'Pork' cut by state was leftover scraps

ALBANY — With considerable fanfare, the state Legislature slashed $427 million from the state's current budget on Wednesday.

A press release issued Wednesday by Gov. David A. Paterson's press office said, "Today's agreement reduces member item funding by $50 million." This statement is true on the surface, but does not tell the entire story.

In each fiscal year's budget, a pool of money is allocated for member items, commonly called "pork." This money is divided among legislators based upon party affiliation and seniority; legislators then disburse their funds to groups and organizations in their districts as they choose.

Each year, some of this money — for a variety of reasons — remains undistributed. These funds are placed into a "community projects fund" which, over time, can accumulate a substantial surplus of funds that were allocated but never spent. To come up with the member item "cuts," $50 million of this surplus was swept out of the community projects fund and into the General Fund.

Thus the effect is to use surplus money to reduce current year spending, which will have little or no real effect on member items in the current budget.

Daniel Weiller, spokesman for the Assembly Democratic Conference, said that member items in that house will not likely be affected.

"We have not made specific determinations yet," Mr. Weiller said Thursday. "We don't think it will affect Assembly member items." He added that the Assembly did not allocate its full allowance of $85 million this year.

It is the same in the Senate.

"We will have to manage this as we move forward," said Scott Reif, spokesman for the Senate Republican Conference. "But this doesn't affect member items that have already been pledged."