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

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Badge of Honor

Here is the Badge of Honor that Darrel Aubertine and the rest of the Senate Democrats can display proudly. 

Paterson / Silver Budget Will Make New York’s Taxes Worst in Country 

In our 2009 State Business Tax Climate Index, New York rated as having the second-worst tax climate for business in the country, with New Jersey taking top honors.  However, once this plan is enacted, New York will leapfrog New Jersey to claim the mantle of America's worst tax code for business.
And on the elimination of STAR Rebate and other hidden tax and fee increases.
As I've written before, that program is flawed and its elimination is probably a relatively good way to raise revenue; however, it is still extra money out of New Yorkers' pockets next year.  Finally, the plan imposes sundry tax and fee increases, including higher taxes on utilities, car rentals, beer, wine, and cigars; higher tuition at state universities; and increased fees for things like hunting and driver's licenses.
This tax increase would be less annoying if it were truly necessary to produce a balanced budget.  However, as the New York Times noted in a news analysis piece yesterday, the budget's 8.7% spending increase "could hardly be called austere."
If you are looking for a list of 3,558 pork projects included in this budget then click here, hardly anything that represents the severe times that we face.

It is laughable to watch Sens. Aubertine and Valesky, as well as their staff, attempt to defend this budget, they appear to be shouting in a phone booth when so many from their own party are decrying this budget as disastrous for upstate.

Simply put - they put party politics ahead of their constituents!

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Darrel said that he was pushing a tax cap instead of the star rebate. I now see they have taken away the Star rebate and the Tax Cap was dead in the water. So now what Darrel our great Senator??????

Anonymous said...

The guy really let us down. The entire legislature let us down.

But they took care of the teacher union and most all special interests.

They will again next year, too.
They lied.
Again.

Danny M. Francis (Eyepublius) said...

I absolutely believe that Sen. Darrel should immediately STOP the pay increases for his staff that are now in the hopper.

This from the local news in Fulton (The Valley News) Aubertine Staffers Get Pay Raises

No matter what one's political stance or views are: giving any kind of raise in government at this critical time is just flat out wrong.

This SHOULD become an election issue, but will it? I believe it should ...

In good times, sure reward and promote your staff, but times are not good now for for the foreseeable year or so.

This kind of arrogant behavior has to stop.

~ dmf

Anonymous said...

Raising the pay of your staff while also voting to hike taxes and state spending, and simultaneously slash funding for our schools?

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

Dan's right -- stop the pay raises, Darrel.

Call Sen. Aubertine and tell him to stop the pay raises.

Anonymous said...

Two items-
1. Mr Francis should herewith announce his intention to run against Senator Aubertine,
and 2. the blog post refers to the pork list without specifying which of the items should have been removed. By my calculations, 32 mil is .046% of 132 bil. What about the other 99.05 %?

Joe

Anonymous said...

7:11, respectfully, there is not "slashing" of school funding. There are not even and cuts of school spending.

We can expect the teacher union to shop that line of bs, but please don't treat us to it right now. We've had enough lies for one week.

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