After the elections, Cuomo steps up attacks on state workers

[Hannah Bell]

Following his election as governor of the state of New York, Democrat Andrew Cuomo has wasted no time in making clear that he plans to make the working class pay for the economic crisis.

After meeting with the incumbent governor, David Paterson, Cuomo spelled out the program of his incoming administration: “No new taxes. No new taxes. No new taxes. I think that would be counterproductive for the state. I think you will force an increase in the number of New Yorkers who are fleeing the state for different jurisdictions because they don’t want to pay the tax rate.”

Clearly, the rich who can afford to pick up and move wherever they find the most wealth-friendly environment are the constituency to which Cuomo is speaking. For those of more modest means the message is quite different. “Where do you cut the money? You’re going to cut the spending,” said the governor-elect. “You’re going to cut the funds where you spend them. You spend them on health care. You spend them on education. You spend them on state operations and that’s where you’re going to have to cut.”

The current governor, David Paterson, also a Democrat, has already begun this process. Paterson has ordered the layoff of 898 state workers by the end of this year. The biggest cuts will occur at the Department of Environmental Conservation (150), the Department of Transportation (140), and the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (130). There is speculation that Paterson is moving to carry out these layoffs during his term to take some heat off of the incoming governor.

These layoffs come as official statistics from the state Labor Department show that job losses continue in both the public and private sectors. From August to September, non-farm employment in the state decreased by 37,600. More than half of these losses occurred in the public sector, including among state, county and municipal employees. Published reports indicate that the state employee workforce is down by approximately 5,000 from last year.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2010/nov2010/nyst-n13.shtml

[TheWraith]

1. Clearly written by someone who's never been to New York State.

But then, writing about something without knowing the first thing about it is standard practice for WSWS.

The property taxes here are brutal, primarily because the state offloads the cost of Medicaid onto the counties in a grotesquely inefficient system that costs us 69% more than the national average. Meanwhile the Republican state senators were spending $100 million a year to maintain their offices, private TV studio, private printing factory, all straight out of taxpayer money. It's not the "mobile rich" who are leaving, it's young people, college graduates, and anyone who isn't tied to the state.

[Hannah Bell]

2. not sure i understand your point -- firing state workers will stop state senators from lining their

pockets?

cuomo et al propose to solve nyc's budget problems on the backs of ordinary state workers. he's said it more or less explicitly. i don't see the relevance of your comment.

[TheWraith]

8. The article makes an implicit case for raising taxes rather than cutting spending.

Find anyone who actually understands the economic situation in New York and they'll tell you that that idea is suicide. And yes, budget cutting is going to result in layoffs. Sorry, but there's no way around that. The economic well being of the other 19 million people in the state has to be prioritized over that of a few thousand state employees.

[midnight]

4. There is no need for the mobile rich to leave... Wall street has

brokered a killer deal for them....

[NeoConsSuck]

5. Did you even bother reading the article?

obviously not. Was the purpose of your post just to slam WSWS?

[TheWraith]

10. I did read it. My point stands: they have no idea what they're talking about.

Either the writer of that article is completely clueless about the economic situation in New York, or they're so blinded by ideology that reality goes by the wayside. New York State spends too much money too inefficiently: the solution to that is not to pretend like it's an infinite faucet.

[midnight]

3. It seems the class war is being aimed towards the last standing

remenets of the middle class. Thank goodness they will have state money for the banks, and oil co.

[Starry Messenger]

6. k&r

[Historic NY]

7. As the article stated Its not only state governemt laying off....

my town took up the state early retirement program and crafted their own. Layoff notices went out to 9 employees, all part timers were cut first and several took early retirements. locally we have a14% tax increase cut from the proposed 36% increase. The city next to me is losing 12 fire fighters and an unknow number of other employees their tax rate will go up over 40%. The state even with offering early retiremnts didn't get as many takers from the top as they expected. Getting rid of some of these appointees and autorities & other boards would help. They are usually filled with political air breathers.

[SidDithers]

9. Unrec...nt

Sid