Paterson: Budget Has $1 Bil In New Taxes

[thundley4]

Under Plan, NYC Aid Would Be Slashed By $800 Million; New Soda And Cigarette Tax Proposals Already Angering Masses

Governor David Paterson said Tuesday that the days of profligate spending in Albany are over and that starting immediately lawmakers must participate in an "age of accountability."

That said, the governor's new budget has $1 billion in new taxes and nearly $800 million in cuts for New York City.

The words certainly sounded good.

"Our revenues have crumbled and our budget has crashed and we can no longer afford this spending addiction that we have had for so long," Paterson said.

And with those words Paterson announced a new $134 billion budget that will please no one except the numbers-crunchers.

School aid will be slashed by $1 billion. Health care will be slashed by another billion. Aid to NYC is about to get harpooned.

"The mistakes of the past have lead us to the breaking point," Paterson said.

WCBS TV

It doesn't sound like he wants to be reelected.

[NHSparky]

Oh, I dunno--just fire all those deadweight teachers and you'd save nearly that right off the bat.

Even a blind man could see that--or could he?

[The Village Idiot]

They can cut a lot more than that

[rich_t]

How many government perks is Patterson going to be personally giving up?