The following appears in the March 29 – April 24, 2013 issue of the Long Island Business News:

At the Albany press conference in late March announcing the 2013-2014 budget agreement, Senate majority leader Dean Skelos made this statement: “I do believe that the budget is a continuation of what we started two years ago and we have to continue in this direction. So, governor, I am very proud to work with you. I am very proud to call you our governor. And I think this is another excellent budget.”

Huh?

If the comments had been made by the liberal Democratic Speaker of the Assembly, Sheldon Silver, I’d understand. But it came from a Republican who has claimed he supports conservative fiscal, economic and social principles.

A budget loaded with sleight of hand fiscal gimmicks including one-shot revenues, back-door borrowing and overly optimistic revenue estimates is not “excellent.”

The budget contains destructive tax increases including the so-called millionaire’s tax. There are also a slew of fee increases in this budget. For instance, fines for talking on cell phones while driving will go up 50 percent from $100 to $150.

Let’s not forget the minimum wage, which will rise to $9 per hour by 2015. This action will not help grow New York’s economy nor will it help bring down unemployment, which is 8.4 percent in New York versus 7.7 percent nationally. The wage increases coupled with the tax increases will cost jobs and will persuade more people, particularly wealthy entrepreneurs, to move to tax-friendly states like Florida.

And what about the $350 checks that will be mailed in 2014 – an election year – to 1 million families with children earning between $40,000 and $300,000? This is classic income redistribution. In effect, Skelos has agreed to hike taxes to pay for a $350 million kickback to a select group of New Yorkers.

Older readers will recall that 1972 super liberal presidential candidate George McGovern promised $1,000 per family, and was rejected by voters in 49 of the 50 states.

Skelos should not be boasting about this tax-and-spend social-engineering budget, he should be hanging his head in shame.

I also can’t figure why the Senate leader said at the joint press conference he is proud to call Cuomo his governor. After all, the governor has signed into law measures that Republicans and Conservatives have historically opposed, including same-sex marriage, extension of the World War II relic called rent control, a 2011 income tax increase and a hastily drafted and severely flawed gun- control law.

Skelos, as Republican leader, permitted all these Cuomo bills to come to the floor for a vote and supported most of them. Instead of leading the loyal opposition, Skelos has been Cuomo’s legislative lackey.

Since becoming a Senate leader in 2008, Dean Skelos has demonstrated he is not a Conservative. For that matter, he’s not a Republican or a Democrat. He is, in fact, a member in good standing of Albany’s dominant party. He’s an incumbocrat, who will do whatever it takes to hold onto power and perks.

To keep his fancy office and government automobile and driver, Skelos has pandered to the governor and left-wing special interests. To get a few crumbs from Cuomo’s table, he has sold out his party and his Senate conference.

If Republicans and Conservatives want to stand up for their principles, they should tell Skelos it is time for him to call it quits and give him a one-way ticket to Florida.

He won’t be lonely in retirement. There will be plenty of former New Yorkers he drove to that income tax-free state to hang out with at the pool.

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