How will all the special interests be placated when there is a $9 Billion shortfall ? Easy, you borrow....Governor Paterson and Speaker Silver have joined Lt.Governor Ravitich is declaring they are "open" to more debt as a means of funding operations. There will be the usual rhetoric about reforming the process with a spending cap...But fact is the borrowing will occur....Its for the children...the debt that is....
Paterson: No Borrowing In A Vacuum
26 comments:
Borrowing?! Spend within your means like the rest of us have to.
The legislature won't sacrifice spending. The people won't sacrifice and pay more taxes. So, as has been the case since he took office, his hands are tied. Yet, he's still working on a solution. What are the others in Albany doing?
Whether or not you like the ideas that he's proposed to cut spending and raise/borrow revenue, we shouldn't forget that he's the only one who is proposing anything at all.
Listen, the simple fact remains, if we cut, then the local governments are going to tax, if we tax then everyone will bitch, so what other options do we have? We will not be in a recession forever, and as long as they have a 4-5 year plan to pay off this debt and add reforms that will force them to stick to the plan then I think borrowing is our best option.
And I am obviously not talking about borrowing the entire 10B...I believe cuts have to be made, but made in a way they are not going to affect the unemployment rate or in a way that they are going to force local governments to tax residents to make up for shortfalls, ie - Massena Central School budget.
I agree with 12:29PM. The big drag on the economy right now appears to be the cuts being made by local government and school districts, read that job cuts and loss of services coupled with higher property taxes, which pinches harder than any other tax. More cuts in a recession don't work, unless you believe in the Fox News version of history.
How about a pay freeze for state and local government employees? Studies show that when you include benefits, NY government workers make 50% more than private sector workers.
It's time to bring the gravy train to a halt.
NO borrowing bite the bullet now and live within your means . Cut bloated agencies ans schools and don 't hesititate to cut prisons
Most CO's have 2nd jobs anyway, they'll just have to work more hours at their construction Co.
5:22, I will stand-by you on your comments. Gov't employees , federal and state, do make a very good wage, along with excellent benefits. Much better than most private sector jobs. Someone mentioned earlier, that schools and governments have been cutting jobs. Could they be more specific,where? I recently read articles where schools have hired additional staff. My favorite is at IRCS, where they want/need a sports injury technician(or something like that)Plus some other schools have one, so we need to keep up.Want to reduce injuries in school, hit the books,instead.The bottom line; no more debt,live with-in our means,tough it out New York, why take the easy road today,only to make it tougher tomorrow.Debt, is what got us into this mess.I say , lets start a petition to send all the members of our legislature to "debt management" counseling.
12:29 and 1:23, absolute proof that nothing will ever change. News for ya. There have been NO cuts at any level at any school anywhere. They talk about it. They cry about it and fools like you lick it up. But there have been no cuts. Now we're broke, kids are leaving in droves, taxes at the highest level ever... The tax the rich thing isn't working because people are hiding their bucks. And dopes like you two have no problem at all with borrowing some more money. And you blame it on a "Fox News" reality? Tell that to your kids. Or have you already set them up in government/school jobs? Hey, I'm a government employee with no kids. I don't mind screwing yours. So lets borrow some more money, fools.
9:03 And what ace up your sleeve do you have to make the legislators cut spending to their districts, tough guy? Let me guess. Vote 'em out and hope the next politician to take their seat isn't the kind who wants to get re-elected?
Cut government spending! Why is that so hard for state lawmakers to understand?
The same thing I have been advocating for almost 10 years now, 9:03. Simple, no gray area. An across the board hiring freeze in all state government and in all school districts. This, along with an acrosst he board wage freeze in all state government and in all school districts. But its tough. The schools talk about cuts and dolts like you believe it is happening. It is not. Last year schools raised salaries by 5% NOT including benefits. But fools like you think they are cutting. Whatever. This spending spree should have been stopped years ago. If we did it now, across the board, it could save us. More importantly it could save those kids you people pretend to love so much.
One other thing. I've worked for the state since the 80's. We've had a hiring freeze in effect since the 90's. It changes NOTHING. Hiring still gets done, regularly. It just has to go through a few more political hoops, as well as the affirmative action people. Then its bidness as usual. Thought you'd like to know. If you care. Somehow I don't think you do.
Everyone who says "cut government spending" sounds great, but you obviously do not realize that you cannot cut 9 BILLION dollars from state government, its just not possible. Do you even realize how big of a number 9 BILLION dollars is? In order to make up 9 BILLION dollars in 1 year you need cuts on every level (state, local, not-for-profit funding, ect) which will cripple local governments who will make up the funding through an increase in property taxes. If politicians listened to people like you and did what you wanted instead of what was right for the state you would get your property tax bill with a 50% increase and then bitch about that. You people do not even understand how it works yet you act like you are experts. Please, just stop talking and I will do the same.
Hey 11:06, a hiring freeze is going to do nothing to this years budget. We need to make up 9 billion in 1 year, not 9 billion over the next 10.
1:30,
People do not understand the state budget deficit. Most of it is due to projected spending increases. Holding spending flat and most of the deficit disappears. Also we're talking 9 billion out of more than 130 billion. Spending 2% less than we did last year is hardly radical surgery.
