Posted on 03/06/2007 11:15:43 PM PST by neverdem
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s budget director mounted a blistering attack on Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s proposed state budget yesterday, asserting that it would create an $862 million shortfall in the New York City budget for the fiscal year that starts on July 1.
The city’s budget director, Mark Page, warned that such a shortfall, if other revenues were not found, could result in an 8 percent across-the-board cut in agency spending or imperil the mayor’s $1 billion plan to cut taxes. Mr. Bloomberg’s plan calls for reducing property taxes by about 5 percent for one year, eliminating the city sales tax on clothing and footwear and cutting taxes paid by small and unincorporated businesses.
Mr. Page also said that a proposal by Mr. Spitzer to close 13 tax loopholes would encourage large financial services companies to move jobs out of the city.
The blunt remarks by Mr. Page — a career civil servant who is known for his reserve — highlight the widening divide between the Republican mayor and the Democratic governor, who says that his budget increases state aid to city schools while avoiding tax increases.
The divide seemed to take on partisan dimensions yesterday. Councilman James S. Oddo of Staten Island, who leads the three-member Republican delegation on the 51-member Council, said the governor’s budget would harm the city. “They told us that everything would change on Day 1,” Mr. Oddo said. “They forgot to tell us that things would change for the worse.”
Councilman David Yassky, a Brooklyn Democrat, said he believed that Mr. Page should stop “whining about the governor’s budget” and added, “I’m delighted that the governor is working hard to be fiscally responsible.” Councilman David I. Weprin, the Queens Democrat who leads the Finance Committee and presided over six hours of city budget hearings yesterday...
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Bloomberg and Spitzer deserve each other. They're both Democrats (despite the deceptive labeling).
FReepmail me if you want on or off my New York ping list.
His pandering to upstate is something to behold.
A bully is exactly what we need in New York to break up the status quo in Albany.
His pandering to upstate is something to behold.
It's not pandering to recognize that Upstate is struggling.
All and I mean ALL the elected officials in NY deserve each other.
Easy for you to say you most likely don't live here!
Whatever Bloomberg is he is a good business man!
Spitzed is mean SOB and a phoney I don't think the stepford man has one ounce of humanity!
Add me to your NY ping list, please.
Thanks for the ping!
Amen....they deserve each other. There goes New York!!
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