"A government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take away everything you have"
Thomas Jefferson

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

The New Leader

The Democrats have the entire burden of governing New York State, controlling every branch of government in Albany. They have a large task in front of them, the near collapse of Wall St. has shrunk revenues for the foreseeable future, which presents a quagmire for the Democrats. Spending in New York has been out of control the task ahead is either reduce spending and run up against their special interest allies or raise taxes and run up against their constituents.

My guess - they raise taxes.

Here is the Democrat's press conference. Two of the gang of three are visible, Espada is immediate right of Leader Malcolm Smith and Carl Kruger (makes a late entry) is second to the left of Smith.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Monserrate didn't attend the press conference, apparently fearful there might be glassware nearby and concerned about his unsteady footing.

Anonymous said...

The Republicans would have raised taxes too.

Anonymous said...

Aubertine gets the Ag chair. Just wondering how you were going to spin that as a negative for us?

Anonymous said...

Jacob, it doesn't matter what anyone else would have done. Let's just say for the sake of argument you are right, the republicans would have raised taxes too. Is that reason to pack up brain and accept tax increases? To continue to increase taxes and government spending will ruin this state. It has now brought us to the edge. We have a choice to make. I don't really care who woulda, mighta. Is the only thing that matters to you who gets the blame or the credit?
We cannot raise taxes any more. We have to cut spending. As much as I have come to respect this Gov, I am disapppointed that his first budget actually raises spending. Will it ever end? Yeah, the answer is it will. It isn't going to be pretty, especially if all that's important to us is who we get to blame for the disaster, which is just around the corner.

Anonymous said...

COME On 5:11, you sound bitter and annoyed.
Get a GRIP and/or Life

Anonymous said...

Anon 6:02- how can you suggest that Paterson cut spending without mentioning the $1T that Paulson/Bernenke are dumping? Keynesian theory is that gov't spends as the economy cools, flattening out the curve, and then is supposed to cut back as the private sector heats up. Germany did that after WWI, spent on military buildup (with plenty of "encouragement" from American business) and look what happened. We spent to fight the army we financed, then we spent to rebuild Europe so our companies would have a market for their goods. Bush pumped $15B into the airlines after 9/11, billions of wasted dollars into ethanol, trillions into the ME wars, into the Wall St collapse, etc.; now where exactly do you want Paterson to start cutting? Oh, I can guess.....education, teachers' salaries (only if they're union), children's programs, and welfare, right? How about combining town/village services, some schools, (does Lyme NEED 2 principals); how about some specific ideas?

Anonymous said...

What an underwhelming response to Smith's introduction!! Where was Darrel? Oh that'sight, obviously it's white Senators to the back of the Democratic majority bus. Imagine what the response would be if no blacks/latinos were near the white leader and his microphone. Of course, there's no comment on this situation from the lapdog media. New York is swirling the drain and these clowns have their hands on the flush lever.

Anonymous said...

Okay, Anon. 9:00, you want some specifics? How about an immediate suspension of all non-emergencny capital projects for the educational taj mahals were building? No more turf fields, huge gyms, olympic size pools, etc. How about reasonable atletic leagues where kids aren't riding three to four hours in the winter for a friggin' hockey game? How about teachers contibuting to their top shelf welfare health care plans? No more crazy fake "wilderness" purchases in the Adirondacks. How about 95-percent fewer of those stupid anti-smoking TV ads that simply don't work? We spend over $2OO MILLION on that crap every year!!!! Reality Check is another bogus anti-smoking Nazi program. (I am NOT a smoker BTW.)
How about some of the ridiculous and useless DEC enforcement programs? How about cutting our oppressive building codes and the neo-Nazis who love to enforce it on people like the Amish? How abouu closing/combining some schools? How about forced consolidation of local and county governments and their redundant programs?

Let's see, that what I've come up with in about five minutes.

How about you and your free-spending liberal, teacher buddies put on a pot of espresso, mull things over for a month or so and then get back to me with your specific ideas????????

Anonymous said...

After listening to Gov. Paterson's "Brighter New York" speech, the only thing I say bright in it was the bright ideas for new taxes that they have come up with. Tax soda so we stop childhood obesity. Perhaps they should create a special tax on video games instead so kids will get off their lazy behinds and do some work. OOOPPS, that runs afoul of the state's child labor laws. Perhaps we would be a more dutiful, hard working, and productive society if we force our children to learn the value of a good work ethic and the meaning of hard work. In contrast, today's parents and society allows children to receive an allowance for living, how obsurd! Further more, if you try to punish your child for bad behavior it's considered child abuse and you are blackballed as a bad parent for doing your rightful and just duty of disciplining your child. Now, to get back on track with our subject, Albany needs to learn discipline too. It's time to cut off the social welfare lifeline and instill a sense of self-reliance, self-preservation, and hope. Kind of like Addie Jenne Russel's campaign ad, people need to pull themselves up by their own boot straps and stop begging the government to bail them out. And as for Anon 9:00, why shouldn't unions feel the pain like the rest of us? My taxes pay their salaries and when I can hardly afford to pay my taxes why should they live in luxury with a cushy tenured teaching job?

Anonymous said...

6:02 I never suggested Patterson cut spending. I clearly said I was disappointed that he RAISED it.

Somebody slap him.

As far as specifics, I have said in the past that there are too many "advocates" here in NY for any cutting to take place. Therefore, there should be an across the board FREEZE. NO EXCEPTIONS. It's the only way.

Imagine the crying from the "for the children" crowd.

ConcernedCitizen said...

anon 9:39 said:

"How about you and your free-spending liberal, teacher buddies put on a pot of espresso, mull things over for a month or so and then get back to me with your specific ideas????????"


a teacher, 38 years in fourth grade
is criticized for being paid
she says, screw you
i have a retirement, too
it was a very wise choice i made

Anonymous said...

That explains a lot of why Wiley is insulated from reality. He deserves his money, as he earned it. But it also shows why he has no problem with an unsustainable spending policy continuing as long as possible.

I always wondered.

Anonymous said...

Mr 9:00, I'd respond, but you are all over the place. It's difficult to understand what the heck your point is. I hope you weren't a teacher. It would have been cause for great confusion.

We've spent more money than we have. We have to cut back. We can't, as special interests own our legislators and our media is spineless. Therefore, my suggestion is that we freeze spending at current levels. I wish we could give you and yours more and more money, but we don't have any. Sorry. This show will have to come to an end. We can disagree on what teachers should be paid, and what kind of work standards should be demanded. But Sir, the state has no more money.

Name calling, party affiliation, and George Bush have little relevance.

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