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

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Can't Kick The Habit

“The governor’s Updated Financial plan confirms the concerns I raised in April when the state budget was adopted. New York has a very real and growing problem, and the state still has not made enough progress toward aligning recurring spending with recurring revenues.

“The June cash report my office released last week indicated weaknesses in revenues for the first quarter that were offset by one-time payments and delayed spending. Those weaknesses have not been diminished.

“The governor and Legislature need to focus on addressing this year’s problems. But they also have to look at the real and difficult choices necessary to solve New York’s bad habit of spending money we simply don’t have.”

- New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli

Senator Darrel Aubertine, Assemblywoman Addie Jenne Russell and the rest of the Democrats in Albany have a terrible habit of taxing and spending, then taxing some more and spending and spending and spending.

If the budget is left unchecked the deficit will grow to $4.6 billion in 2010-11, $13.3 billion in 2011-12 and $18.2 billion in 2012-13, according to the state Division of Budget. But, it will not be left unchecked, they will raise fees and taxes to cover their spending habits that they can't kick.

New York States faces its worst unemployment since the 70's. The unemployed number 854,200 is the highest since 1976. Yet, New York State's budget this year contained a 10% increase in spending, a whopping $8 billion package of hikes in taxes and fees, along with elimination of STAR rebate checks to taxpayers and what are the results - a 2+ billion dollar deficit or no jobs in New York State. 

15 comments:

FlatsFarmer said...

You are not exactly a financial wizard with the Jef Co board. Why did you have to extend the "temporary" sales tax penalty? No wonder you try to be anonymous with your hypocritical drool.

Earthbob said...

The report must have been authored by Mr Obvious.

Anonymous said...

Flats and EB. Your point is?

Every once in a while, when the ship is sinking, it's good to take a inventory of how many decks are under water.

I say, vote donkey. Last year's budget shows they are on the road to fixing things.

Anonymous said...

The consistant thing is when the Feds spend more, the states spend ore, then the counies spend more, Heidi will still get paid and good for her.

Anonymous said...

IVY apparently likes or at least reads Michelle Malkin - the rabid, ugliest Phill-A-Pee No on the planet - she writes that Sen. Chris Dodd (somehow got, contracted, requested, and/or ordered cancer to avoid further mortgage investigations) ... Malkin is one sick biotch, and so is anyone who reads or follows her:

Sick Michelle Malkin

Anonymous said...

6:30 PM
I guess that includes me because I love her reports.It's difficult getting the truth or the whole story with todays media malpractice. For anyone interested patdollard.com is also a exellent source for news that matters without the bullsh**.

hermit thrush said...

New York States faces its worst unemployment since the 70's. The unemployed number 854,200 is the highest since 1976.

that's really misleading. 854,200 is indeed the highest number of unemployed new yorkers the department of labor has ever measured (and "ever" means going back to 1976, at least from what i can tell from the dol website). but there are more people in the state now -- and it's the unemployment rate that's the meaningful number.

and on that count, while obviously the situation now is not good, the unemployment rate was worse in the 70's and during the early 80's recession and during the early 90's recession. although there are indications that the economy will pull out of recession this quarter, employment is a lagging indicator and the unemployment rate will almost certainly get higher before it gets lower. we should all feel quite thankful if things don't get too much worse.

let me also add that i agree with piv's larger point about the recently passed budget. the fact remains that nys faces some serious fiscal challenges, and i don't think the budget addresses them in anywhere near a satisfactory way.

Anonymous said...

Great. NY does what it does. Our state government is the worst in the nation. And 4:57 blames our problems on the feds, while 6:30 notes that Michelle Malkin is mean.

OK you stupid sh.ts, lets continue to stick our heads up our butts. Keep the people in our state government who are continuing to make these kinds of choices. You deserve exactly the kind of screwing you are getting.

Anonymous said...

Hermit -- all valid points, but don't forget that NY has ALWAYS emerged from recession many months -- sometimes YEARS -- after the rest of the nation.

The most optimistic view right now by Albany budget crunchers is that the recession won't end here until LATE 2010. Repeat, optimistic.

In the 80s recessions, overtaxed and overspent NY stayed mired in recession for years, even after the national economy had rebounded.

Each time, we emerged weaker than before.

Everyone can't work at Wendy's, but that seems to be the economic development "plan" of our Albany leaders.

Earthbob said...

"Every once in a while, when the ship is sinking, it's good to take a inventory of how many decks are under water."

I do not disagree with your thought.

But, the past and the future are connected by a trend line.

Its up to us to judge why we are on or off that trend line.

"Every once in a while,..."

These reports are frequent, and the alarming nature is diminished by the abundance of reports and lack of action.

The only action I have observed in NYS Legislature is "Blamefest 2009: Fill Your Pockets While You Still Have Seniority".

By the way, the NYS State Comptroller pointed out in a September 2008 report (page 38) how Jefferson County DID NOT get reimbursements because of its inability to complete intergovernmental paperwork.

But, Jefferson County DID get to keep the increased Sales Tax Rate.

This is a top to bottom problem in our County and State Governments.

That is a bitter pill.

What are we paying for that we are not getting?

"...when the ship is sinking, it's good to take a inventory of how many decks are under water."

Which vessel? County or State?

"I say, vote donkey. Last year's budget shows they are on the road to fixing things."

I say: beware of the Unaffiliated Voters.

The recent NYS Senate Fiasco showed that the pachyderms and donkeys were both willing to shakedown its citizens at the "drop of a hat".

Senators Skelos and Sampson both proved compromise means complicity with the devil.

By any measurement, my anonymous friend, the decks are far enough below the surface, and rocking the boat will sink it.

Our elected officials are well experienced as fiscal submariners.

When they surface again they may find out that their citizens abandoned ship for other State vessels across the country.

Anonymous said...

When will upstate learn that the democrat party is a party controlled by the downstate and big 6 politicians. The only hope to break this is to elect non democrats to state office.
http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=827089

Anonymous said...

And don't forget our local rps did their job, in supporting the sales tax extension, I know it's just sales tax and a broad based tax but we need to look at ways to save money, oh I forgot it's NYS, thanks AJR.

Anonymous said...

Thanks EB, My point was Big Government has a stake in making us believe that bigger is better, and Jefferson Co. leads the way, from more Spending in the Sherff's dept, to the expansion of JCC budget.

Anonymous said...

Wait until we start paying for the pension plan.

Anonymous said...

It will be interesting to see how the county leg folks "cut spending", yeah right.

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