ALBANY, N.Y. -- “How frustrating is it to see what happened to our governor happen? To our state comptroller? To be called the most dysfunctional state in this country. Don't we have any pride in this place?
We're acting like we don't,” said Tom Golisano, Responsible New York founder.
Golisano said changing that begins with the stroke of his pen.
“Here's a check to get it started. It's for $5 million,” said Golisano.
The former gubernatorial candidate said that money, along with private donations will be used to promote the candidates that back his reform agenda, and attack opponents of it.
He’s been known to support a balance of power in the state legislature.
“I would be very, very concerned if the New York State Senate were to become Democratic, as well as the NYS Assembly remaining Democratic,” Golisano said.
Upstate billionaire and former gubernatorial candidate Tom Golisano says he is investing $5 million of his own money into a political action committee called "Responsible New York."
Two years later he seems to have had a change of heart.
“A lot of people have had the philosophy of having a Democratic Assembly and a Republican Senate is a good way to have a good system of checks and balances. If it's been successful, you could have fooled me. The ones that don't want to make these things happen, we're not going to support, in fact we're going anti-support,” said Golisano.
While he saids he's yet to put anyone specific on the chopping block, he said he'll question every candidate on eight specific issues. Including l imiting budget increases to the rate of inflation, reforming property taxes and spreading the wealth by distributing state resources equally between upstate and down.
It is the Senate Republicans with their slim majority who have the most to lose from their one time ally's actions.
“My experience with Mr. Golisano is that he understands checks and balances. And I think the last thing on his mind is him wanting to see the Senate Majority go Democrat, “ said Dean Skelos, Senate Majority Leader.
Golisano said he plans to announce the candidates he'll support by the end of the summer.
But he said one thing is already certain, they won't all be Republicans.
“We will be endorsing Republican Party, Democratic Party or independents, or Independence Party,” Golisano said.