A Cure for What Ails Us
Esmonde writes about Governor Paterson’s recent trip to Buffalo. It’s interesting that Paterson now quips about being on the “we need cuts” side of the budget process after so many years of being on the “over my dead body” side, and concludes:
“We are going to have to truncate some of our support [for Buffalo],” Paterson said. “[The mayor] and I talked about some revenue-raisers for Buffalo . . . to decrease the necessity of the state [aid].”
It means another kneecapping to a hurting region. It means more pain for the chronically afflicted.
Although this particular horse has been dead for many years, it could use one more smack with a two-by-four:
The best revenue-raiser would be to halt the unfunded mandates, lower taxes and fees everywhere, and make the region far more economically attractive than it is now.
See? How simple is that.
*Buffalopundit and WNYMedia do not condone the beating of horses, dead or alive.
» A Cure for What Ails Us Says:March 28th, 2008 at 5:13 pm
[…] Question Of The Week wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerpt Esmonde writes about Governor Paterson’s recent trip to Buffalo. It’s interesting that Paterson now quips about being on the “we need cuts” side of the budget process after so many years of being on the “over my dead body” side, and concludes: “We are going to have to truncate some of our support [for Buffalo],” Paterson said. “[The mayor] and I talked about some revenue-raisers for Buffalo . . . to decrease the necessity of the state [aid].” It means another kneecapping to a hurting region […]
Timothy Domst Says:March 28th, 2008 at 6:52 pm
I’d love to see a breakdown of how much unfunded mandates cost vs. our state allowance each year. Right now I could only guess which is more, and that is unfair.
Ben Keeler Says:March 28th, 2008 at 7:06 pm
It is simple. Whether or not Patterson actually does it is a different matter.
starbuck Says:March 28th, 2008 at 8:34 pm
Very well put:
That wisdom sounds to me a LOT like the John Faso platform in 2006 and much at all like whatever little tweaks the other guy was promising.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/22/nyregion/22gov.html
Not the kinds of ideas most NY State voters want to hear of course, and we saw the results. Something like 70% to 30% in favor of passionately tweaking the status quo.
starbuck Says:March 28th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
typo, forgot the “not”: …and *not* much at all like whatever Spitzer was promsing.
Ward Says:March 29th, 2008 at 10:07 am
I get the sense that Mr. Patterson is more wedded than was Gov. Spritzer to the traditional “needs” of SEIU 1199, CSEA, NYSUT, etc., and that the unfunded mandates will remain, as a “desperately needed” alternative to Albany spending in this time when “we need cuts”. If, for example, SEIU can be fed a steady diet of mandated County Medicaid dollars, Mr. Patterson can concentrate on “cuts” in Albany. Plus ca change …
Ward Says:March 29th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Update — Sure enough, E. J. McMahon in today’s NY Post says that the new Budget “cuts” include an increase in the Counties’ share of welfare costs from 50% to 52%, and a $60 M shift in pre-trial juvenile detention costs from the state to the local level. Meanwhile, the State payroll–already expanded by 2,000 hacks under Gov. “Dude, do you want the Sex?”–is growing feverishly under a hiring binge before the budget takes effect.
Makes one long for Gov. Suozzi.
hank kaczmarek Says:March 29th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
I don’t get this:
Not the kinds of ideas most NY State voters want to hear of course.
A spending freeze, a 50% Tax cut, these are things NYS voters want to hear?
Businesses (those that are left) considering leaving could hear
“eliminate taxes on capital gains and dividend income,”
What’s next–NYS voters ask to be taxed MORE? Self Flagellation in the streets? Dogs and cats, living together? 40 days of darkness?
NYS is a reformer’s paradise—it’s SO fucked up it can’t really get much worse—no place to go but up.
If the tax burden isn’t lightened, the Authority System smashed, and
the UNNNNIIIOOONS told to go fuck themselves, it will be like the 3 young toughs looking at a drunk passed out in the street—
One kid says “let’s roll him” another says”Nothing to roll, looks like he drank it all”, the 3rd kicks the drunk and pisses on him. Then all 3 walk away.
starbuck Says:March 29th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
Hank - To clarify my “Not the kinds of ideas most NY State voters want to hear of course”….
Hope my comment was clear that I wanted those ideas and I joined the 30% voting for the candidate who proposed in detail what BP’s post above is now calling for. But the 70% of NYS voters who preferred Spitzer seemed to have different ideas or different priorities.
That’s exactly what most NYS voters are asking for, 72% of them, says a statewide poll last week:
http://www.nypost.com/seven/03252008/news/regionalnews/ny_voters_back_rich_tax_103424.htm
Not a coincidence the 72% favoring income tax hikes on the job-creating class is so close to the 70% vote Spitzer received in 2006. Yesterday’s budget agreement among Paterson-Silver-Bruno reportedly doesn’t include an income tax hike, but it’s interesting to see how much widespread popularity that idea had among voters here.
steve Says:March 29th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
The front page of today’s Buffalo News could not have been much more depressing.
“New taxes to to support record aid” Despite Paterson’s warnings of limited aid and the need for cuts, Tom Precious reports that “(l)egislators and the Paterson administration are not looking to reduce spending levels from last year. Instead, negotiators appear willing to fund at lower levels than former Gov…Spitzer proposed two months ago…”
So, they aren’t really cutting anything of substance, and will in fact be raising taxes and fees. It will be slightly less spwnding than what Client 9 wanted, but still a record (it is, after all, an election year for the legislature). So, as the economy continues its slide, the Excelsior State will continue to believe it can tax itself into prosperity. Do I tell my kids to flee now?
This story, of course, was sandwiched between the one about Spitzer lying in regard to Troopergate (I’m shocked, I tell you), and the article outlining the anger of the parents of the young lad who was allegedly fondled by a school aid, only to have the illustrious Buffalo school superintendent claim that he never read a certified letter … that he signed for … from the teacher who claimed to have witnessed that act.
Thank god for the distraction of sports and the Sabres’ run to the playo…um, never mind.
FoxyLady Says:March 31st, 2008 at 6:51 pm
hank kaczmarek……right on! We’re taxed, surcharged and added fees, to death. Can’t afford to live here any longer. Albany needs to cut the fat off the top. Patterson will be worse than Spitzer at the helm.