You know an election is coming up when lawmakers finally start doing a few things that voters want.  New York is no exception.  Kathy Hochul, the interim Governor who replaced disgraced Andrew Cuomo will be fighting an election battle on all fronts.  Several democrats are gunning for the job and several republicans think this might be the year to take advantage of the potential Red Wave heading this fall.  To that end, money must swap hands and New York is flush from federal Covid cash, as yet unspent. 

I love knowing that New York and California have troves of cash hidden under their beds in one of the largest wealth transfers from red states to blue states in modern history, all thanks to “Covid Relief.”  Therefore, Hochul and the New York legislature stepped behind doors to make the sausage, otherwise known as the budget.  With $220 BILLION to spend, how can Hochul grease the palms of her allies while placating an ever-increasing perception that New York is no place to call home.  The New York Times reports that bail reform was the biggest obstacle in grinding out the budget.