Paterson: State Budget Crisis "is Not a Game"

In about two hours, Governor David Paterson will unveil his recommended budget cuts and everything is expected to be hit. Paterson has been giving town hall meetings across the state about the budget crisis (as in a $12.5 billion deficit next year, ballooning to $47 billion by 2012) and said yesterday in Syracuse, "This is not a reality TV show. This is not a game. This is a very serious situation and involves the survival of the people of New York and the quality of their lives... That's as if I asked all of you to go home and cut 25 percent of your spending in your household, after taxes. That would give you a more realistic idea of how drastic these cuts in spending are going to have to be." Besides rumored cuts to health care and schools, a gas tax hike could be considered.

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By Jen Chung in News on November 12, 2008 9:00 AM

Comments [rss]

hungryghoast

also a Paterson fan, here... But i also understand the feeling that these sorts of actions aren't going to make him popular with a lot of people. If he runs, I'll sure as hell vote for him, but I definitely don't think the rest of New York is going to see eye-to-eye with the majority of Gothamist on this one.

Wza

Add me to the list of Paterson fans.

pissyrabbit

I'm assuming #9 is a troll, but I'm not sure how requiring people to pay sales tax makes him a crook.

I don't think I've ever been so impressed by a politician in my life. Which is sad because I'm basing this purely on the fact that hes not full of crap.

PATS 2012!

Gothamist_Cynic

The guy is a crook. Repeal the Amazon tax now!

one of them

"That's as if I asked all of you to go home and cut 25 percent of your spending in your household, after taxes."

... why do i feel like that is exactly what he (or someone else) is going to ask us.

I like him so far though too. We need someone with big brass ones.

Snoopy

The guy is honest and up front. How many other politicians are like him? Go PATS!

Steven

Third on Patterson has done a very good job. If he does run I will definitely vote for him.

TKaisen

Why won't he get re-elected? So far he's doing a damn fine job.

Second this question. I think he's been doing great so far.

Kojak

Regardless of how they do it, they'll have to bridge the gap somehow, and in the end it will have to be spending cuts AND tax hikes across the board. The only question is where the cuts will be, how much they'll cut, and how much they'll raise taxes.

Papercutninja

Why won't he get re-elected? So far he's doing a damn fine job.

Endless Ike

He has huge brass ones because he knows he's not going to get re-elected

No chance we get any significant spending cuts with shelly silver running the show...only answer is more taxes, as always!