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Governor David Paterson's budget proposal that includes a big cut to education funding and a variety of taxes and fees gets worked over. The Daily News, which called it a "slash-and-burn budget," points out, "The proposal, which needs legislative approval, did not include broad-based income tax increases, but relied on smaller ones"—specifically 137—"to raise $4.1 billion from cash-strapped New Yorkers." The head of the State Conservative Party, Michael Long, said of things like reinstating the sales tax on clothing under $110 and taxing spirits, wine and regular soda, "You're sending notice to the people of New York that we really don't want you here. The governor proposed flat spending, but why not actually cut the budget before raising taxes and fees?"
The Empire Center for New York State Policy's E.J. McMahon tells Politicker NY, "Nothing gets the couch potatoes off the couch like taxing their TV. he thing about those tax increases is, the irony of nuisance tax stuff that, is that economically they're utterly insignificant. Politically, obviously there's nothing worse. There are people who wouldn't blink at a massive confiscatory tax on business, but eighteen cents on a bottle of soda and they go nuts." And the Post's Albany bureau chief Frederic Dicker was unimpressed with the "lack of creativity in Paterson's proposal - no significant work-force downsizing, no real lifting of regulatory burdens" and with Paterson's delivery:
Whereas Cuomo, a national-class orator, inspired the state to tighten its belt and fork over more taxes as it faced a calamitous economic down turn in the early 1990s, Paterson delivered a flat and sometimes awkward budget presentation.And Mayor Bloomberg said that more city layoffs might be on the way, since NYC could lose up to $1 billion in the governor's proposal."So I want us to be optimistic," Paterson declared at one point. "I think we can come back to Albany, we can take responsibility, we can take control of this budget, we can take over 'Saturday Night Live.' "
Take over "Saturday Night Live"? Paterson appeared with that odd observation to be more focused on the nasty and embarrassing portrayal of him on NBC than he was on the state's dire financial straits.
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At this rate, Paterson can forget about getting elected in 2010.
legalize weed; tax; crisis solved.
We need LESS regressive taxation, not more. These assholes ought to be ashamed of themselves for trying to balance the budgets right on the backs of poor and working class New Yorkers. They are already struggling big time. Shame on you. Jerks.
i am glad that he wants to reduce the ridiculously generous pensions for gov't workers
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/17/nyregion/17pension.html?_r=1
a very good first step
"I'M AS MAD AS HELL, AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!"
wow. no homo
Consumption taxes are about as fair as it gets.
You wants your fancy shmancy welfare state, you pays for it.
The soda tax should be 100% if it's got all the nasty garbage in there like HFCS.
Why only tax NON DIET SODA???
I didn't know diet soda was soooo much better than regular soda. If you want to put a healthy spin on this tax then why not tax ALL SODA and promote drinking juice, milk or water etc...
I haven't been to a movie, at a theater, in over a year. Let me get this straight, if i did want to see something id have to pay more to get there, more to get in and more to drink.
If i want to stay home, ill pay more to watch tv and also more to drink. Okay, no TV, ill listen to music, oh wait gotta pay more. Maybe ill go to the gym or get my haircut...shit gotta pay more for that too.
AnywhereBesidesNY, USA is looking really good right now.
I don't drink the stuff, but how can they call it an "obesity" tax? What about the people who can eat/drink whatever the hell they want without gaining a pound or affecting their health. How is that fair?
Great, consumption taxes, I love it. But now let's talk about getting rid of the income tax. You can't have both, a real tax rate of 50% or more, and expect people to stick around for long. (See UK, 1980's)
Wow. He just made it worth while to drive to New Jersey now for not only gas but just about anything else. Good thing I live in the city.
WOW!!!! He just made it totally worth while to go to New Jersey, buy wine, beer and soda, go see a movie, buy everything that is taxed here and then fill up the car before going home. What a fucking moron!!!!
diet soda is healthy
buying cd's with lots of packaging is great for the environment
Paterson should tax cocaine sales and prostitution.
Gotta love the Democrats. Tax the hell out of us and make sure the government runs business via taxes!
The aspartame in diet soda isn't very healthy. Aspartame has been known to cause problems with bones. It's not a good thing to trick your body into thinking it is getting sugar when it's not. You are better off drinking soda made with real sugar and not corn syrup. Therefor, I do not believe taxing non-diet soda is a very good idea.
Forget about eliminating a bunch of useless pieces of crap that fill up most of the office spaces that are rented out by the State and the city. That would be too simple.
