[ken5050]

He's been running hard left for 8 years..his budgets have been crazy.. the legislature's has been crazier..the state books are a disgrace.. the unfudned mandates and off books "Authorities" borrowings are HUGE.. Pataki's given sweetheart labor deals tot he unios for their support. If the general won't lead, the troops ain't gonna follow..NYS will, IMHO, have to file for bankruptcy, to abrogate the union and pension obligations..

[NYFriend]

"He's been running hard left for 8 years..his budgets have been crazy.. the legislature's has been crazier..the state books are a disgrace.. the unfunded mandates and off books "Authorities" borrowings are HUGE.. Pataki's given sweetheart labor deals tot he unios for their support. If the general won't lead, the troops ain't gonna follow..NYS will, IMHO, have to file for bankruptcy, to abrogate the union and pension obligations.."

Remember, the Governor starts the budget process. Everyone has to work off of his proposal each year. The Constitution prevents the Legislature from considering a budget bill before both house pass or vote down the Executive Budget. So, nearly every year, the Governor has proposed increased spending, and often times he proposed paying for a portion of that increase by proposing cutting the Legislature's priority programs, like Universal Pre-K. He knows, absolutely, that the Assembly won't pass a budget without UPK, so he can count on that (and many other cuts) coming back. It's disingenuous to say that the Legislature has been driving these spending hikes. There are a lot more problems with budgeting, like padding the appropriations for State Operations, when he knows that his agencies are never going to see or spend all of that money. The final problem has been his use of the Budget to enact policy changes, which ties up the budget with some of his proposals that have little to do with spending.

As far as Pataki being Homeland Security Chief, if he feels safe to be conservative, he'll probably act conservatively. I don't see him not doing whatever the President told him to do.