By Avery Schneider
Buffalo, NY – A constitutional amendment to cap state spending growth was proposed in Buffalo Tuesday by State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos. He says capping spending at the cost of living rate would save the state at least $3.8 billion.
Skelos says raising taxes to close a growing budget deficit in New York would be a mistake.
"We are not overtaxed. We over spend," Skelos said. "The worst thing we could do during this economic downturn in New York is to raise taxes to fill the deficit."
However, Democratic Governor David Paterson is on record saying he, too, would not support raising taxes to close the deficit.
Skelos also says he would not support budget cuts that would shift costs onto local governments and property taxpayers.
He was in Buffalo to campaign for Republican State Senate candidate Mike Ranzenhofer. Skelos and his caucus are trying to preserve their party's slim one seat majority in the Senate.