SENATE CANDIDATE KUZMA SEEKING OVERTIME, AUTHORITY REFORM AS WAYS OF REINING IN BUDGET..."CRIMINALIZATING OF TOO MUCH BEHAVIOR" YET ANOTHER POSSIBLE AVENUE FOR CUTTING BUDGET IN VIEW OF COMMON COUNCIL AIDE

While it's true that 58th District State Senate candidate Mike Kuzma is running as an avowed liberal backer of same sex marriage and the legalization of marijuana, it's also true that this accomplished attorney and judge understands that cutting the budget is Job #1 in Albany.

"I know that the first thing we need to do in the Senate is deal with our budget deficit," he declared at his successful fundraiser at the Tudor Lounge on Tuesday night. "One thing I think we should look at is separating state employees' pension pay from the money they earn in ovetime pay while they are working. The way it is now,when an employee knows he or she is close to retirement, they will make sure they work a lot of overtime because they know those overtime earnings will boost the amount they can make from their pension. In my view, that should stop because it drives up the state's pension costs excessively."

And, Kuzma has other budget related concerns.

"I think we definitely need to look at cutting the cost of our medicaid proram, including getting as many of our recipients using generic drugs as possible without reducing the quality of the health care services our senior citizens receive," he said. "Also, I believe we could save some money by realizing that we have too many people incarcerated. We have criminalized too many behaviors. In most countries in the world, drug use is a public health issue, not a criminal issue. We simply can't afford to continue so many of these non-violent offenders in prison."

As in the case of his pension reform views, Kuzma seems willing to take ideas from both the left and the right in his crusade to reform Albany.

"I have spoken to you before about term limits for state legislators," he adds. "Four two year terms would be enough for me. There is just too much power in Albany concentrated in too few hands. I would also like to see our endless state authorities reined in. Right now I don't think anyone even knows how many authorities we have, all of whom have the power to borrow money. The result is that the state's debt is driven up without most people being aware of what's going on...These are all things I'd work to change as a member of the NYS Senate."