Albany's Insanity

So what is the Governor going to do? Or should we say what is the Legislature going to do? This is what we are looking at… And I think it is just the icing on the cake. What is causing this financial collapse? The tare of growth of government, government agencies, taxpayer funded projects and PENSIONS. Pensions are putting many Liberal run states into fiscal chaos. See the shark in the picture? That is the pension system in NY and we are for dinner.

Governor Says New York In A Recession

The Governor’s Response
To address the deteriorating economy, Governor Paterson is taking a number of actions to reduce spending and improve the fiscal integrity of the State:

• Agency Spending Reductions: Governor Paterson is ordering executive state agencies to implement an immediate $630 million reduction in 2008-09 spending. This represents a roughly 7 percent cut on top of the 3.35 percent reduction the governor called for as his first act in office.
• Hiring Freeze: Governor Paterson is also ordering an immediate hard hiring freeze. Until further notice, only absolutely essential positions will be filled. All new hires will have to be approved by the Division of the Budget.
• Special “Economic” Session of the Legislature: While the current economic forecast represents the best information now available and agency spending cuts will fully close the potential $630 million 2008-09 gap, there are no guarantees that revenue projections will remain unchanged throughout the remainder of the fiscal year. Moreover, the State faces significant deficits in the coming years that it must begin to address. As such, Governor Paterson will call a special “economic” session of the Legislature August 19 to consider $600 million of additional spending cuts.

Revenues and Spending
General Fund state revenues for 2008-09 are expected to come in $615 million lower than expected at the time of the Enacted Budget. Business taxes represent the largest portion of the decline and are now forecast to be $510 million below initial projections. Sales tax revenues are expected to be down $161 million because of slowing consumer demand in the weakening economy. These changes were offset by a $25 million increase in projected personal income tax collections, which is related almost entirely to final tax payments based on strong economic performance in the first half of 2007. Miscellaneous receipts are also expected to be higher than projected by $31 million.

Spending was also initially projected to be marginally higher than previously estimated by $15 million in 2008-09. When combined with the $615 million decline in revenues, this created a total potential shortfall of $630 million, which will be entirely eliminated by Governor Paterson’s order to make additional reductions in agency spending.

Out-year Deficits
The State’s out-year budget deficits have grown to $6.4 billion in 2009-10, $9.3 billion in 2010-11, and $10.5 billion in 2011-12 – a cumulative total of $26.2 billion over that three-year time period. When the budget was enacted, these gaps totaled $5.0 billion in 2009-10, $7.7 billion in 2010-11, and $8.8 billion in 2011-12 – a cumulative total of $21.5 billion.

Overall Spending
According to DOB’s updated first quarter forecast, 2008-09 State Operating Funds spending is expected to total $80.5 billion, an increase of 4.5 percent compared to the prior year. All Funds spending is expected to total $121.3 billion, an increase of 4.5 percent. General Fund spending is expected to total $56.2 billion, an increase of 5.2 percent.

At the time of budget enactment, State Operating Funds spending was expected to total $80.9 billion (5.0 percent increase), All Funds spending was expected to total $121.6 billion (4.8 percent increase), and General Fund spending was expected to total $56.4 billion (5.6 percent increase).

State Workforce
The overall size of the state workforce is now expected to total 200,251 at the close of the 2008-09 fiscal year, an increase of 497 over 2007-08. Originally, the Enacted Budget assumed an increase of 1,416. This nearly two-third cut in the increase reflects the impact of the 3.35 percent across-the-board agency spending reduction, as well as Governor Paterson’s directive to limit hiring to absolutely essential positions.

This response by Silver proves that the Liberal way of thinking is twisted and is the major reason we are in this fiscal crisis. Silver says he forcasted the recession and took action to get through it… What they did was to make things worse. Spending, allocating more money for more stupid programs is not the way to fiscal restraint. More government is not the answer.

Time to wake up the Assembly.

REACTION: Speaker Sheldon Silver

We recognize that New York is facing difficult economic times. More than a year ago, I and my Assembly colleagues began warning New Yorkers that our state was entering a period of economic decline. We forecasted the recession, advanced a plan to address the subprime mortgage crisis in January of this year, and in June, we recommended a plan to help homeowners pay their winter heating bills.

