So, David Patterson, my illustrious, "progressive" governor

[choie]

has proposed the following service cuts and program eliminations:

o Homelessness Prevention Program;
o Safety Net Assistance Local Innovations Program (SNAP);
o Local Interagency VESID Employment Services (LIVES);
o Educational Resources;
o HIV Welfare-to-Work;
o Strengthening Families through Stronger Fathers;
o Preventive Contracts;
o Amy Watkins Scholarship;
o Preventive services COLA;
o Caseworker Training;
o Substance Abuse Co-location Project; and,
o Caseworker Ratio and Portable Information Technology Pilot.
• A number of other OCFS and OTDA contracts and programs would be reduced by 25%, including:
o Single Room Occupancy (SRO) Supportive Services;
o Homelessness Intervention Program (HIP);
o Nutritional Outreach;
o New York State Refugee Resettlement Assistance Program (NYSRRAP);
o New York State Citizenship Initiative;
o Home Visiting;
o Advantage Schools:
o Kinship Care (50%);
o Post Placement;
o Hoyt Trust Fund;
o Evidenced-Based Community Initiatives;
o New York/New York III.
• Supplementary state funding to support the federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers afterschool program would be reduced by $7 million next year and $10 million in 2010-2011.
• A range of senior services also are being cut, including:
o The Stony Brook Evaluation of Geriatric Home Care ($0.1 million);
o NY Connects ($3.5 million);
o Managed Care Consumer Assistance Program ($0.8 million);
o Congregate Services Initiative ($0.1 million);
o Long Term Care Ombudsman ($0.1 million).
• Senior programs being completely eliminated are:
o The Affordable Independent Living Senior Housing Pilot ($1.8 million);
o Social Workers for Geriatric In-Home Care ($0.6 million);
o End of Life Care ($0.2 million);
o Enriched Social Adult Day Centers ($0.2 million);
o Long Term Care Insurance Outreach and Education ($2.8 million);
o Sustainable Transportation ($0.7 million);and;
o The Geriatric In-Home Medical Care Pilot ($0.7 million).

But raise taxes on the highest income "earners" in NY State? NAH!!!!!!!!!!!

WTF happened to this guy????
:nuke:

[KamaAina]

1. Mom and Stepdad think he's just aces

yes, that would be the stepdad usually known hereabouts as "Republican Stepdad". That ought to tell you something right there. :eyes:

[MissMarple]

2. What should they cut out of the budget, instead?

I suppose they could raise corporate taxes, and close all the loopholes. That might help.

[bertman]

3. What happened to this guy?? It's obvious. A repuke slipped him their list while his aide's

head was turned and the Guv couldn't tell the diff.

Thank you SNL.

[sandnsea]

4. They're trying to raise taxes in my state

on gasoline, vehicle registration, license renewal...

On corporations? Nah. Never. And we've got the screwiest corporate tax policy in the country, kind of the AMT in reverse where corporations can pay as little as $10.

I am against the tax and fee increases until everybody pays a fair share.

Maybe this is what it takes to get the attention of the marginally aware citizen.

[TreasonousBastard]

5. It sucks, but...

have you ever tried to raise taxes on the rich? It just doesn't work because they ain't paying them.

Income can be too easily shifted out of the tax stream, and no matter how hard you try to squeeze them they can pay their lawyers more than the taxes they would have paid to find loopholes or hide income.

[annabanana]

7. It just doesn't work because they ain't paying them.

horse poo

This would mean that since pickpockets are usually successful, we shouldn't outlaw picking pockets.

[TreasonousBastard]

8. That's a false analogy...

because pickpocketing is a crime while making money isn't. I agree that a lot of people should pay more taxes, but I don't know of any way to make sure they do. It shouldn't be too difficult to raise the estate tax, but every time that's tried a hue and cry comes form people who will never have that problem. Shifting it from a tax on the estate to an income tax on the heirs would be an alternative, but then there are those death threats on anyone who would suggest it. And we could do an awful lot to redefine capital gains to something actually productive, but that gets shouted down, too, often by the same not-so-rich people who shouted down the "death tax" and then realize that they do have some capital gains.

But, the "middle class' gets lots of breaks it assumes as a right, like the homeowners deductions and no capital gains or income tax on a house sale if you're past the magic age. Doesn't quite make up for being screwed on the alternative minimum tax (a way of soaking the rich that backfired) or the various marriage penalties out there, but it can help.

And don't forget all those people in the bottom quartile who pay no income taxes at all, but get hammered with SS and Medicare taxes.

Sure, we can all pick out inequities, the tax code is rife with them, but the simple fact is that every time one loophole is plugged another one pops up. Even just defining "income" is tricky enough, with thousands of pages attempting to do just that.

If I were master of the universe, I would completely rewrite the tax code redefining income as any money going your way, and then reducing the tax load only by measures of productivity involved in that income stream. (no Walton, Hilton, or M&M heirs getting a break unless they work for a living)

But, I'm not rewrting the tax code. I can't do much more than sit back and watch and bitch about it.

[annabanana]

9. Evading taxes is a crime where I come from.. . .

"death threats" were issued against those who spoke out against slavery too. . Slavery was legal

[Muttocracy]

6. cutting the STAR rebate and much much more

http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=750999

ALBANY — Gov. David Paterson's budget for the fiscal year that begins in April tries to close an estimated $13.7 deficit with spending reductions that add up to $9.5 billion, including $698 million in reductions to school aid, limiting the growth of Medicaid to a 3.8 percent increase over the current fiscal year, and elimination of the STAR rebate program for homeowners.

...

Well, there goes one more piece of my hope of ever being able to afford to buy a house here.