Reminds me of a popular bumper sticker in Mass. back in '88. It had a guy laughing his head off and said "Dukakis for WHAT?" :) (used pic below)
Posted on 12/16/2004 9:53:05 AM PST by Hank Rearden
President Pataki?
Cannot be.
With 2008 just four years away, it's not too early to rule New York governor George Pataki unfit for the GOP nomination. Republicans should study his record and keep him as far from their party's ticket as Albany is from Albuquerque.
After ten years as governor, Pataki's legacy rests on three legs: an anemic economy, a listless state Republican party, and a deteriorating ethical climate.
The Pacific Research Institute recently measured economic freedom in all 50 states. While PRI ranked Kansas No. 1 overall, New York State was dead last at No. 50. It was rated 42nd on regulation, 47th on fiscal affairs, and 50th on government size, welfare spending, and income redistribution.
As this country's most economically repressed state, New York is America's North Korea with Pataki as its Kim Il-Sung. To be fair, Pataki neither starves his people nor stashes atomic weapons (as far as we know). He does possess, however, an annoyingly anti-Republican lust for big government that has hobbled the Empire State.
Hudson Institute president Herbert London notes that California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's $105.3 billion fiscal year 2005 budget spends $2,967 per capita on 35.5 million citizens. New York's $101.3 billion fiscal plan, in contrast, spends $5,276 per capita on 19.2 million people. Even worse, New York's 20th consecutive delayed budget was due April 1 but was adopted August 11. While state legislators are mainly to blame, the largely unassertive, often invisible Pataki neither can inspire nor dragoon lawmakers into adult behavior.
"It's difficult to imagine that Pataki has a future as a national leader after he's brought New York to its knees," London says. "Not everyone in America knows George Pataki, but those who know Pataki don't want him to do for America what he's done for New York."
While Albany faces a $6 billion budget deficit, Pataki himself stars in brand-new TV commercials in which he recruits Medicaid applicants. The ads are targeted not only at the destitute, but at small business owners and recent college graduates. Not surprisingly, Medicaid enrollment has rocketed 14.75 percent from 3.39 million beneficiaries in June 2002 to 3.89 million taxpayer-subsidized participants last month. In other words, 20.26 percent of New Yorkers are on Medicaid.
New Yorkers pay $141 in combined state and local taxes per $1,000 in income. America's highest tax burden is 26 percent above the national average. Local taxes alone are 71 percent above average. These Citizens Budget Commission figures are for fiscal year 2000 and do not reflect subsequent state and local tax hikes that have uglified this picture.
State and local taxes are both pertinent here, since they are so entwined.
"New York has the largest Medicaid program in the country," says Manhattan Institute senior fellow Steven Malanga. "It's the size of California's and Texas' Medicaid programs combined. Municipalities are forced to pay half the state's cost. No other state does this. In most places, local taxes fund education. In New York, local taxes pay for Medicaid and education. In some municipalities, Medicaid eats up more money than education, and there's nothing really like that anywhere else."
Even as he impoverishes New Yorkers, Pataki has let the Empire State GOP drift like an unanchored Hudson River barge. Top Republicans are not enjoying the ride.
The state GOP has "no overwhelming vision or course," Congressman Peter King (R., Long Island) complained to the New York Post.
"We're now headed in the direction of a party that doesn't stand for anything anymore," Congressman John Sweeney (R., Saratoga) told the Associated Press. "I think the governor has to do a reassessment of how he's been functioning as the leader of our party." Sweeney added: "We've lost our way, and the election returns show it."
This paucity of principle indeed has devastated Republican candidates. In 2002, GOP executives lost in Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester counties. Democrats now control the once-Republican Nassau and Westchester legislatures. Last November, Democrats boosted their minority state-senate caucus and expanded their state-assembly majority. As GOP activist George Marlin wrote in the November 7 New York Post: "The 35 powerless Republican legislators, known for their ability to stare into space, merely serve as decorations in the Assembly chamber."
To challenge Democratic U.S. Senator Charles Schumer, Pataki plucked from obscurity State Assemblyman Howard "I am not into labels" Mills. He quickly returned there after scoring just 24 percent to Schumer's 71 — New York's severest Senate drubbing ever.
Placing Pataki at the national helm similarly would send the GOP barge right over Niagara Falls.
Finally, a sleazy breeze buffets Pataki as his allies keep landing in trouble.
Pataki's plan to expand Manhattan's Jacob Javits Convention Center typically features $350 million in fresh borrowing, a new five-percent airport car-rental tax, elimination of the standard lowest-bid requirement, plus language to prevent state comptroller's audits.
Former state senator Guy Velella earned one year in prison for taking bribes. The Local Conditional Release Commission, an obscure Gotham agency, suddenly and illegally freed the Bronx Republican boss September 28 after barely three months' incarceration. Three days earlier, the Pataki administration gave a promotion and ten-percent raise to Eugenio Russi, brother of LCRC chairman Raul Russi. Coincidence? Pataki's cronies are under scrutiny.
Democratic state comptroller Alan Hevesi canceled a 2001 contract with Richard A. Hutchens to build at least $21.7 million in residences on state property beside the 524-mile-long Erie Canal. According to state attorney general Eliot Spitzer, New York State Canal Corporation staffers gave Hutchens inside information so he could secure a noncompetitive bid for these lucrative development rights for just $30,000. Hutchens — surprise, surprise — has donated $8,000 to Pataki's political coffers. "Everybody makes a political contribution for a purpose," Hutchens told investigators.
