Time to Speak Out - Budget Negotiations
Monday, March 14, 2011
Time to Speak Out - Budget Negotiations
State budget negotiations are moving, sort of. Both the Senate and the Assembly are in the process of producing their versions of the budget. (That will give us three versions, for those who wonder about this process.)
After those additional two versions, the Assembly and the Senate are supposed to start meeting in conferences between the various committees of each legislative body. If the announced schedule is followed, those conference committees start on March 15.
Time to put some extra effort into convincing the Assembly and Senate members to restore $2.8 million to the State Council on the Arts. (Note: please refer to NYSCA as the State Council on the Arts in these communications. Experienced staff recognizes NYSCA, but not everyone has been there long enough to know the all the abbreviations.)
What you can do:
Go to http://artsNYS.com and send an email or letter to your Assembly and Senate member. (No later than Friday, please.)
If you choose the email option, send a letter on your letterhead to your Assembly and Senate member, scheduled to reach them no later than March 15. (Fax is fine.) Brevity is greatly appreciated.
Call their office on March 14 or 15th, and leave a message that you are asking them to support restoration of $2.8 million to the State Council on the Arts.
Contact two offices of the leadership, also on March 14 or 15th:
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, phone 518-455-3791. Fax is 518-455-5459, if you prefer a letter; speaker@assembly.state.ny.us if you prefer email.
Majority Leader Dean Skelos, phone is 518-455-3171. Fax is 518-426-6950, if you prefer a letter; Skelos@senate.state.ny.us if you prefer email.
We simply are not turning out enough messages, so please don’t assume that someone else will do this. And please keep these phone, fax and email addresses. This is likely to require some follow up.
After those additional two versions, the Assembly and the Senate are supposed to start meeting in conferences between the various committees of each legislative body. If the announced schedule is followed, those conference committees start on March 15.
Time to put some extra effort into convincing the Assembly and Senate members to restore $2.8 million to the State Council on the Arts. (Note: please refer to NYSCA as the State Council on the Arts in these communications. Experienced staff recognizes NYSCA, but not everyone has been there long enough to know the all the abbreviations.)
What you can do:
Go to http://artsNYS.com and send an email or letter to your Assembly and Senate member. (No later than Friday, please.)
If you choose the email option, send a letter on your letterhead to your Assembly and Senate member, scheduled to reach them no later than March 15. (Fax is fine.) Brevity is greatly appreciated.
Call their office on March 14 or 15th, and leave a message that you are asking them to support restoration of $2.8 million to the State Council on the Arts.
Contact two offices of the leadership, also on March 14 or 15th:
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, phone 518-455-3791. Fax is 518-455-5459, if you prefer a letter; speaker@assembly.state.ny.us if you prefer email.
Majority Leader Dean Skelos, phone is 518-455-3171. Fax is 518-426-6950, if you prefer a letter; Skelos@senate.state.ny.us if you prefer email.
We simply are not turning out enough messages, so please don’t assume that someone else will do this. And please keep these phone, fax and email addresses. This is likely to require some follow up.
