left to right:
Malcolm Smith (Senate Majority Leader), Sheldon Silver (Speaker of the Assembly), David Patterson (Governor)
While the residents of Ulster County go about their day to day business, our Democratic leaders in Albany are putting together the budget for New York State, much like you do for your own household. The 2009-10 budget is due April 1.
What is absolutely mind-boggling is that the estimates are that SPENDING is expected to increase by 7 to 8 percent with a DEFICIT of more than 14 BILLION.
Run those numbers for your household and see what you could get for an extra 7 to 8 percent in spending this year. Maybe you could get a new flat screen TV. Maybe a weekly massage or a cruise.
Then imagine negotiating this increase by yourself and not including your spouse or significant other. That is exactly what Patterson, Smith and Silver are doing right now. They are privately negotiating how to spend our tax dollars, many times without including representation from upstate or Republicans.
Send a message loud and clear to our Governor (Patterson), Democrat led Senate (Malcolm Smith) and Assembly (Sheldon Silver) that this sort of out of control spending is unacceptable.
Really, enough is enough. There is probably next to no one in Ulster County that will be able to increase their spending by 7 to 8 percent this year. Most people will probably have to reduce their spending by 7 to 8 percent this year.
It's time to stop catering to the special interests and put the taxpayers first.
NY leaders talk budget as deadline nears
By MICHAEL GORMLEY
The Associated Press
ALBANY -- New York legislative leaders and Gov. David Paterson met privately in the governor's mansion over a salmon lunch on Thursday to negotiate the state budget and the state's fiscal crisis. But with a dozen days left in the fiscal year, they can't even agree on how long the meeting was.
All sides agree, however, there were no deals struck.
The 2009-10 budget is due April 1 and what is expected to be a $120 billion spending plan will include a deficit of more than $14 billion.
Senate Republican Minority Leader Dean Skelos says he expects the budget to increase spending by 7 percent to 8 percent despite Paterson's insistence that tough times demand an end to Albany's overspending and overtaxing.
"That would be absolutely outrageous," said Skelos, of Nassau County.
Spokesmen for Paterson and Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith say such estimates are ridiculous because there are no agreements. A spokesman for Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver wouldn't comment on the budget talks.
"I know the final budget hasn't been determined yet," said Smith spokesman Austin Shafran. "But one thing the Senate Democrats are committed to is finding ways to reduce spending while continuing economic development with greater transparency in the budget."
Good-government groups, however, have complained that this first year with Democrats running the Assembly and Senate has resulted in less transparency because budget bills aren't being drawn up or released and no Assembly-Senate conference committees are scheduled. Instead, private negotiations continue, only sometimes including Republican leaders.
Skelos, who until the November elections was part of the Republican majority that ran the Senate, said GOP senators and Assembly members are being shut out of the process.
But Senate Democrats on Thursday provided some evidence of their cooperation that might belie the hot rhetoric by the parties' political leaders.
"Neil -- thanks for the opportunity for input!" was the collegial, handwritten note by Republican Sen. James Seward to Democratic Sen. Neil Breslin. The note was added to an exchange of letters between the two discussing policies before the Insurance Committee, which Seward had run before Breslin was named chairman.
Democratic committee chairmen, at Smith's direction, sent letters almost identical in wording to the ranking Republican member of their committees.
Not included is an exchange between Democratic Health Committee Chairman Thomas Duane of New York City and former Health Committee Chairman Kemp Hannon of Long Island. Skelos said Hannon, despite the complexity of the issue, hadn't been consulted. Shafran says Duane has been working with Hannon for several days on policy and bills.
"We have been absolutely inclusive of the minority conference," Shafran said. "Our chairs have constantly reached out to their members for their input and suggestions and we will continue to do so during the last days of the budget process."
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16 comments:
Oh please, after uncovering all of the secret perks the Republicans' had, like their own secret printing plant and TV studios, it's hard to feel any sympathy for them now.
Where are they going to get this extra 7% or 8%? I know that my salary is not going to increase by that amount, so they aren't going to get it from my payroll taxes. Likewise, I am unable to increase my spending by 7% to 8% so they won't be getting it from sales tax from me.
Soooo.... where do they think they are going to get this extra 7% to 8% from? Sounds like fuzzy politician math to me.
I want to know that now that the stars have all aligned and we have a Democratic Governor, Speaker and Senate Majority, WHY then are liberal Democrats not working on the things that pissed everyone off when Republicans were in the way.
For example: Gay Marriage
The excuse was always to blame Republicans for being in the way and against gay marriage.
Well folks, the Democrats are in control of EVERYTHING now and there is no excuse that any liberal Democrat could possibly have for not legalizing gay marriage now.
Because when the Republicans eventually take control of one of these branches I don't want to hear the whining and complaining.
I say speak now and get it done, or forever hold your peace.
5:15-Not much chance of a Republican comeback. The Conservatives are seeing to that. Maybe we'll stop sending 15% of our federal taxes to the red states. They don't want stimulus money, so why are we subsidizing them on a regular basis? We could better use that money here at home.
To 2:21PM
The Republican NY Senate perks were disturbing, but you are missing the point entirely.