This afternoon, we listened closely to the Governor’s call for fiscal austerity. I and my colleagues are monitoring the economy, we continue to consult with our economic advisers, and we are prepared to work with Governor Paterson and with our colleagues in the Senate to make the tough but thoughtful decisions that are necessary.

In every period of economic decline, the call for cuts and caps gives rise to the same, important questions. What programs will be cut? Whose services will be diminished or eliminated?

Our answer is that middle class families and our working poor must not be forced to bear the brunt of such cuts. I and my Assembly colleagues believe that this state must not backpedal on the important progress we have made for the hardworking families of this state.

We must not close the doors of our Universal pre-K classrooms to our four-year-old boys and girls.

We must not abandon our CFE obligation to ensure that a sound, basic education is provided to each and every child in our public schools.

We must not halt the progress our school districts have made in reducing class size.

We must not cut back on the nursing home and home care services that our elderly and our citizens with disabilities depend upon.

After making an historic and long-awaited commitment to affordable housing, we must not abandon that commitment nor break our promise to revitalize our Upstate economy and nurture job growth.

There are tough choices to be made; choices that must reflect our priorities as a state. If it is our intention to ask working families to shoulder the burden of these cuts, we must ensure that our most affluent citizens share that burden. At the same time, we expect Washington to acknowledge New York’s economic hardship and to provide this state with the assistance we deserve and need.

Regarding the Governor’s call for a property tax cap, let me reiterate that we can support such a cap so long as this state honors its commitment to our children’s education. To provide immediate relief to our property taxpayers, we are recommending a fully financed property-tax “circuit breaker.”

The State of New York has faced difficult economic times in the past and we have dealt with them. Now, we are prepared to work with the Governor and with our colleagues in the Senate to address the challenges brought on by the current recession.

This statement is from the post at the source and is from a state worker. This is exactly where I stand on thew issue of cutting state, county and local government jobs. The people that are the workers end up getting cut, where the cuts need to be made are in the bloated management and political appointees. You know, the fat asses that do nothing but collect a paycheck, hang in there for the pension and benefits and work on campaigns… Ya, them. That is where the real waste is.

Invariably, those kinds of tactics from the governor’s office tend to disproportionately affect the low-level, front-line state service providers rather than the bloated upper management sectors that are largely comprised not of civil service state workers, but rather appointees (usually making well upwards of the $60k mark).

By all means Governor, cut the state workforce as needed… the bureaucracy could use some serious pruning. Just be sure when you do that you’re trimming the dead branches rather than forcing agencies to hack away at the trunk.

wnyt.com – State workers react to governor’s speech

ALBANY- Gerald Mizejewski watched the governor’s live address on a big screen Tuesday in a main concourse at Empire State Plaza. A scientist at the State Health Department, he liked what he heard.

“I think it’s a good thing. I think we should be told the truth. And the truth is raw. It’s tough,” he said

Many people were on their way home and didn’t see it.

But as people digested what Paterson had to say, there was also worry about dire times ahead.

“It doesn’t sound good at all. Sounds like a lot of doom and gloom for quite a while to come, I think,” said state employee Cathy Barrows, who works in the personnel department.

One of Paterson’s statements in the speech did spell gloom and doom for some.

“My administration will confront the following issues — the size of the state workforce…”

It was a statement that two unions pounced on.

“This kind of stuff is shortsighted! It’s not the way you keep an economy healthy by taking people out of the workforce,” said PEF spokesman Louis Matrazzo.

Matrazzo is Vice President of the state Public Employees Federation. He blasted Paterson for even considering job cuts.

“One thing we are determined: we will fight lay-offs with everything we have,” he said.

In a statement released by CSEA President Danny Donahue, he said “Governor Paterson’s talk of reducing the state work force to solve New York’s fiscal problems is nothing but a sham. There are better ways to address fiscal challenges than laying off working people in a troubled economy.”

But one of those 266,000 state workers said Paterson’s basic message is the right one.

“Tighten your belt everyone. We’re doing it at home. We’ll do it in the state,” said Gerald Mizejewski.

When this budget was passed it was overly excessive knowing full well that the deficit was already 6.4 billion. It never should have been passed to begin with but here we are looking at 8 billion plus.

There is only one group of people to blame and that is the very people that are now once again going to try and fix it. Credit to Gov. Paterson for even touching it but he has no choice now. I wonder where we would be if Spitzer was still there?