We are by far the biggest spenders on health care/medicaid and the results are medicore. It's time to get serious about fighting fraud and cracking down on recipient's overuse of emergency rooms for minor ailments. People with private insurance have to make co-payments, why shouldn't medicaid recipients be treated the same?
Repeal dozens of unfunded mandates and unnecessary regulations like Scaffold Law and Wicks Law. That will save local governments billions.
How about getting rid of the pork and economic development programs? Abolishing unnecessary agencies, like the APA?
Drug testing for welfare recipients?
Our state budget exceeds California's which has twice our population.
One more thing, are you staffer for the state legislature?
Are you?
11:06 An honest, real, no bs hiring freeze may not be the answer to everything, but it is the best, most logical place to start. You have no argument against it, or you would have puked it up already. You're like a spoiled kid who won't face reality no matter how many times his parents take the toys away. You're a typical NY slob, just the kind of person who helped put us in this situation in the first place. Maybe you're right. If it won't fix all problems right away, what's the use of making the first step..
Fool.
11:30pm,I do not quite understand your rationale, But I do respect your perspective. However, your explanation for not cutting, sounds like the same excuse that we were given for bailing out the banks, "because we can't let them fail". Well, what did we (including the economy)as taxpayers get in return for bailing them out? how about "rear-ended". So, why bail-out the big spending,only to help the bloated state government, the unions, and special interests, who are crying the loudest; yet, holding the rest of the us as hostages while claiming "it's not us, it's you bottom feeders who keep raising our spending.I have also worked for a government for years, and I'm here to tell you that the government is the biggest abuser when it comes to wasting money, and over some of the most rediculious foolishness that you'll ever see.And it extends,top to bottom.
Rick, thank you for responding with a calm head unlike 6:08 who has to get instantly angry when his point of view is debated. I totally agree that government wastes incredable amounts of money, but for the purpose of balancing this years budget, there is simply not enough time to root it all out before the april 1st deadline. I believe a long term solution that gets to the root of the problem is more necessary than just hacking away at all levels of government. If we can make smart cuts now, hold spending flat, and cover the rest with borrowing we can buy the state time to root out the extreme amount of waste in state government we will be much better off in the long run.
And 6:08 if you actually took the time to read my post I never said I did no agree with a hiring freeze, infact I agree the state does need to implement a real hiring freeze. This entire thread talks about balancing THIS YEARS budget, and a hiring freeze would do nothing to plug the hole. So calm down you raging lunatic.
8:34, I understand your decision to back up. You do seem like a back up kinda guy. I really don't care whether we freeze anything or not. My union is in line to receive a 5% raise on April 1, so I agree with you. Its too late to do anything about it for this year's budget so go ahead, empty your kid's pockets and show me the money. Fool. It will probably be the last raise we get for a couple years and we sure do deserve it.
You did the usual thing for NYers with your lack of backbone with your budget arguments. When it came down to it, you didn't want to do anything. Now you hide behind a claim that it was "this years" budget that was the focused topic. Fine. Think for a minute. If a leader, say a Gov, put in place a freeze, a real freeze, that could be a first step in the compromises that will be necessary to close gaps THIS YEAR, THEN THE NEXT. These deals are sometimes made this way. You might not be able to fix everything in a matter of weeks. Ever think of that?
Ah, who cares? Go ahead, give me my $5k raise. Idiot. I'm not mad at ya. I just think ya have to start somewhere. But if you think otherwise just keep shoveling your kids' money my way. Thanks.
I am just confused by your refusal to stay on topic and formulate logical arguments. I hope they do not cut the mental health budget for your sake.
The logic behind a real hiring freeze and a real wage freeze is undeniable.
But I understand your confusion, 9:31. That's likely a situation you find yourself in quite often. Look, I don't care what we do. Things are fine just as they are. No cuts, freezes, hiring slow-downs, travel bans, vehicle restrictions, no nothing. I'm for everything remaining just as it is. I just cannot understand why, in the face of what we are doing to our youth and their opportunities, people like you just want to keep going down the same road. But I assure you, I will continue to cash the checks. Not a problem. Very sad.
Sorry folks, but I do have to repeat myself, "the government is the biggest abuser of waste", and we do not need to be borrowing money. I've seen the pay scales; the raises;
the waste of supplies; the dream sheets for future spending increases;the slimmer, trimmer organizations,that lead to more titles,more positions, and more money.Mix all of this together, and tell me how much money spent cannot be frozen at current levels?I do know how government works, the higher up-the-ladder you go,the bigger the heads get.But,I will say ,that not every government employee is that way,and want to do a good job. However,10% of the government employees,cause 90% of the waste.If the state was really serious about cutting spending, it would be done today, not tomorrow, not next year.
Pataki screwed the majority of folks that would like to see cuts in State Govt. Check this out after 10 years you do not have to pay anything into the pension system,(this was just changed by Paterson) State Prisons can NEVER be run by a private company. Thanks George.
We can blame Roosevelt for all I care. The point is, move on from here. The time is over for repeating and rewriting history. And not doing things because it won't completely fix the problem. There is nothing wrong with taking real first steps. From what I see we are unwilling to even do that.
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