capitol, because when I've walked around there, I see their reserved spots and I see a random assortment of cars. Some of them apparently drive little beat-up cars to the capitol, because I see them parked in the reserved spots.

I think the only people that get state cars to use down here are the governor, lieutenant governor, and secretary of state. Those people get the lowest license plates in the state: #1, #2, and #3 respectively. I think that those numbers stay on the government's vehicles for them, but I might not be sure. Other than that, when someone gets elected here, they get a special license plate that says how they work for the state (jusiciary, senator, etc), and they put that plate on their own car.