Statement from New York Building Congress President Richard T. Anderson, On Comptroller Alan G. Hevesi’s Legislation to Reform Public Authorities

NEW YORK, April 12, 2004 – “Efforts in Albany to improve the oversight, transparency and accountability of public authorities are in the interest of good government, but it is important for State Legislators to resist throwing out the baby with the bath water,” said New York Building Congress President Richard T. Anderson. The Building Congress is a non-partisan public policy coalition of business, labor, association and governmental organizations, including some of the state’s leading public authorities.

“Over the past century, various public authorities have developed an impressive track record in the areas of economic development and infrastructure planning, financing and construction,” Anderson continued. “These entities succeed in large part due to the availability of dedicated revenue sources rather than the general budget, which allows each authority to develop multi-year investment strategies and capital plans and to focus its energies solely on the job.

“This important advantage would be lost if the power to allocate funds and to approve appropriations suddenly becomes a power sharing arrangement between the Executive and Legislative branches, a situation that often leads to paralyzing delays,” Anderson concluded.

The New York Building Congress is a membership coalition of business, labor, association and government organizations promoting the design, construction and real estate industry in New York City.