Senate Stalemate Begins To Hurt Towns Around New York State

New York Times:

As the stalemate in the State Senate stuttered through its fourth week, a crucial deadline came and went: June 30. It was the expiration date of more than a dozen statutes that authorize local governments to carry out their everyday duties, from planning budgets to collecting taxes.

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[Bouleutai]

I've read your comments. You all still expect that this Government will somehow fix itself. A better candidate, a chance for them to create better controls for their power will give us a government we can live with. As is said; you keep doing the same thing and expect different results.

We can not expect the State Government to do anything more than make a few cosmetic changes and hope people will be happy (or at least quiet) .

If you wish to do more than complain, there is a way. The citizens of the State of New York can convene our own Constitutional Convention. We can craft the government we want to have. Then, with our constitution in hand, we elect people who will enact it.

My preference would be for a parliamentary form of government. For the love of a vote of confidence, if nothing else.

Among many issues to be addressed:
Final approval of the State budget will be given to the State Comptroller.
The State budget will be determined by a joint committee.
Each program will provide their proposed budget, staff needs, one and five year goals and objectives. Each state mandate will do the same. The joint committee will have red pencils provided by the state.

I'm willing to argue these issues and others with fellow citizens in our own convention.

Bouleutai (The members of the Council instituted at Athens by Solon)
The Boule president was chosen everyday by lot from among the section leaders.

[darker]

Republicans are A TOXIC WASTE DUMP of some of the WORSE PEOPLE ON EARTH.
They ruled NYState for 43-YEARS and created Albany CHAOS, smoke & mirrors to
ENRICH the Republican NANNY STATE FOR THE RICH and corporate welfare queens
with working and middle class people's tax money.

NYorkers now live in THE MOST OVER-TAXED STATE in America after
43 YEARS of Republican rule.

Now, Republicans want to OBSTRUCT all possible order and government business on
behalf of the people of NYState. Republican LEGACY = CORRUPTION & CRIME.

[Doofus]

NY Times editorial: 'Toss these BOZOS out...'

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/02/opinion/02thur1.html

' New Yorkers should toss all of these bozos out of office, regardless of whether
the incumbent is a Democrat or a Republican, friend or foe. It is the responsibility
of both parties to recruit candidates for the primaries to give voters a choice in places
where one party is historically dominant, like New York City, or has an unnatural edge
through redistricting. '

[janeyu]

get rid of the illegals problem solved..

[len501]

I cannot believe that there isn't a mechanism in New York's constitution to either solve this mess or impeach these supposed representatives for dereliction of duty. This is a disgrace and has made New York the laughingstock of the country. If they are not all booted out of office when next they face the electorate, it would say more about the people of New York than about them.

[DoNuts]

"We've got to put this trickery behind us," said Sen. Pedro Espada, the dissident Bronx Democrat whose alliance with Republicans has divided the chamber 31-31. "We have got to respect the institution."

Oh NO He DiDn'T!!

[stellapurdy]

I do know that if they don't vote on the tax bill tonight and it expires at midnight the county I live in will fall $40 million short of their budget. Where do you think that money will come from? My and my neighbors property taxes, that are already astronomical.

What most people don't understand is that NYS differs from other states, where Medicaid funding is split between federal and state governments. In NYS, 50% of the cost is federally funded, 25% is state funded and 25% is funded by the counties via property taxes. NYC has it's own income tax to compensate. This is the only state in the union to push the cost off Medicaid on to the counties. Hence one of the main reasons for the $40 million shortfall in the county I live in. Buffalo at one time actually did not have any money left to pay for county services after paying for the Medicaid bill imposed by the state government.

This has gotten beyond ridiculous, it's down right heinous. And the taxpayers are held hostage by the incompetence running rampant in Albany. There needs to be term limits but the politicians have it set up so it will be virtually impossible to get any kind of law passed to do such. It makes me sick to my stomach.

[DoNuts]

I'm in Rochester and it's just as bad here. No one gives a crap about upstate, and as much as I heart NYC I'm tired of paying for their plumbing. They can ship their drugs and criminals up here, but we can't catch a break...

[stellapurdy]

I feel your pain, I live in Syracuse. It's not only the drugs and criminals we get from NYC it's the added Medicaid we have to pay for the people on assistance that cannot afford to live in the city so they move Upstate. It would be one thing if the Feds and the State were funding Medicaid on their own but since 25% comes from the county government we're up a creek without a paddle. Less property owners Upstate and more people on assistance = outrageous property taxes with no relief in site.

Glad to see the Senators are so concerned with this financial dilemma they've put us in.

[InsideBrooklyn]

I sympathize my friend. I live in Brooklyn and I also own a little bungalow in the "Shawangunks" and I spend most of my summer there. The cost of living there is not much different from NYC but the services you get are a lot less. NYS outside of downstate has some of the highest poverty rates in the country. Thousands of jobs have been lost in Rochester in recent years with the changes at Kodak. It's a shame and a crime and meanwhile the state senate argues over which party has hegemony instead of trying to figure out what to do about NY's economy. . It's almost like Nero fiddling or whatever he did as Rome burned. These senators are disgrace in a number of ways. . Mine for example has been arrested at least once for aggressive public behavior. . . His behavior has been like that of a street thug. Don't be asking for my vote again.

[affengeil]

I wonder if Governor Patterson can issue an executive order for these Senators to wear big red rubber noses and floppy shoes until they figure out how to do the jobs they were elected to do?

I worry that they may NOT be voted out, incumbency seems to be a powerful factor in NY.

[judiNJ]

Illinois and SC are probably singing NYs praises right about now. All I can say is, thank you, NJ Gov. Corzine and Trenton. You brought it over the finish line early.

[gevan]

Do you think that people around the world can read about this and learn the blessings of our democracy New York style?

[temashana]

anyone who votes for these gits that are mucking up the whole state in the next election seriously need to have their heads examined.

[AAKAlan]

Unfortunately, the guy quoted in the article, Tom Libous is my local state Senator.

He has been in place for years and nothing short of being caught in bed with an underage boy will dislodge him - such is the power of incumbency in New York State.

No one has mentioned the real reason for this garbage. The state will be up for reapportionment soon (2010), and with the Republicans out of power, they'd be unable to do what they usually do: gerrymander the district boundaries so that they can't lose - no matterr what. That's why they can't bear to be out of power, because to be out of power at the time of the census means you're out of power for the next decade.

District boundaries should be set by an impartial commission, not by politicians feathering their own nest.

The state is hopeless...

[thatgirlinnewyork]

"neutral" would imply that there is movement. these a$$hats are stalled (by choice) in the parking lot. new yorkers plan to vote the lot of them out.

[aj88]

Each and every member must be voted out of office in 2010 and 2012. They have put New York City schools as well as many suburbs and villages at great risk for the purpose of political pandering. I also just heard on the radio that many members refused to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. Unfortunately, New York State does not have the luxury of a recall, otherwise each and every fool could be impeached immediately.

[lmthp]

Is not interpretation of the law one of the functions of a court? I don't get why the NY courts refuse to hear this case and rule whether or not the GOP led coup was legal! Of what use are the courts if they can’t do even that? It’s a complicated issue to be sure, but I think the courts must rule on this, otherwise either side can engineer a coup anytime they garner enough votes from the opposition party. This is so banana republic.

[ProgressiveAndProud1]

A lot of the judges are PO'd at the Senate's refusal to give them any kind of raise over the past decade.