Sunday Opinion: Praise for Gov. Cuomo, doubts about Albany
Here’s a survey of the weekend opinion pages across the North Country. The Plattsburgh Press-Republican likes the look of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s austerity budget, but wonders whether the legislature will follow his lead.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo did what he’s supposed to do: propose an austere budget with strong medicines that will leave a foul taste in our mouths but will eventually cure what ails us. Now we’ll see whether the legislature will do what it usually does: sugar-coat the medicine to the extent that it won’t do us much good after all.
The Glens Falls Post Star echoes that view, arguing that the Cuomo budget was years in the making and long overdue.
And while his proposed 2.7 percent overall reduction in state spending will hit everyone hard, it shouldn’t be a sucker punch in the gut to any responsible public official who’s been following state finances the past few years.
The day of reckoning was coming for some time. That day is finally here.
But the Watertown Daily Times worries that widespread government lay-offs across the US could stifle the economic recovery.
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has proposed firing 9,800 state workers. In Texas, nearly 8,100 jobs could be eliminated; in Iowa, 1,500. One economist predicts government job cuts could reach 30,000 a month by the end of the year.
That could ripple through the economy with less spending leading to slower job growth and even more layoffs into next year and the start of a presidential campaign.
Meanwhile, the Adirondack Daily Enterprise praises Trudeau Institute for choosing to stay in Saranac Lake, but says there are still plenty of questions that need to be answered about the company’s plans for the future.
The Enterprise is working hard to get answers to those questions. Trudeau administrators, faculty and most trustees have been reticent to speak publicly so far, but some trustees have started to open up. We look forward to a more trusting time when discussion of this excellent, important lab’s future isn’t so hush-hush.
Tags: Cuomo, nys budget, politics
Cuomo is trying to do what Patterson was trying to do. Maybe he has more clout than Patterson but Patterson was saying what needed to be said.
I don’t praise Cuomo. He was in with the bunch that initiated a large part of our current fiscal difficulties. He was secretary of HUD and spoke of getting people who couldn’t get loans in houses. His speech is on the web. He said it would hurt the lenders.
“In 1999, Fannie Mae came under pressure from the Clinton administration to expand mortgage loans to low and moderate income borrowers by increasing the ratios of their loan portfolios in distressed inner city areas designated in the CRA of 1977.[16]” from Wikipedia.-not my sole source on this topic as Wiki isn’t edited. Slate had a good article on this in 2008. http://www.slate.com/id/2200160/ It is amazing how much in bonuses the Fannie folks made. Andy was in on the game. He may not have profited then but he still has the rollodex.
Where’s the mandate relief?
His budget cut education spending by 7-8 percent without touching the suffocating mandates. This is going to be a disaster for property taxes.
Brian – A mandate relief committee is supposed to issue recommendations in March. State Senator Betty Little (R-Queensbury) is one of the lawmakers taking part in that advisory group.
–Brian, NCPR
One of the things we need to wean ourselves from is the idea of home ownership for everyone.
This was a bad idea from Clinton.
Economically and environmentally, houses are a waste of land and resources. Apartments and 2 – 4 family duplexes are a much more efficient use of land and natural resources.
More than we have a shortage of affordable housing in the Adirondacks is the even greater shortage of affordable apartments and two family duplexes.
Excellent point, Pete. The notion that everyone should own a house whether they can afford one or not is ludicrous.
http://northcountrynow.com/news/chili-cookoff-canton-winterfest-saturday-nixed-health-authorities-020442
This is the kind of crap that makes people who might support government in other contexts see government as an oppressive bully, America is about Liberty not about inspectors and controllers who have the time to sniff around small town pot lucks.