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

Friday, May 8, 2009

Albany bails out NYC transit, but ignores Upstate

Democrat-controlled Albany delivered a massive bailout for the strapped NYC transit system, but—for the first time ever—excluded critical and desperately needed funding for Upstate highways, including here in the North Country.
 
Republicans, who always insisted on linking mass transit and Upstate road funding, to make sure that every region of the state was treated fairly, all voted against the bailout plan in protest.
 
Sen. Darrel Aubertine and Assemblywoman Addie Russell voted in favor.
 
“Upstate is being left behind once again,” said Niagara County Republican Sen. George D. Maziarz.
 
Aubertine (who has made an increasing habit of voting in lock-step with his NYC-based leader) and his fellow Upstate Democrats will tell us that the bailout is being funded by downstate, so it rightly benefits only that region.
 
That’s half true. In fact, taxpayers in 12 counties—including five counties north of The Bronx—will be hit with a new payroll tax, and higher motor vehicles fees even if the NYC-centered MTA doesn’t service their communities.
 
And Gov. Paterson has promised to extra state aid to school districts in those counties to make up for the $60 million that they will have to send back to Albany for their cut of the payroll tax. That additional aid for Hudson Valley and Long Island schools will mean less aid for Northern NY and the rest of Upstate.
 
Paterson promised to revisit the issue of Upstate roads at a later date. Unfortunately, Paterson has a poor track record of keeping such promises, like his pledge to rein in state spending and taxes.
 
Last month, he approved the biggest budget in state history, with a 10 percent increase in state spending and $8.5 billion in new taxes.
Read more here, here and here
The NYC transit bailout supported by Russell and Aubertine is likely to cost New York State more jobs. What are they possibly thinking by supporting this tax?
Read more here.
Politics Before People!

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Do these two ever stand up to the NYC Democratic bosses?

I don't recall seeing Shelly Silver and Malcolm Smith's names on our local ballots!

Anonymous said...

Why don't you report all of the facts then. Lets talk about how many jobs this will help upstate who build the parts and busses and railroad cars. You partisan hack.

Anonymous said...

The Rubber Stamp saga continues...

Anonymous said...

Wow. Auberstein surprises us again. Can you believe that guy?

Anonymous said...

Wow. Auberstein surprises us again. Can you believe that guy?

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 9:48am. Ok so give us the facts? How is this bailout ever going to create a job in the North Country???

Anonymous said...

9:48 claims the MTV bailout will help us, here in the upstate?

Very strange.
Talk about a hack.

Anonymous said...

Let's see, 12 counties pay for the bailout and no capital plan is included. How does this affect upstate?

There's a promise to fund both MTA and Bridge and Road DOT in the future, but no capital plans.

So if NYC, LI and Hudson Valley want to tax NYC, LI and Hudson Valley to pay for service to NYC, LI and Hudson Valley, how does that affect upstate?

Quit your fear mongering

Anonymous said...

Well you wanted the Dummycrats in control now you got them.

Anonymous said...

5:05 Read about it. The bill provides for all the schools in the NYC area to avoid paying all these new taxes. The rest of the state will pick up the tab.

NYC should pay for it's own stuff.
Seems understandable.

Anonymous said...

Darrel and Addie just voted to take $100 million in Upstate school aid and send it to Long Island, NYC and the Hudson Valley.

But that's OK -- just think about all those MTA jobs they protected in the North Country!

Now go back and play with your trains.

Anonymous said...

"politics before people" -- Maybe you should attempt to practice what you preach sometime IV.

Anonymous said...

What does that mean, 9:32?

Makes no sense.

If you have a logical argument to make, let's hear it. But to spout some unrelated cliche then run away makes little sense.

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