Silver Declares ‘Hard Fights Ahead' on Budget

Sheldon Silver today told a luncheon for the newly formed Center for Working Families (an offshoot of the Working Families Party) that the upcoming budget season might not be all that cheery.

“Historically, economic downturns are the impetus for major policy disagreements—we expect some hard fights ahead next year,” he told the crowd of more than 100, which included a handful of Democratic electeds.

He also opened the door for raising taxes on the wealthy, and in the process, seemed to take a jab at Governor Spitzer’s vow to never raise taxes while he is in office.

“On the subject of taxes, I have never believed in making pledges, not given our economy, or the fact that no elected leader operates in a vacuum,” he said. “Ultimately if one idea is on the table, everything must be on the table, including the expectation that our wealthiest citizens should shoulder a greater share of the tax burden.”