A lot of decent hard working people lost a ton of money in their pension plans with the collapse of Wall street that they had nothing to do with. Perhaps the gumint workers should suffer the same loss of retirement dollars.
So, Paterson wants to discourage obesity by taxing soda but also taxes gym membership.
The state also gives out food stamps that are good for buying soda and other sugary junk food.
So what does he tax if he is successful at stopping people from drinking soda? No doubt he'll be moaning about the loss of revenue.
Liars.
#10 I completely hear you
I drink regular soda every day
I am 6'3'' but only weigh 150 lbs, I have trouble Gaining weight
plus as #17 points out diet soda contains aspartame which is an unnatural unhealthy substitute for sugar that tastes awful i might add
if they are looking for something to tax to fight obesity
why not candy, chocolate, and ice cream to name a few things?
complete bs
anyhow #2 has it right
legalize weed
end of budget crisis and crowded prisons
Soda is bullshit, I can't decide what is worse, high fructose corn syrup or aspartame, either way you're just putting garbage into your body. Maybe they should consider charging the Coca Cola and Nestle (for all their bottled water=plastic/trash issues) company's for distributing such garbage throughout the city.
How about going after welfare and medicaid fraud?
How about cutting off benefits for illegal aliens?
The state would save a bundle and do right by the hard-working taxpayers.
The democrats just love to reward the freeloaders and screw the productive citizens.
Pataki, Spitzer, and Paterson can al go fuck themselves...
"How about cutting off benefits for illegal aliens?"
(most illegal aliens pay taxes, but get nothing from the system because they are avoiding being caught by the system)
Ides,
What is the "bundle" that the state spends on Medicaid fraud? What makes you think it's a lot.
And benefits for illegal aliens? What benefits? Do you mean educating their kids who are US citizens? You think our society will be richer or poorer if we don't do that?
To everyone else - sorry I'm feeding the troll.
Medicare fraud is estimated at 18 billion.
I'm hearing that there is a plan for MTA police to spot check vehicles with ny plates as they pass thorugh tolls on the Hudson.
The reason, to tax things with NY rates that you purchased in NJ.
The soda tax is so confusing. What about fast food places where they give you your cup BEFORE you pick the soda?
...while others are patiently waiting and being cut in line. Yes, that's fair.
And what benefits are we talking about? UMMMMM SOCIAL FUCKING SECURITY. That's the biggest one. What about other social utilities that those who are here pay for while many are, again, waiting to go through the legal process.
The issue isn't immigration---people should be able to come here freely. But you can't have it in a welfare society like the US. It's not cost effective.
What's the #1 expenditure for the state? Medicaid. How is that fair when I---a middle class, single, employed average Joe---contribute to that through takings in my paycheck and other taxes that get allocated when I have never and will never (because I save responsibly) use it?
Illegals use it, and we pay the $500 bill for care and an x-ray for a broken finger.
Tax happy endings.
Paterson .... FUCK YOU ...What do you think we are ? Cattle ? Duh ok .... You are one stupid ass !!!!!!!!!
I am not going to use foul language anymore , Wait.... you'll see ... A revolution is comming .... You are busting at the seems , a man can take so much . The president with his taxes on guns and ammo and so on and you , you twit with your taxes , two Big dummies { Lamont }
Taxing gym memberships is just freaking stupid. We complain about obesity in this country and so he's going to tax the folks who are actually trying to stay healthy? This is absurd. I am completely pissed off about that.
The state should be subsidizing gym memberships if anything—they should reward people for trying to get healthy. Preposterous.
Paterson now has zero percent support Upstate. Downstate, he's past peaking and headed straight into the toilet. No future for him and if his rotten budget gets passed, no future for New York.
Paterson is the most competent governor we've had in a long time, great to see he's raising taxes so we can try to maintain some form of fiscal responsibility.
Re: WaluigiSoap:
You do know that this was the same governor who wasted oodles of taxpayer money renaming a bridge needlessly? That really smacks of fiscal responsibility.
Raising taxes to maintain some form of fiscal responsibility, is not the way to go. Cutting fat out of the bureaucracy is the way to go. For every ten employees six could probably go.
Begin with a ruling that anyone with fingernails an 1/8" longer then the end of their fingers is fired.
Tax Bottomless Chips $5 per comment. Problem solved.
When the entitlement system comes crashing to a halt and we go into another recession over it, you'll see the light.