Governor Paterson calling for cuts

Governor Paterson, sounding the alarm bell, saying that there is a 6.4 billion dollar deficit for next year. He is calling the State Legislature back on August 19th, and says the budget process for next year begins right now.

In the last budget go round, he called for a cut of 800 million dollars in proposed spending increases. The budget ended up being about 122 billion dollars. It’s now the reality that state lawmakers will have to trim more.

“There is always waste in state government. There are several things that the state is doing now that are ridiculous, that average taxpayers would think is a foolish waste of money. The Lieutenant Governor’s office is being funded right now with no Lieutenant Governor in office,” said Assemblyman Jim Hayes.

“I think we will be making across the board, cuts across the state. It is going to impact the City of Buffalo. It is going to impact the city schools,” said Assemblyman Sam Hoyt.

City officials say they have already been tightening their belts.

“I certainly hope to work with Governor to make sure that buffalo is not negatively impacted,” said Assemblyman Sam Hoyt.

County Executive Chris Collins says they get no aid from Albany, but matching dollars for certain programs like the department of health. He does not expect those programs to be cut, but as for a possible looming deficit?

“Albany year in and year out doubles their spending at triple the rate of inflation. They are spend aholics and they need to get their own house in order,” said Collins.

Sheldon Silver warns against backpedaling? What do we have to do when we find our selves in financial distress? We have to rethink the way we spend our money and reorganize our budgets, correct? Then what the hell is he thinking of doing? Raising taxes?

This is where the Assembly will show their true colors, do they really care about us or do they care more about the special interests that line their campaign war chests? I think we will find it to be the latter. We have to breakdown the power structure, Silver controls everything in that house, it affects all of us across the state yet only a small portion of NY elects the guy. It’s time for him to go.

Politics on the Hudson

Following Gov. David Paterson’s televised address on New York State’s bleak fiscal outlook, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan, said his members are ready to help get New York’s financial house in order. However, it’s important not to “backpedal” on progress that has been made in providing additional money for pre-kindergarten classes, class-size reduction, nursing home and home-care services, and other programs and services, he said.

“Our answer is that middle class families and our working poor must not be forced to bear the brunt of such cuts. I and my Assembly colleagues believe that this state must not backpedal on the important progress we have made for the hardworking families of this state,” Silver said in a statement.

Silver said he would support a school property-tax cap only if it doesn’t reduce funding for education and be based on homeowners’ ability to pay. The governor and Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, R-Nassau County, support a cap, and the Senate is returning to Albany next month to vote on the issue.

August 8th is the day Skelos scheduled his session with the Senate to vote on the property tax cap and other issues including the Grand Island Bridge toll legislation.

I don’t know what we have to do to force the Assembly to comply with going back into session. Would there have to be a complete fiscal and economic collapse before Silver gets on board?

NY Senate to vote on property tax cap – Business First of Buffalo:

The New York state Senate will convene a special session in August to address property tax reform, Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos said Tuesday.

Skelos, a Long Island Republican, issued a brief statement saying senators would return Aug. 8 to approve Democratic Gov. David Paterson’s property tax cap.

Senators will also pass bills that cut costs for school districts, Skelos said, which could be a concession to the Democratic-led Assembly.

The Assembly has not announced if, or when, it would return for a special session. A call to the Assembly’s press office was not immediately returned.

Paterson introduced legislation that would cap annual increases in property taxes by 4 percent, or 120 percent of the consumer price index, whichever is smaller. A super majority of a school district’s voters could opt to override that cap.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, a Manhattan Democrat, has maintained he will not support any cap on property taxes unless he’s assured school districts would not lose funding.

Powerful labor unions, such as the 600,000-member New York State United Teachers, have lobbied against the bill since Paterson introduced it last month. But the New York State Business Council supports a tax cap.

Democrats hold a commanding edge in the Assembly while Republicans have just a one-vote majority in the Senate.

Budget crisis? Ya think? Conservatives have been warning about this for years and it’s not just because of what is going on nationally now, this crisis has been building up for years.

With the highest taxes in the dam country one would think the economy would be better, instead we are in the bottomless pit and feeding the bloated government and all the corruption that goes with it.

WBEN 930 : Paterson: Budget In Crisis, Layoffs Likely

Paterson: Budget In Crisis, Layoffs Likely
WBEN Newsroom

Albany (AP/CBS)- Governor Paterson plans to address New York residents this evening in a live televised address about the state’s fiscal problems.

