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Yaphank Jail Renovations
STATE UNLIKELY TO PAY FOR JAIL; LI Senators share blame
Charles Lane
South Shore Press (12 July 2006)
A State Assembly bill that would have saved Suffolk County taxpayers $92 million was killed, in part, because it lacked support from Suffolk County’s two State Senators. The bill would have forced the State to pay for 40% of all state-mandated renovations, including the $230 million renovations at the Yaphank County Jail set to begin next July.
The Assembly legislation was sponsored by Joel Miller (R, Poughkeepsie) and co-sponsored by Fred W. Thiele, Jr. (R, Sag Harbor) and other Republicans. According to Miller three Senate Republicans told him to kill the bill.
“There was significant opposition to the bill from the Senate and I was asked to hold off this year and we will start again next year,” said Miller
Despite promises from the three senators, whom Miller refuses to identify publicly, he doubts the bill will be supported next year. For a bill to pass the Assembly it requires a sponsor in the Senate. According to Miller he had one sponsor who later backed out, though he would not say who.
“They were pressured not to sponsor my bill. A lot more happens behind the scenes up here than most people think.”
Although Miller would not say publicly whether one of the senators killing the bill came from Suffolk County, both Caesar Trunzo (R-Brentwood) and Owen H. Johnson (R, Babylon) took positions against the bill.
“Clearly, this legislation could have a significant statewide fiscal impact, but to my knowledge the sponsor has not determined what the cost to all taxpayers might be,” wrote Johnson in an email message after refusing to be interviewed. “Perhaps that is why the Assemblyman did not take his bill up for consideration this year. We need more answers and when that information is available, we can make a better informed decision.”
Christopher Mulluso, an Albany aide for Trunzo, was more forthcoming and explained that financially strapped counties upstate could potentially build large prisons at state expense and then house inmates for a profit.
“An open-ended mandate of 40% has major financial implications and we would have to look into something like this very seriously,” he said.
County Legislator Kate Browning (D, Moriches), who sponsored non-binding county legislation in support of the Assembly bill, voiced frustration at the developments because it was the state that forced the county to upgrade its jail.
“The state is saying we have to build new jails but they won’t pay for it. It will effect us because we won’t be able to build other types of facilities like mental health facilities which we need.”
Posted by 1000monkeys on July 14, 2006 03:28 AM