The NY budget is an easy target for the Limbaughlike. It really is way past time for some common sense to settle in. The cheap shot artists have fired away. Let the rationals chime in.
Wednesday evening Governor David Paterson sat with Brian Taffe of Capital 1 to talk about the NYS Budget. (We saw it on News10Now.) Check it out. Frankly the Governor is as right as rain.
The 132 billion dollar NY budget that was reviewed and revised by the legislature held the line on state spending while preventing drastic cuts and protecting those most vulnerable during this economic hardship.
It closed a projected 17 and a half billion shortfall by plugging in 5.1 billion in spending cuts, raised 5.2 billion in new revenue, utilized 1.1 billion in non-recurring revenues (one-shots) and maximized 6.2 billion in one time federal stimulus money.
What did it do:
It prevented the deepest dramatic cuts that were looming over our kids' schools.
It reversed some damaging, possibly crippling, draconian cuts in healthcare.
It began permanent spending reforms in healthcare that will lead to 1.6 billion in
saving this year and billions more in future years.
To be more specific, this budget could have been an education disaster in our communities. Instead, layoffs were largely averted and services weren't cut drastically. This budget also restored 30 million in funding to non-public schools. And it restored 10.6 million in library funding. The budget also saved the local taxpayers from getting hit with
big costs for preschool special education and pre-kindergarten. It provided for Teacher Centers and restored the Adult Literacy Education program.
Recognizing the economic impotantance of SUNY the leg invested 2.5 billion there. That is nearly 118 million more than last year.
The budget restored the TAP program.
It also restored 3.6 million for CSTEP.
The final budget restored 333 millions of dollars to New York's hospitals.
The seniors EPIC phamaceuticals program wasn't disenfranchised.
Rural affordable housing ventures were largely restored. And 25 million was added for foreclosure-prevention services to assist those victimized by deceptive lending practices.
The final budget made sure that the vital work of the NY Farm Viability Institute was continued. With milk sales accounting for more than half of the total agricultural receipts dairy is New York's leading agricultural product.
Almost a million was added for the Wine and Grape Foundation.
23 million was added for farmland protection.
I could go on and on. To all of you budget naysayers its your turn. Go ahead and comment away on which of these programs you would shut off. Which of the vulnerable would you exploit and be excessively pleased you did?
And, by the way, I'm betting that all those 8,700 state layoffs won't happen either when push comes to shove.
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Couldn't agree with this analysis more. If you didn't listen to what Paterson had to say you really need to do that.
ReplyDeleteNot Fair!
ReplyDeleteThe blog author posted the first comment before anyone else. That is like sitting down to eat dinner before the guests arrive.
I'll bite dope. First of all, typical liberal coward hiding behind the teachers union using the kids as a body shield. Real classy. NYS already spends more per pupil than just about any other state and what kind of product is the bloated, govt run systme providing? Riddle me that joker.
ReplyDelete"It began permanent spending reforms in healthcare that will lead to 1.6 billion in
saving this year and billions more in future years"
That is plain bullshit. People are fleeing NYS by the thousands and his massive increase in taxes will not nearly raise enough money to keep funding the lefts insatiable thirst to keep buying votes by pandering to the welfare class and unions.
Mr. Silver says of the coming tax hikes: "We've done it before. There hasn't been a catastrophe." Oh, really? According to Census Bureau data, over the past decade 1.97 million New Yorkers left the state for greener pastures -- the biggest exodus of any state. New York City has lost more than 75,000 jobs since last August, and many industrial areas upstate are as rundown as Detroit.
Try and defend this moron. And Danger Democrat is a coward.
"Listen to Paterson"? Really. You mean the dumbest and most inept Gov in the US? You mean that genius?
ReplyDeleteTo the slob at 10:29- first of all, your manners are atrocious, and for that reason alone, your arguments are weak. However, since I am cooler-headed, I will address your concerns.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Infoplease, NY GAINED about 300,000 residents from 2000-2007. But if your numbers are correct, you don't know which 2 million people left- the unemployed, welfare recipients, illegal immigrants, or 2 million millionaires. If they were on welfare, you'd be the one dancing in the streets. NY is still the third most populous state, so losing population is to be expected. But I accessed the census data here
http://www.census.gov/popest/states/tables/NST-EST2008-02.xls, and two states, N Dak and La lost population. On line 43, NY gained 2.7 % from 2000-2008.
As far as jobs go, you don't give us any information about which jobs they are, or where they went. So I will happily provide some help here. http://www.reuters.com/article/bondsNews/idUSN0540807920090305
Since you are anti-education, you will be dismayed that public school jobs actually increased. Welfare and social service jobs increased too, I bet the Rerpubs are thrilled about that. Wall Street accounted for thousands of the job losses, as the scams are being discovered.
So, 10:29, did I cover your profession? Are you a dairy farmer? Are you receiving some kind of a government subsidy? Were your teachers in school union or non? Do you understand the pricing of energy in NY? Do you run a business and pay minimum wage?
joe the plumber 's helper.....
Is this the new Ted Ford site?
ReplyDelete