Gov Paterson's budget proposal from 12/16/08

[Muttocracy]

very large .pdf file - loading very slowly at the moment

http://publications.budget.state.ny.us/eBudget0910/2009-10ExecutiveBudgetPresentation.pdf

[Historic NY]

1. All it means it my taxes are going to skyrocket.....

its time to leave NY he is doing nothing to fix any problem with this budget. Gov. Paterson forget re-selection you done if this budget passes.

[Muttocracy]

2. I hear you. If the job market and economy are tanking, why live

where it's so expensive? I've resisted that attitude in the past but the nickel-and-dime-the-poor strategy for our state budget doesn't make sense to me. If the darn thing ever finished downloading, I hope I'll find something good in there.

I'm glad the last pheasant farm is closing though (http://ny.gov/governor/press/press_1213083.html) - so there's ONE good decision :eyes:

I'm in the environmental science field and I read one article that said hundreds of DEC jobs were being eliminated (not filling retiree positions + layoffs). So that adds hundreds of people to compete with me for jobs on top of everything else.

[Muttocracy]

3. another version (HTML, not so huge)

http://publications.budget.state.ny.us/eBudget0910/ExecutiveBudget.html

[OswegoAtheist]

4. I see we're getting new license plates. Again.

Sales Tax on Soft Drinks. Imposes an additional 18 percent rate of sales and compensating use taxes on fruit drinks that contain less than seventy percent of natural fruit juice and non-dietetic soft drinks, sodas and beverages. By increasing the price, it will discourage individuals, especially children and teenagers, from excessive consumption of these beverages. Revenues will be directed for health care initiatives.

While I'm fairly confident that the people who depend on food stamps will be exempt from this tax, it seems as if it will unfairly target the poor, who are the major purchasers of these types of products. Overall, I'm not too happy with this budget.

Oswego "Cheap. Delicious. Nutritious. Quick. Pick any three." Atheist

[P210pilot]

5. Good start would be to fix defined benefit pensions

I've got lots of friends that work for the state and a common practice is to pad their pensions.
last couple of years on the job they just can't get enough overtime. This of course sets them up with a very nice pension at retirement. It would make sense to me to set pension payments on the normal work schedule. This is a no brainer and could save lots of $$$.

[Muttocracy]

6. that rings a bell - is that one of the proposals? I seem to remember a new Tier

of the NYSERS to be created and maybe that was why?