Spitzer believes that Canal Corp. pursued Hutchens as a political sugar daddy. According to Spitzer's November 29 report, "at least one staff member also came to view [Hutchens] as a prospect to be mined for campaign contributions." Canal Corp. staffers nicknamed Hutchens "the golden goose."
As one of Pataki's constituents, it is enormously frustrating to hear his name mentioned alongside a truly promising White House prospect: "America's Mayor," Rudy Giuliani. There's nearly nothing GOP about George Pataki. The sooner Republicans across America fathom that, the safer the Grand Old Party will be in 2008.
The Republican Party corruption and Big Stupid Government sleaze is unbelievable.
I'll be POTUS before Pataki will. In other words, ain't gonna happen, ever.
I love New York City.
What I can't understand is why Massachusetts is going the small government route (the income tax is down to 5.3%) while New York is going Swedish on us.
or maybe this bluest-of-blue states is just beyond anyone's ability to turn around at the present time
bump
Is this supposed to be a poem?
If New York is #50 for ecomonic freedom, Ohio must be #49. Don't know who the bigger RINO is, Pataki or our so-called Governor Bob Taft.
At least we have a potential savior in Ken Blackwell, the OH Secretary of State who has done such a good job with the moonbats who are disputing the OH election results.
Blackwell is what I would call a Steve Forbes Republican (principled conservative who is anti-tax increases, wants to limit spending, and is pro-economic growth). He's angered a lot of country-club RINOs by opposing the sales tax increase rammed through last year. It is so bad here that the RINOs worked with teachers' union thugs to disqualify signatures on the Blackwell-backed ballot peitition!
I don't think I want to hear who might displace Pataki in NY. How about a recall?
no it was not
It's NEVER too early to rule out Pataki as a candidate for anything. He's almost as bad a choice as Romney.
The only thing that can be said in favor of Pataki is that virtually all his predecessors were even worse.
Here's a list beginning somewhat arbitrarily with the greatest destroyer of American values in the last century, FDR:
Franklin D. Roosevelt, Democratic, 1929-1932
Herbert H. Lehman, Democratic, 1933-1942
Charles Poletti, Democratic, 1942
Thomas E. Dewey, Republican , 1943-1954
W. Averell Harriman, Democratic, 1955-1958
Nelson A. Rockefeller, Republican, 1959-1973
Malcolm Wilson, Republican, 1973-1975
Hugh L. Carey, Democratic, 1975-1983
Mario M. Cuomo, Democratic, 1983-1995
George E. Pataki, Republican, 1995-
A few of these governors, such as Malcolm Wilson, were essentially nebbishes. But most of them were grandiose megalomaniacs who bled the taxpayers. I'm not sure who was the worst--FDR, Nelson Rockefeller, or Mario Cuomo, but there's some pretty bad competition.
Which is not to say that Pataki deserves our praise. He does not. Only to say that he falls into a long tradition of bad or even wicked political leaders.
i went to school in NY. Most of it's not his fault completly. The state is worthless. they have the highest taxes but can't seem to pay for anything. Maybe they should rethink the whole socialist thing. Let people pay for the things they want. every day that i was in school (and i was on the extended plan of 5 years due to umm...a learning disability...yes thats it. I wasn't going to class so it was diabling my ability to learn) i waited to get out. i went to HS in texas, then college in NY talk about a difference.
i just couldn't figure out how NY with a state income tax, lottery, local taxes that are astronomical, sales tax, and they make you pay to drive on the roads was cutting High school activities such as drama, sports and band
mean while texas has a sales tax and the lottery (the sales tax in texas and ny is about thte same...8.25ish) no state tax, and you can drive on the roads for free isn't going through economic crises. I don't know how the property taxes worked in TX. i think the ranchers took a lot of resposibility
i can't believe how a state that holds one of the richest cities in the world can be broke...not dead broke, but so broke they need to cut out education activities.
whoops i digressed and talked about hating ny. umm pataki let it all happen as far as i'm concerned. I lived near albany and the man was never in town. He was pulling a John Edwards.
so i dunno whats really going on there...maybe something in the water.
Reminds me of a popular bumper sticker in Mass. back in '88. It had a guy laughing his head off and said "Dukakis for WHAT?" :) (used pic below)
Nah! They don't really work.
Regards from elbucko in California.
I live in Manhattan, and so we have trusty GOP stalwart Bloomberg steering the ship. Bloomberg makes Jesse Helms look liberal, he is so small-gov't and business freindly. A breif list of Bloomy's "achievements:"
Letting MTA hike fares 100% on his watch.
Letting Randi Weingarten use him as a doormat in teacher/school reform.
Raising property taxes across the board.
Letting his moron buddys hang silk ribbons all over Central Park.
Outlawing smoking in ALL bars, even sole proprieterships. His pal Pataki thought it was such a great idea that he signed a similar statewide smoking ban.
Shaking down small business owners for arcane infractions like having too many letters on their awnings, selling watermelon by the slice, and other laws not enfoced since 1798, all to scrounge revenue for worthless social programs.
In short, these two clowns don't deserve to LIVE in this country, much less govern it.
The only people I saw pumping Pataki as a contender was Pataki himself and Time Magazine, when they ran that special issue along with the GOP convention that mentioned many of who they thought were 2008 contenders.
I doubt he even last long enough to even appear on a ballot in Iowa or New Hampshire.
So the New York State Legislature is powerless to prevent Pataki's spending?
Pataki's a liberal who would have no chance in the south.
The dems have the Assembly, but the RINOs, who control the Senate, just voted to increase the minimum wage.
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