What You Don't See

UPDATED

The New York State budget is generally like looking through your grandparent's attic, you never know what you will uncover.

For instance, this year's budget borrows some of the greatest amounts ever, $8 billion dollars. This will be for your children to pay off!

Previously mentioned here, the state aid to public schools is $21 billion, a record increase of $1.75 billion or 8.9%, projected inflation rate for the state is 2.6%. The kids are getting the money here, but if they choose to live in New York State later in life they will have to pay off our borrowings.

Deal or No Deal?

The good side:

The limits on the Wicks Law, which requires multiple contracts on school and other projects, have been increased to a $500,000 ceiling for upstate.

The State did not enact millions of dollars in cost shifts to the counties for public assistance and youth detention programs.

Caution:
Lurking out there in the final budget is another proposed cost shift by Governor Paterson, which will shift of millions of dollars of cost to counties and community-based organizations, funded by counties that deliver state-mandated programs and services to under-represented New Yorkers.

At issue is a 2 percent cut in direct aid to counties, which forces them to more state-mandated public-health, social-service and criminal-justice programs.

LoHud.com