The only thing I read in the New York Post is the pun for their leading front-page story. In fact, sometimes for fun I like to imagine what their headline would be for colorful historical events.
Trotsky: "Don't Pick Me!"
Louis XVI gets ahead of himself
Mishima spills guts to gov
But someone recommended yesterday's editorial and I was surprised.
"The state of our state is perilous," Paterson warned. New York faces its "gravest" challenge "in nearly a century."
No argument here.
Thing is, Paterson has said this before. And nowhere in his 63-minute speech did he suggest what to do about it.
Rather, he rambled on about what he termed an "epidemic" of childhood obesity - scarcely noting that New York's fundamental problem is its scandalously obese government.
We are in a financial crisis, no doubt. But currently New York ranked second among states with highest state/federal tax burden. How is it that other states are able to do just fine without the benefit of already taxing the shit out of people? Why did Patterson make this budget before the stimulus package hits the financial institutions who's poor year caused this financial crisis in Albany? With Medicare being gutted by the budget, is Patterson hoping that federal medicare dollars make up the difference? Why is Patterson against a millionaires tax that would cut the deficit in half?
The answer to all of those questions is 2010. That is when Patterson is up for election and by looking at some early poll numbers the governor has every reason to be concerned. He will face a primary challenger and he possibly will face Rudy Giuliani in the general and the poll numbers, compiled in November before the budget shit hit the fan don't look good for a man who had very good approval numbers just a few months before that. Patterson is going to need every Millionaire SOB to bankroll him instead of Rudy.
We know we are buried in a mess. I believe government can have a positive role in fixing the mess. But Patterson is not leading when we need it most. He is offering no vision for a new New York. This sort of politics is exactly why we are hemorrhaging people and companies every day and we can't stop the bleeding like this.
I don't think it ever really does occur to some folks that the state government really is obese, and really is spending more than it can afford, or even take in. They would rather punish us for their incompetence and corruption. They call tax hikes "hard choices" but in reality it is the easiest choice, and the only ones NYS politicians can stomach. People will still be leaving here in droves because it's clear the government will not reform itself.
Or as Rod Watson called it in his editorial in the Buffalo News "Patterson's slash-and-burn (and then tax the fire) budget".
:::link:::
I concur. So far he's given every reason to stay away or leave altogether and suggested both will be taxed.