"I said this afternoon that today, June 30, 2009, would be a day that will tell us an awful lot about our State Senate.  Sadly, that has turned out to be entirely true.  Like millions of New Yorkers, I had hoped that when push came to shove, our Senators would muster the courage to rise above partisan gridlock and do what's right on school governance, our sales tax, and so many other issues. Unfortunately, they did not.  The fact is, there is broad, bi-partisan support for the school governance bill, but it's being held hostage to partisan politics. All we want is all 62 Senators to come together and take a vote.  Because the Senate refused to act like a responsible body today, come tomorrow, sadly, the lawyers take over in New York City schools.  Every decision - from personnel decisions to policy decisions - will be subject to litigation and uncertainty.  But make no mistake about it, we will not allow Albany dysfunction to padlock our school buildings or cancel the summer school sessions our kids need to get ahead.

"The Senate's failure to act today also cost us at least $60 million in lost revenue.  That's what it costs the NYPD to support 600 police officers for a month, or what our Department for the Aging spends to keep all 305 Senior Centers open for eight months. The $60 million the State Senate cost us today could potentially mean layoffs that would hurt families when they can least afford it, and will certainly mean cuts to services that every New Yorker needs."