On the recordJune 20, 2017
I thank Mr. Reed. I think he raises a very timely and very good point. The fact is the level of government that designs the program, that confers the benefit, that says who is eligible should also be the level of government that has to go to its citizens and say: ``Here is why we need to raise the revenue to pay for that benefit.'' {time} 1945 But, indeed, what New York does is wholly different. What New York does is they simply say: Here is the benefit, and we are going to shift part of the cost of that benefit to taxpayers at the local level, to the homeowners and to the property taxpayers, and their county governments have nothing to say over how that program is run or operated or administered. They just have to send the bill to Albany once a month. This is what we are seeking to address. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Collins) who is from Erie County.
