New York - Speaker Silver Accusing Mayor Bloomberk Of 'Holding Children Hostage' In School Funding Feud

Albany, New York - The Democratic speaker of the Assembly, Sheldon Silver, accused Mayor Bloomberg of political cowardice, suggesting that the mayor is obeying Governor Pataki and letting the state off the hook on resolving a multibillion-dollar school financing lawsuit.
Tensions further escalated as it emerged that the Democratic-controlled Assembly is planning to omit from its budget the controversial tuition tax credit that Mr. Pataki proposed earlier in the year. The Assembly's expected removal of the tuition tax credit, which is heavily favored by school choice advocates, which would give a credit of up to $500 to low and middle-income parents of children enrolled in private and public schools.

Democratic Assemblymen pushing for the governor's tax credit proposal said they were disappointed by the Assembly's plan. "I'm all for tax relief, but I think we need to make a particular commitment to parents who invest in their kids' education," said Assemblyman Ryan Karben, who represents Rockland County, which has a large Orthodox Jewish population.