“It’s not good,” Paterson said Monday.

Under the state’s current $122 billion budget, the governor last month said there would be a $5 billion deficit. Now it’s expected to be greater. And the previous spending cuts by state agencies by a modest 3.3 percent are expected to be more drastic.

“It’s no secret this is serious enough that I would like to address the state directly on this,” Paterson said.

The address, scheduled for 5:10 p.m., is billed as a personal conversation with New Yorkers. It’s expected to last about 10 minutes and include a frank assessment of the state’s economic situation and proposed measures to respond.

New York Post state editor Fred Dicker is reporting that Paterson is planning to announce cuts to state services, a reduction of the state work force possibly through layoffs, and other economic measures to deal with the plunging state revenues.

Asked yesterday if the situation was grave enough to call the Legislature back for a special session, Paterson said he’s thinking that over and will make a decision today.

Despite Paterson’s calls for action on the state budget since he took office in March, New York has made only small cuts after years of historic increases in spending. The current budget includes further increases sought by unions representing teachers and public workers.

When a state becomes a sanctuary state, illegal immigration becomes a state problem. The state made it its problem when the legislature passed a law giving in-state tuition to illegal immigrants, despite federal laws against it. The state made it its problem by allowing illegal immigrants easy access to social services, and thereby drove up the costs to legal residents.

I have no idea who this writer is but he is right on!

IN MY OPINION: Cry-baby Republicans

By Anthony Bazzo

In a story in last week’s North County News, in the article “Ball, Degnan want debate,” John Degnan, former Mayor of Brewster and Republican primary challenger for the 99th district assembly seat, says the “illegal immigration is a problem for the federal government, like the war in Iraq and the space program.” I beg to differ.

When a state becomes a sanctuary state, illegal immigration becomes a state problem. The state made it its problem when the legislature passed a law giving in-state tuition to illegal immigrants, despite federal laws against it. The state made it its problem by allowing illegal immigrants easy access to social services, and thereby drove up the costs to legal residents.

The state had no say, other than the votes of our representatives in Congress, regarding the war and space program, but the state had a say in the programs I just mentioned. With every crime committed against legal residents by illegal immigrants, the fault lay with our legislators who made it easier for them to take up residence in this state. These crimes are preventable!

John Degnan belongs to a political mind set that says, “Don’t just do something – sit there,” kick the can down the road, blame someone else. The overriding theme is that once in a while we will fool the people into thinking we care and are doing something by talking about it. This mindset and the policies he tried to implement while mayor are not the policies of true Republicans. But wait, John Degnan is not a true Republican. He has the Democrat endorsement for state assembly. That’s right; an endorsed Democrat is running in a Republican primary. Registered Republicans should be outraged by this bastardization of the primary process. A vote for Degnan is a vote for a Democrat.

How could this have happened? Well to start, understand that the wing of the Republican Party that endorsed Degnan is the same wing responsible for making the Republican Party in New York into irrelevant. This wing has no goal but self preservation. It will carry the water, back any bill, support any increase in taxes that favor powerful special interests that contribute heavily to their campaign chests. It is just not the money; it is also a promise not to support a challenger in the general election. If by chance they actually support something that benefits the tax payer, it is an unintended consequence.

This is also the cry-baby wing. Greg Ball said mean things about me, and I’m telling the fair elections committee. (Wah, wah wah!). Greg said things that are unfair. (Wah, wah, wah!) Greg Ball is calling attention to himself. (Wah, wah, wah!) Just like grade school children. However, on real issues, such as property tax caps, cutting fraud in social services, illegal immigration, unfunded mandates, they give us nothing! This is politics; it is a contact sport, and if you haven’t the stomach for it, get out!

When a candidate has to contend with powerful state special interests and the selfish interests of people in his own party, it is necessary at times to offend these people. That is a good thing. There is only one Republican running in this primary, that person is Greg Ball. John Degnan is an endorsed Democrat and sponsored by Republicans who wish to regain power. He is also endorsed by the Republicans in power who are upset Ball won’t kiss their rings.

I urge Republicans who will vote in the September primary not to vote for the cry baby wing of the party. I urge you to vote for the only Republican that will be on the ballot. Show the cry baby wing you will not be part of their cynical ploy. If I have offended that wing of the party, then they may take it that I am offended by their actions.

This is my opinion. You may beg to differ.

www.Ball4NY.com