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About a dozen people turned out for a Town meeting with State Senator Mike Nozzolio and Tompkins County Legislator Mike Sigler Wednesday at the Lansing Community Library.  The two legislators met with constituents informally, then held a question and answer session.  Both commended the library for its success, and noted their parts in finding funding for it.  Nozzolio awarded State money to the library twice during its formation, and Sigler fought to get County funding on a par with the other rural libraries.

""This is a town that I represent in a county that I love," Nozzolio said.  "It borders the lake that I love the most.  It's a wonderful place."

Nozzolio was visibly upset about unchecked spending by New York State and the federal government.  He noted that he is fighting what he considers onerous and unfair taxes that have been slathered onto the State budget by Governor David Patterson.  He urged people to sign his online petition against mandatory new license plates and higher automobile fees, saying that it is the wrong time to add fees when people are hurting economically. 

"We do not have a rational economic policy at the state level or the national level," he said.  "It's a policy based on disincentive.  It's a policy based on spending.  It's not a policy based on creating efficiency and seeing things grow through business and opportunity.  The proof is in the pudding: we have not recovered from last year's economic collapse, and we do not see near terms signs of that recovery yet."

Sigler and Nozzolio both noted that over a million people have left New York State, and said that runaway taxes must be stopped.  Nozzolio also blasted a 10% increase in state spending that is not distributed to upstate priorities.


"It's a 10% increase in spending that floated down the Hudson River to the City of New York," he charged.  "It is fueling the policies and projects of the city.  I believe we're on a collision course.  The State is a runaway bullet train that is taking our taxpayers and our state over the cliff."

When Nancy Longto asked what citizens can do to support legislators who are fighting for what citizens care about, Sigler suggested attending municipal meetings and speaking up.

"It is remarkable what 20 people can do," he said.  "20 people.  You know 20 people.  If you had 20 people show up to the County Legislature meeting and say 'Seriously, what are you doing?' (it would make a difference).  At our budget hearing we had about 50 people.  They all wanted money for this and money for this... I'm sure you know 40 people who think the tax rate is killing us.  If they all showed up and said, 'What are you doing about taxes?' it really puts people under the microscope.  If people don't do that legislators say, 'I haven't heard from one person who thinks taxes are too high.'"

Lynn Davidson asked Nozzolio about disparate State regulations for natural gas drilling across the state.  Nozzolio said he agrees that regulations should be just as stringent for the Finger Lakes as for the New York City watershed.  He said that the 90 day comment period is not long enough for an issue this serious, and noted that this battle would have to be won with science.

Nozzolio was pessimistic about the current environment in the state, especially relative to spending and new taxes and fees.  But he offered a note of optimism.

"We have an election next year," he noted.  "The Governor and every State official is up for reelection.  It's hard to believe we only have two statewide officials that were actually elected.  We don't have a governor that was elected.  We don't have a lieutenant governor who was elected.  We don't have a comptroller who was elected.  One of our United States Senators wasn't elected.  So there is certainly room for discussion of all these issues this next year.  I believe that those issues should be first and foremost in everybody's minds, because it's about our future."

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