Gothamist: Paterson's New Budget Reflects "New Fiscal Reality"

SimonLok

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 12:10:31 -0500

"People are all for taxing the shit out of other people, but what happens when the revenue source(s) dry up? They come after you and your money to fill the gap. Learn from this." That sums it all up perfectly, glenn.

glennQNYC

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 10:57:44 -0500

"Local fee for hiring a public retirees" How is this "fee" not discriminatory? I'm sure the AARP crowd is gonna fight this one!

glennQNYC

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 10:47:49 -0500

People are all for taxing the shit out of other people, but what happens when the revenue source(s) dry up? They come after you and your money to fill the gap. Learn from this.

zincink

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 10:15:20 -0500

"time to move the hell out of nyc" Come to NJ where you can see baby hitler!

MrCow

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 02:48:33 -0500

lol 11

Roquentin

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 21:03:31 -0500

The iPod tax was ridiculous, but the tax on booze is the only thing that really stung. It's bad enough going through a recession, but having to do it sober? Cut us a break once in a while.

Pull My Finger

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 21:02:15 -0500

Democraps never learn

theevilone

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 18:51:29 -0500

"Higher taxes on wine, beer and flavored malt beverages. " No, no, no, no, no! How about higher taxes on bottle service, any drink that ends with "=tini", and booze served any place with a velvet rope and bouncer? It can be called the douchebag tax.

Steven

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 18:09:15 -0500

Same. Amazon lost me as a customer when they gave in to the tax. I will not shop with them until they take the tax away. In theory, this is a lose- lose situation. Amazon loses me a customer and NYS doesn't collect tax from Amazon - at least from me.

Spiritof76

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 17:46:26 -0500

Ever since the Amazon tax went into effect, I don't think I've bought more than $50 of merchandise at Amazon. I've headed for Newegg, Overstock.com and other sites that refuse to knuckle under to the state. So, Paterson, just how much extra revenue are you getting off that?

SimonLok

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 17:28:21 -0500

25, if you include non direct employees like you are stating, then we have over 2 million state employees. Again, something is wrong when the government of a state has grown to this size.

sidenote

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 17:25:19 -0500

My guess is it's actually rather expensive short term to cut civil servant jobs - health care, pension, unemployment, etc. It may actually be cheaper to keep them in their jobs producing something than deal with the cost of firing them at this point. Don't believe it? Check this out - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/22/nyregion/22disclosure.html And this - section C3 http://goer.state.ny.us/cna/current/cseaasu/02app07.cfm Just saying maybe they are considering cost of civil servant layoffs, but decided it was more efficient to cut other areas.

Gothamist_Cynic

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 16:51:43 -0500

Firs the Amazon tax, now an additional itunes tax? FUCK YOU PATERSON!

dr zippy

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 16:50:00 -0500

All this, but they cut the state workforce by 500? out of 200,000?! Teachers, principals, school nurses, bus drivers etc. are employees of local school districts. The proposal calls for cutting state aid to schools by $700 million. Presumably those districts will make up for some of that income loss by laying people off. The same is probably true for what appears to be a $1B cut in Medicaid. Doctors, nurses etc are hospital, not state, employees but they'll still be laid off.

Son of Spam

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 16:36:09 -0500

Why not tax for clothing ABOVE $110? wtf! Items below $110 were exempt. You always had to pay for stuff above $110. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sales_taxes_in_the_United_States#New_York

Wza

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 16:14:44 -0500

State City MTA fun times nowadays huh?

Spiritof76

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 16:10:37 -0500

Start fixing up your resumé, Paterson. At this rate, you're going to be lucky to find 100 New Yorkers willing to vote for you at the next election.

KtEight

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 16:10:11 -0500

Why not tax for clothing ABOVE $110? wtf!

realist

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 16:09:19 -0500

How? Four million dollars, how? In new signs? Yo no comprendo.

rcltrh

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:54:30 -0500

over 4 million was wasted on renaming the damn bridge. makes me sick.

longacre

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:53:21 -0500

iPod tax will simply encourage more piracy. It's one thing to pay sales tax that makes a 99 cent song $1.07, but if they force a tax specifically for music and a song ends up being $1.20, more NYers will flee iTunes and visit The Pirate Bay. #13: Renaming the Triborough reportedly cost $4 million.

goodcow

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:50:39 -0500

"Hold on. So now I'm gonna have to pay state and city tax on a .99 cent iTunes download?" Apple already charges tax on this, so I don't understand... is this an ADDITIONAL tax? If not, this isn't new at all. Though it would affect Amazon digital downloads as they don't have a "physical presence" in this state for the Amazon Digital Services LLC.

holyfrjole

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:49:05 -0500

Okay, now is the time for any escort services that Paterson has utilized to come forward and knock his blind a$$ out of office. What this article failed to mention, however, was that as the rest of us get fvcked up the a$$ repeatedly by Paterson's taxes and other service cuts, the poor will thrive as increases to welfare are expected. So why not just tell us flat out that working people, people who make money and pay taxes, are no longer welcome in NYS, while the crackheads who pop out babies to up their checks are given a raise. How messed up is that?

donner

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:46:35 -0500

With the state of the economy he should have some pity on us folks and LOWER the booze prices... Sometimes it's the only thing keeping me from jumping off something.

Kojak

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:35:43 -0500

"Higher taxes on wine, beer and flavored malt beverages" He must be mad. I refuse to pay these ludicrous taxes on my booze. I'm going cross state lines. "An "iPod tax" that charges state and local sales tax for "digitally delivered entertainment services" - in other words, that new Beyonce song you download." lol considering few even pay for itunes songs, this won't exactly pick up too much dough.

diablofreak

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:35:08 -0500

#7: are you talking about the Triboro bridge? i passed by the other day and saw signs all over saying it has been renamed to Robert Kennedy bridge. please tell me how much we wasted on that

NannyState

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:34:42 -0500

LOL at that "ipod tax". how about a tax on saggy jeans?

Felix Hoenikker

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:30:11 -0500

LUXURY TAX PAY $75

JenChungsBra

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:29:18 -0500

Is that 50 cent tax on cigars on top of or in addition to the existing tax? And will it apply to out-of-state internet purchases? Another half-buck for Gurkha Grand Age Perfectos may force me to go back to Cohiba XV 645s.

Felix Hoenikker

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:28:08 -0500

People pay for music downloads?

mrguy

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:27:50 -0500

he forgot the 10% tax on any funds given to people whose glasses or bottles of medicine you broke.

Toby von Meistersinger

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:27:21 -0500

"Just like thousands of families across New York, our State government needs to tighten its belt and limit spending to what we can afford," Said the man who wasted taxpayer money on needlessly renaming a bridge.

diablofreak

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:26:47 -0500

we're so fucked hello, connecticut!

Rocknrope

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:23:45 -0500

Hold on. So now I'm gonna have to pay state and city tax on a .99 cent iTunes download? FVCK YOU, COCK-EYED UNFAITHFUL COKEHEAD!

grandzu

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:12:08 -0500

time to move the hell out of nyc

fugothamist

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:08:24 -0500

cool!

SimonLok

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:08:15 -0500

All this, but they cut the state workforce by 500? out of 200,000?! This is where the bulk of the problem is. Families are leaving as are businesses, but the state still would rather tax us all to death than do anything to make the state more efficient or competitive.

gimme

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:05:44 -0500

fuck a duck and wish it good luck, damn this one stood out: Higher taxes on wine, beer and flavored malt beverages. shittums