Albany's Insanity

So just a few weeks after Paterson tells us he was wrong to try and raise taxes, he comes back around and jams this massive tax increase down our throat? The state didn’t do a thing to control Medicaid costs, but is going to raise the cost of beer, wine, bottled water, rental cars, drivers licenses and a bunch of other stuff. Paterson’s empire strikes back.

I am getting sick of hearing the same crap year in and year out. The problems never get resolved but the wars always continue. It is time to get control of Albany and do it now.

Taxes, fees add up in New York budget

ALBANY — Under the 2009-10 state budget, New Yorkers can expect to pay more for wine and beer, gas and electric and get hit with new taxes when they rent a car, go fishing or renew their drivers’ licenses.

In total, state officials estimate there would be at least $5.3 billion in new fees and taxes in the spending plan that lawmakers expect to adopt starting today. The biggest is raising income taxes on individuals who make more than $200,000 a year and couples at more than $300,000 a year, which would bring in $4 billion in new revenue.

Gov. David Paterson said the new taxes and fees were needed, even in a down economy, in order to balance the budget, which was estimated to have a $17.7 billion gap when the fiscal year starts Wednesday.

“We don’t want to tax the wealthy. We don’t (want to) put these taxes in to raise fees,” he said. “… It’s a response to a crisis.”

Paterson defended the $131.8 billion state budget, even though it increases spending by nearly 9 percent over the budget he presented in December. He said most of the increase — about $7.2 billion of the $10.5 billion — comes from using federal stimulus money on mandated programs.

The rest is due largely to higher costs for Medicaid, the largest part of the budget, and for other social-service expenses, Paterson said.

Most likely this countries most dysfunctional legislature will be voting on the budget today. Have you called your senator yet? We can forget about the assembly, I am sure that people like Hoyt, Schimminger, Schroeder etc will vote no. Why? Not for the right reasons, they can vote no because Shelly will allow it. This way they can come back and show their outrage at it and blame down state politicians for it. Beware of the fool behind the curtain.

Call them and voice your disgust, if they vote for this budget it proves they care more for the downstate power brokers than the people of Western New York.

I gave this interview today on Channel 2
Is there reform in the state budget? Hell no.
Is There Reform In the State Budget?

Yet another video about the tea party Saturday!
Hundreds show up to Tea party Protest, the first ever in Western New York

A New York Revolutionary’s Basic Guide

~Attend the nationwide tea party, educational forum & protest march on April 18th @ the Club W. ~ 199 Delaware Ave, downtown Buffalo ~ 1 – 5pm. Also, go to AFA.net and follow the links to attend a tea party on April 15th. Erie County location: Niagara Square across from City Hall – at noon.

~ Don’t vote the party line.
~ Vote anti-incumbent. Support challengers in primaries. Donate time, $ and resources and walk (requisite) nominating petitions to get REFORM candidates on the ballot.
~Beware of fictitious “reform” platforms, usually generated by the major (two) parties. LOOK AT THE HISTORY. Look at their voting records. VoteSmart.org

~ Stay informed. Click here:

AlbanysInsanity.com

FreeNewYork.org

PoliticalClassDismissed.com

PrimaryChallenge.org

TheNewLiberty.com

WeThePeopleFoundation.org

GiveMeLiberty.org

RedCounty.com

~ Don’t bother calling your Congressmen, Senators, Assemblymen or local legislators – unless you’re willing to harangue them on a daily or weekly basis. They don’t represent us. We have taxation without representation. They represent Albany and well-(taxpayer)funded special interest groups. Do so, only if you are willing to become a thorn in their side.

~ Support efforts to:

* Hold a constitutional convention (extremely important); one man wields all power in each house (Senate & Assembly) – the power needs to be split – divided among legislators. We need to return to a representative democracy.

* Eliminate the gerrymandering of districts (also extremely important)

* Downsize government, or eliminate present government

* Split the state – separate NYC from the state

* Get rid of the Authorities: The Thruway Authority, The Water Authority, the Dormitory Authority, etc. which represent a $7 billion drain on the NYS economy.

