Amid sagging poll numbers (here, here and here) and secretive budget negotiations Governor Paterson (along with other Democrat leaders) is hopelessly looking to solve the state's fiscal woes, which just got worse (here and here).
State officials attribute the problem largely to declining tax revenues of about $2.8 billion. The state is receiving less personal income taxes due to job losses and declining wages, less sales tax due to declining consumption, and less business taxes “due to reduced economic activity and profitability.”But their answer - pass tax increases in both sales and personal income categories, which will most certainly exacerbate the problem and not help their poll numbers.
The Governor has called for an immediate furlough of 8,900 state employees after unions rejected any concessions (here, here and here).
It is safe to say his back is to the wall.
8 comments:
I bet we all will take a very close look at the next race for NYS Governor. Not only who is running for Governor but who would be the Lt. Governor. I never paid any attention to anything more than Spitzer......Shame on me.
Despite the dumping of imaginary money from the Great One, we are screwed. We knew there would be no cuts. There weren't. Unions have won, again. The Gov has been effectively run out of town, his own fault for the most part.
The only question now is how good a Gov is Cuomo going to be and how soon can he get here. We're a one party state so there are no othe options.
Oh, almost forgot. Regarding the layoffs. There will be none. Or if there are, only a very few. It won't be done by need of the folks, it will mostly involve who is the most well-connected. That's how it is done. That's how state vehicles are handed out as well.
Don't get too excited Mr and Mrs Taxpayer. Just pay your bill and shut up.
He's doomed; we are outraged; it's political point making; stick a fork in him (the Gov.); he's done ... yada, yada, yap, yap, etc. etc.
The Gov. just ordered laying off of 8,900 state workers - wait until that sinks in and then watch the doom and gloom machine crank into high gear; watch the outrage at him; and the increased number of political snipes at Albany's door.
Especially if it's "your" state job ... um?
LOL
Did'nt the state just hire 3-4 thousand new employees after the so called hiring freeze? Seems like a good place to start.I hav'nt noticed any positive effect from hiring these people other than a larger deficit.
The layoffs won't achieve the desired effect. I am just glad the Union "stuck to its guns" and didn't provide the Gov with any concessions. The Union represent the people that are the least able to do with less. By refusing to negotiate, the Union made this all about Paterson.
Union Proud. Union Strong.
Dan, there won't be any layoffs to "sink in". It just isn't going to happen. And yes, 11:33, we did just hire a few thousand folks during a "freeze". This has been happening for the past decade, and the practice continues.
At the beginning of this fiscal year, many of us said we have finally hit the reality wall. We would now have to make changes in the way Albany works. Here we are a year later. Nothing has changed. Shelly wants more taxes on the rich. Teachers still get 5%+ raises. The state ignores its own hiring freeze. Our youth continue to leave the state. The political parties point at each other. And taxes of all types, sales, property, and income, continue to rise.
No matter if we blame/replace Patterson, I'll just betcha next year will be no different. We do seem to like it this way. Too many people have an interest in keeping things just as they are.
* Jobs, taxes (higher/lower, they are always there), less regs, fewer laws, leave-us-alone bills, yada, yada, yap, yap, etc. - nothing changes much except those in office we choose to carry our banner ... two banners: one DEM / one GOP...
That's about it.
Aren't ya glad, Danny, that we're old guys who already have our check in the mail. Otherwise, we would have to care about higher taxes, fewer jobs, increased spending, yada yada yada.
Life is good. NYer's don't have to stay stupid too much longer.
Not for us.
We got it made.
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