An incredible amount of money ó about $140 billion ó is on the line. Teacher evaluations, tighter ethics laws for lawmakers, higher education and school funding, environmental cleanup money and much more are all getting hashed out behind closed doors in Albany these days.
It is an unseemly, sullied process, rarely leading to the best deal.
Certainly, it is an absolute affront to open government, despite repeated promises from virtually everyone involved to have a more inclusive, open method of passing a budget. Continue>>>
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