Pataki vetoes bill on contract disclosure [View All]

[Judi Lynn]

Pataki vetoes bill on contract disclosure

By MARK JOHNSON
Associated Press Writer

October 21, 2005, 7:25 PM EDT


ALBANY, N.Y. -- A bill that would have forced the state to extensively disclose information about state-agency contracts for consulting services was vetoed Friday by Gov. George Pataki, who said the bill would hurt efforts to streamline state government and cut costs.

Supporters of the measure, including public employee unions, argued that state agencies spend millions of dollars a year on consulting services but the contracts the outside businesses work under are subject to little public disclosure or oversight.

"In many cases, state agencies are hiring consultants for long periods of time and are paying them fees far greater than the amount that it would cost to hire state employees to do the same work," Sen. Joseph Robach said in his sponsor's memo on the bill.

Pataki, a Republican, said in his veto memo that he was concerned the bill would require the public disclosure of the compensation paid to private-sector workers, something that could be seen as an invasion of personal privacy and result in contractors declining to do business with the state. That, he said, could be costly to taxpayers.
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http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--pataki-bills1021oct21,0,3957680.story?coll=ny-region-apnewyork