Posted on 12/16/2008 5:23:56 PM PST by Sammy67
ALBANY - Gov. Paterson released a $121 billion slash-and-burn budget Tuesday morning that slams New Yorkers with 88 new fees and taxes - even on their iPods.
Calling the budget the "greatest economic and fiscal challenge of our lifetimes," Paterson acknowledged his spending plan cuts deep.
But he said the pain must be shared to deal with the fallout from the Wall Street collapse.
The budget will cost the city an estimated $650 million in aid.
But it's the $4 billion in new fees and taxes that are sure to aggravate everyday New Yorkers, who would be
(Excerpt) Read more at nydailynews.com ...
These are the groups that didn't vote before, the groups the founders warned us not to enfranchise, the groups that are responsible for socialist control of the federal and a majority of state governments.
THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT THIS UNTIL THE REPUBLIC FALLS AND THEY ARE STRIPPED OF THE RIGHT TO VOTE
The Republic will not endure, people just don't realize it yet.
What is happening in NY will happen at the federal level as well.
When it falls, those who pick up the pieces (military) will not make the same mistake.
I know a guy who retired from LIRR when he was in his early fifties and now doesn’t work at all and enjoys a healthy pension. With benefits.
You don’t have to excerpt the NY Daily News.
You all be sure to thank AirForceMom’s son for serving his country. Merry Christmas to all.
panax
Having worked in state and Federal Government Contracts . . .the majority of the last 15 years. . . and seen the SEIU KEEP unemployable people, employed as state “workers” . . . with retirement benies beyond most American’s reach. . . .you got lots of room for savings.
Illinois had an early retirement buyout during Blago’s first year . . .14,000 state workers took early retirement . . . and nobody noticed . . .the state kept humming along . . .no problems.
The Fed Software Contract I was on was WAY overstaffed . . . and WAY to many Green card workers.
Cutting Govt. waste is like low hanging Fruit.
Very nice of you panax. God Bless and keep all our men and women out there keeping us safe.
Merry Merry Christmas!!
It’s finally snowing here...woohoo!
Yes, yes, we all think that, it's easy to say.
Why doesn't it ever happen?
Doling out taxpayer money to special interests accrues enormous power and influence. There are thousands of lobbyists for spending taxpayer money. Taxpayers have no lobbyists to speak of. There are plenty of pro-taxpayer organizations, but they are all essentially think tanks.
Real lobbyists are the ones who procure junkets and hookers for politicians, and taxpayers don't have those.
Doesn’t happen in Illinois because the SEIU gives Donations to Politicians to buy their loyalty.
When close to 50% of the workforce in the USA work for City-State-County-Federal govts.
That is close to a Controling interest in “no Cuts” in Govt. and No “Downsizing”.
The majoriy rules the minority.
Well, I agree that such an improvement in the quality of the voters would solve the problem.
But that does not explain why, when the existing voters do the right thing, that nothing changes. Let's pick abolishing the Department of Education as an example.
I choose that because the Department of Education is new, it's conspicuously useless and wasteful, and it does not educate a single child.
More importantly HUGE ELECTORAL MAJORITIES have voted TWICE - in 1984, and again in 1994, for candidates sworn to its abolition.
The nature of the GOP 1994 revolution was so amazing, and I think, because of our disappointments recently, we don't think about it in the right way.
The Democrats were swept from power in a popular avalanche. The Republicans had over 230 House members. 54 Democrats were tossed out. Most importantly, the incoming majority had SIGNED A PLEDGE to abolish the Department of Education.
So, my question is, why is it still in existence?
Yes, the Democrats are corrupt and beholden to teacher unions. Yes, too many people vote, and too many are enfranchised.
BUT THIS DOES NOT EXPLAIN THE SURVIVAL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
This small slice of a much bigger pie suggests that the People cannot change the growth of government, EVEN BY WINNING ELECTIONS WITH A CLEAR MANDATE.
If electing conservatives to the majority and giving them clear instructions is insufficient, then the whole voting thing isn't going to work, ever, and we need to look elsewhere for positive change.
States like NY, Illinois, and California must enact REAL cuts, on the order of 25%, to make it. This would imply a 2009 NYS budget of around $90 billion, which should be easily achievable - the budget in 2001 was only $77 billion, for example.
The fact that a 57% increase in spending from 2001-2009 can be portrayed as a "slash-and-burn" budget with "dire" results containing "savage cuts" indicates how serious our conceptual and practical problem really is.
GOVERNMENT CANNOT BE CUT BY DEMOCRATIC MEANS.
Think about that.
For some reason people seem to be certain that abolition of the Department of Education was part of the Contract With America. It wasn't.
why cut when you can just add taxes?
of course, they have no bones about cutting health care and hospitals......
everyone does know don't they that hospitals do not get paid what it costs to treat medicare and medicaid patients?......let alone charity care.....
Wow, that SNL skit really touched a nerve.
so please, I know what the state workers get..
can anyone say downward spiral? these tax hikes will lead to decreased revenues and take NY towards the brink of a statewide depression..ditto California
Good news is places like Texas should thrive if they don’t follow the “blind”..pun intended
we can handle guns too you know.....so just try to disenfranchise .......
all these people collecting and then throw in the people presently working for the govt and you can see that cutting govt is never going to happen unless some catastrophic event takes place and the federal govt is forced to cut severely...
I’m not trashing retirement plans in general. But some are more lucrative than others. That is fine when the company, or state, or whatever entity can continue to pay for it. BUT, when they ask the taxpayers to pay more taxes to cover it (or they ask for a “bailout from the taxpayers), it becomes a problem. I am simply saying there never seems to be any discussion of making adjustments to retirement benefits, just raising taxes to pay for them.
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