George E. Pataki
PER
George E. Pataki Pataki
Gov. George E. Pataki is preparing to block roughly $2 billion worth of spending and proposed tax cuts in the budget that the State Legislature passed last month, vetoing some items and declaring that several major programs were passed unconstitutionally. The aide said that Mr. Pataki is threatening to take aim at several of the Legislature's top priorities, including the property tax rebate checks that lawmakers hope to send out before they face re-election in November; the spending that the Legislature added for health care; and the tax credit it passed for most taxpayers with children. The governor plans to argue that lawmakers illegally altered several major areas of his proposed $110.6 billion budget and that he is not bound to enforce parts of the budget that were unconstitutionally passed who was granted anonymity because budget negotiations are continuing between the governor and leaders of the Legislature.