LET’S GET READY TO RUMBLE….AGAIN
Standing in the corner to my left, at not even one full term, we have Governor David Paterson. To my right, standing at 212 members strong (or so they say), we have the New York State legislature. We’re in the 16th round (although there’s only 12 in professional boxing, that’s how many WEEKS late the [...]
ARE WE THERE YET?
I love road trips and I always have. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that I would prefer to travel alone. I don’t like making too many stops, I like to listen to my own music and I do not want to hear that age old question, “Are we there yet?” But that’s how it’s [...]
IF I HAD A MILLION DOLLARS…
NYS taxpayers are not the only ones missing the buck. Our legislators paychecks are being withheld until some decisions are made. The budget maybe?
Pay Now or “Bill” Me Later…
During crunch time, we put our hopes in the leader to pull out a win – the best athlete on the team, the quickest mind in the office, the most determined member of the family.
Well it’s crunch time for the New York state budget, but unfortunately, we’re not seeing any hero emerging to resolve this [...]
It’s Getting Hot in Here
Upstate NY already suffers from high energy costs. A new bill that has passed in the Senate and now faces the Assembly could raise them even more, and further devastate the Upstate NY population.
Could State Government Grind to a Halt?
Assemblyman Canestrari stated that he thought a budget wouldn’t get done until June at the earliest, saying he thought the Assembly, Senate and the Governor are too far apart – not only on spending cuts but also on increased taxes/fees and borrowing. That means we’ll see another series of budget extenders next week so that our government can continue to function. But will it?
NY Taxpayers: Time to Talk About the Budget
A late state budget is better than a bad one, but Unshackle Upstate worries we might get both. Let’s work the lateness to our favor: You still have a chance to voice your concerns about the budget and make sure our elected officials hear them.
New week, same old budget story
A new week dawns in Albany, but don’t expect the state Legislature – just back from a 10-day break – to agree to a 2010-11 budget anytime during these next seven days. The budget was due April 1.
New York Needs a Real Leader
What New York needs now, more than anything else, is a leader. Someone who is willing to tell their “leadership” that more spending, more taxes, and more debt is wrong and they won’t support it. Someone who understands we have suffered a crushing tax burden for decades and that it needs to be lowered.
Smoke and Mirrors vs. Real Solutions
The Governor introduced a program bill that would both cap state spending and put in a property tax cap. That sounds like a great idea, but there are two flaws. The first: the Governor has proposed a cap on current spending, which we would argue is already far too high. That’s why we proposed that state spending be reduced to $109B by 2015. The second issue is that his property tax cap is based at 4% or 120% of the consumer price index (CPI). While 4% is predictable, it is, like the state spending cap, simply too high. We cannot continue to keep spending and taxes high.