By Mike Benjamin
Oswego, New York – As lawmakers look to reduce the state's budget deficit, one legislator says cuts can be made to state agencies as well.
Democratic state Senator Jeffrey Klein has released reports identifying what he calls wasteful spending by the State Department of Corrections, and the State University System. He says by cutting overtime pay and administrative costs, the state could reduce the amount that would be pushed to state residents.
Reacting to a recent article in an Albany newspaper on the topic of travel reimbursements for state lawmakers, Klein says his proposed spending cuts would do more to reduce the burden on taxpayers.
"Since the Democrats took over the state Senate, we have substantially cut personnel and the amount of people who work for the Senate by about 8 percent," Klein said. "But at the same time, it's hard to focus only on us when you have one state agency, or as I said, two state agencies, already SUNY and also the Department of Corrections. I think that's where the money is."
In regard to per-diems for state lawmakers, Klein says his travel expenditures are relatively low, partially due to his decision to drive to Albany, rather than fly.