This is not about Republicans being left out and the Republicans are not the ones who need sympathy. It is you, me and other taxpayers in general and upstaters in particular who need sympathy.
We are to a large extent simply unrepresented in these budget negotiations.
The three men in a room negotiations have been complained about for years, but at least there was some diversity in political thought being represented in that room in the past. Now, it is three New York City Democrats negotiating the budget.
10:27 - you nailed it EXACTLY
No one is looking for sympathy for the Republicans, it's about those three NYC Democrats negotiating the budget all by themselves.
Does anyone really think that Malcolm Smith, Mr. Queens cares about Ulster County? What about Shelly, Mr. Manhattan??? NOT
David Patterson, double NOT.
Even most Democrats in Ulster County that I know admit that Sheldon Silver is a problem. He is the primary barrier to property tax reform. Smith will be no different.
Democrat or republican we the taxpayers are going to get screwed. The Feds, State, and now the County bend over
Ha ha ha! I'm represented well, it may be that you're not. The Republicans lied, cheated and stole from the electorate. I'll keep my three Democratic reps thank you. At least they'll have some social conscience. Unlike you pugs, we fry our politicians for behavior that your side rewards. Spitzer was forced out for behavior that Vitter was rewarded for. We may give them plenty of rope, but at least we hang'em high instead of giving out passes.
Hang'em high....yeah right. How many democrat (and republican for that matter) lawmakers have been caught in tax cheating schemes. Ain't no one hanging them, some even get promotions. Rangel even serves on the committee that writes the tax code.
Look at all of these companies that are going broke and taking our money. Does anyone even care that people like Dodd, Obama, Schumer have received huge donations from them (most times they are in the top 5) but no one in their party hangs them. Democrats are just as bad as Republicans, now that they are in power they are cashing in as we speak. And in a couple of years we will be talking about democrats the way we talk about republicans now. And we will probably even be dumb enough to put the republicans back in power thinking that we are fixing the problem. The joke is on us.
This is what happens when you allow the government to become an elite ruling class instead of a group of ethical people trying to do some good. There is too much money and power in it for them so they could care less about you or me.
I give NY credit though. At least these slimey back office deals are finally being done right out in the open as opposed to secretly like usual.
To 7:57AM:
Your ignorance and partisanship is staggering.
Before you complain about Republicans getting away with offenses and the Democrats being so noble, you need to take at the real world.
Please explain to me why Congressman William Jefferson (a Democrat)in New Orleans continued to win reelection until November after being caught on tape accepting a bribe years ago and money being found hidden in his office?
Let me know how Tim Geither is confirmed as Treasury Secretary after he fills out forms for four years with the World Bank to be reimbursed for the income tax he is supposed to pay and yet somehow fails to even pay that same income tax. Then when it is caught this man of honor does not pay two years of those taxes because, what the heck, he can get away with it?
Tell me how Harry Reid can purchase land in Nevada, sell it at cost to a friend. Then when the zoning board, which Sen. Reid's son just happens to sit on, approves the land for development, Mr. Reid is given over a $1,000,000 on a handshake deal?
In regards to Spitzer, what he was finally forced out for, pales to the shakedowns he was able to get away with while attorney general. It is interesting how many of the firms he was looking at gave money to his campaign.
I could go on with examples all day. These are just a few that come to mind in a few minutes.
I am not pretending that there are not corrupt people in the Republican party and I don't defend them when they are exposed. But you seem to believe that there are none or at least fewer in the Democrat party and I am stunned at your blindness. History has also shown that Democrats have often not only failed to "fry" those who are corrupt in their party, but they have often attempted to justify their actions.
I should also note that Bruno was charged of federal crimes by a Republican administration.
If you are as well represented as you claim to be, please call your representatives and make sure they are aware upstaters are paying attention to what they do.
"Fry our politicians"??????
You must be joking. You guys re-elected Hevesi after his misdeeds were exposed. I see that two more of Hevesi's lackeys were recently charged with crimes.
To start a different thread of conversation (not sure if it is proper blog etiquette), what Town Board/Village Board/City Council seats are up for election this year?
"At least they'll have some social conscience." - Are you kidding me? When was the last time a decision was made based on that? Civil war will break out before anyone touches these (social) issues. Money drives everything...you can keep your "social conscience".
6:23 -
"Social conscience" is one of those Orwellesque phrases which are semantically null while justifying unethical acts in furtherance of the Liberal political and economic agenda. In this case, that would be the morally unjustifiable theft of that which was earned by others in order to purchase votes from those who otherwise would be unlikely to vote (e.g. the poor who are forced to accept Welfare because the Democrats have decimated the NYS economy to the point where job creation is all but impossible).
Of course, I could have just said that "social conscience" is a code word for socialism and confiscation of private property, but that would have been too easy.
Right now Democats are contemplating a payroll tax on Hudson Valley small businesses to fund the NYC subway system.
That would be a 5% tax on payroll for Dutchess and Orange County businesses, and wait and see, Ulster will be next.
Say what you want about the GOP and their sometimes too conservative mentality, but the Senate was the only block on complete City control of the State.
Is Chair, Catalano getting his advice from a former felon?
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