Transcript for Candidate Free Air Time 2008: Kathy Konst

Hello. My name is Kathy Konst.and I'm asking

for your vote to be your next New York State Senator.

I'd like to tell you a little about myself and how I helped

create jobs and balance government budgets. Currently,

I'm an Erie County legislator serving in my second

term in office. Before that, I was an elementary school teacher

and an adjunct college professor. For the past ten

years, I have also served as president of our local Chamber of Commerce.

I was elected to the legislature during the now infamous

Erie County budget crisis. Once elected, I proposed

immediate reforms which were passed by the legislature

and then passed overwhelmingly by the public in a referendum

vote. We rigorously cut political pork and patronage

and quickly balanced the county budget.

I was reelected to the legislature in a Republican district,

even though I'm a registered Democrat, and by

an overwhelming margin against an opponent who

spent three times more money. When the Buffalo News endorsed

me that year, they called me quote - one of the bright lights on the legislature.

They called me a maverick, said I have integrity, and they endorsed me

quote - without reservations. While on the legislature

I learned the hard way that ninety percent

of our county budget is forced upon us

by state and federal mandated programs that we are required

to pay for. In other words, the state screws up their

budget and then they simply pass the buck.

You may have read that the New York State budget is

now facing an eight billion dollar deficit. You know what that means -

hold on to your wallets. My opponent Dale Volker

has been in office for 36 years. He was elected

to the legislature before Watergate. Over the past

36 years, we've all witnessed the rapid decline

in our state's economy. Our taxes are sky-rocketing.

Our businesses and farms are closing. Jobs are

being lost. And our children are simply leaving.

While in office for over the past 36 years

Volker has failed to reform Albany. Don't you

think it's time for a change? On November 4th, I

hope you will vote for change. My name is Kathy Konst.

Thank You.