Paterson's Big Raise for State Troopers Raises Eyebrows

At the end of July, Governor Paterson gave a rare televised address to brace New Yorkers for impending cuts required by an estimated $6.4 billion budget cap. But it seems that the belt tightening doesn’t apply to state troopers: Besides adding more officers to his security detail to the tune of $4 million, the governor has now agreed to a pay raise for troopers totaling almost 14% over four years. The Sun is quick to point out that the raise comes on the heels of a July 8th contribution of $25,000 from the State Troopers PAC to Paterson's gubernatorial campaign. The governor’s office is mum on how much the contract settlement will cost, but the Empire Center for New York State Policy puts it at about $45 million over four years.