More than 1,000 people rallied outside the Capitol today to ask the Legislature to execute “fiscal fairness” when developing next year’s executive budget.

GNS intern Heather Senison was there and offers this report:

The rally, composed of One New York Fighting For Fairness Coalition and the Better Choice Budget Campaign, a coalition of more than 200 organizations throughout the state, took place on the day when Gov. David Paterson had planned to call a special session among legislators.

“Two weeks ago, we voted for a new, more democratic, more equitable, more humane America,” Robert Master, co-chairman of the state Working Families Party said.
“Now it is time to demand a fair, more equitable, more humane New York.”

Kenneth Brynien, president of the Public Employees Federation, said the state government is wasting billions of dollars hiring private contractors and public relations specialists to cover up its excessive monetary expenditures.

“We see up-close what the state is doing with our money,” Brynien said.
“The waste is in the billions and what we need to do to tell the governor and tell the legislators in that building behind us, cut the waste, not the people.”

One area of the state Paterson has targeted for cuts is education.

“This should not be a time to look at those who have already suffered as part of this economic crisis,” Richard Ianuzzi, president of the New York State United Teachers said. “This is not a time to look at the schoolchildren who are suffering … it is a time for us to say, stop and think about the future of the state.”

“We’re here to talk about fiscal fairness, responsibility, and our future. And the State University of New York is part of that future,” Phillip Smith, president of the United University Professions said.

“We educate students who become productive workers and faithful taxpayers,” Smith said. “Already … students are denied access, and students are having difficulty getting the courses they need to graduate.”