~ Support Groups that support you:

FreeBuffalo/FreeNewYork.org
PrimaryChallenge.org
WethePeopleFoundation.org

Antoinne Thompson and Bill Stachowski… Isn’t that special. People came unglued when the Gov gave raises to his staff, will they do the same here? In the midst of a budget crisis these people don’t care, they don’t care about you, me, the elderly, the children, they only care about themselves and how they can do things to benefit them…..

I wonder how mush is in the campaign accounts? Follow the money and see how much is from the unions and power brokers in NY City.

via Senate Democrats increase staffers’ pay.

The victors are taking their spoils.

Despite the budget crisis, during which state leaders are angling to pull more money from taxpayers and perhaps lay off thousands of state workers, the Democrats who captured the state Senate have lavished raises on their staffs.

Take Western New York’s two Democratic senators, for example.

Key aides to Sen. William T. Stachowski of Lake View are collecting raises of 40 to 55 percent, while some aides to Sen. Antoine M. Thompson of Buffalo are seeing raises of 20 percent or better. And a couple of Thompson’s aides have doubled their salaries because they reached full-time status.

The recession hasn’t pinched the Senate Democrats, who say they have taken a bigger share of the duties and therefore expect to pay their people accordingly.

“Being in the minority, we were on a shoestring budget,” Thompson said of those times before 2009, when Republicans controlled the Senate and Democrats were, under Albany’s feudal system, treated as less than equal.

While we were protesting the 3 men were working to screw us. And when we were either in bed or going to bed the three came up with the budget.

Have we had enough yet? Fed Up yet?

NY Legislature agrees to state budget

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said late Saturday that New York’s Legislature has agreed to a state budget that keeps school funding flat, restores aid to New York City, and increases income taxes on wealthier New Yorkers.

The agreement announced just before midnight Saturday also restores some proposed cuts in health care and higher education and expands the state’s bottle law, putting nickel deposits on bottled water under the measure that currently covers only carbonated drinks.

The powerful Manhattan Democrat told The Associated Press that the spending plan will likely be adopted Tuesday, resulting in an on-time 2009-10 budget.

There is no total yet for the budget but it will include $5 billion in spending cuts and use $5 billion of the federal economic stimulus package to help fill some of the gaps created by rejecting increases in some other taxes and fees.

The temporary income tax increase on New Yorkers making more than $300,000 is projected to provide the state $4 billion in revenue and will end after three years, Silver said.

“This is a very difficult budget that reflects the extraordinary challenges we face,” Silver said, noting the budget gap was estimated at $16.5 billion.

Among the few new programs is a $50 million fund to provide low-interest college loans to middle class and lower income families.

I took a chance earlier tonight and went to ECMC to give my support to my friend Carl. I walked right up and into the ICU and saw Carl there waiting in the hall with some family and friends. The first thing I could do was to walk up and hug him, Carl is my friend and when a friend of mine is hurting, I hurt with and for them.

Before I left we all Prayed in the hall way, we asked for the healing hands of Jesus to come down upon Patrick and help heal his body. Please if you are a Praying person, say some for this family. My Heart aches for all of them.

Paladino’s son, 29, injured in SUV crash : City & Region : The Buffalo News.

The son of real estate developer Carl Paladino was critically injured in a one-vehicle accident on Grand Island early Saturday morning, officials said.

Patrick Paladino, 29, of Buffalo, was driving a black SUV at about 1:20 a. m. on South Parkway, just outside the entrance to Beaver Island State Park.

Paladino was traveling west in the eastbound lane, when he failed to negotiate a turn in the road and lost control of the vehicle, according to the Erie County Sheriff’s Office.

The SUV became airborne, traveling across the Beaver Island traffic circle, and overturned several times, sheriff’s deputies and

Grand Island Fire Company officials said. The vehicle sheared off a tree in the process.

Paladino was ejected from the SUV and thrown about 100 feet.

Paladino was transported by Mercy Flight to Erie County Medical Center, where doctors listed him in critical condition.

There were no passengers in Paladino’s SUV, and no other vehicles were believed to have been involved in the accident, officials said.

Patrick Paladino is one of three children of Carl Paladino, founder of Ellicott Development, which manages more than 2 million square feet of office, retail and residential space, and is the largest private landlord in downtown.

Carl Paladino is also publicly known as an outspoken critic, who has taken on everything from City Hall to the Thruway Authority to Buffalo schools.