Gov. Pattersons’ Office Continues to Spend
Gov. Paterson gave a statewide address Tuesday which he said New York faces a $6.4 billion budget gap in the upcoming fiscal year and an alarming $26.2 billion budget gap over the next three years. The governor also proposed a $1.2 billion cut in the current year’s spending, including a hiring freeze and a 7 percent reduction in state agency spending.
Well as Governor Paterson broke the news about the financial turmoil our state is currently in, his executive chamber has spent almost $1.4 million more in the first quarter of the fiscal year than former Gov. Eliot Spitzer did in the first quarter last year.
Paterson has also increased the size of his staff adding six more employees for a total of 202 employees. Also, the number of people in his chamber making over 100k grew from 59 to 62 since March when he took office.
According to the Democrat and Chronicle’s front page story:
Even though the lieutenant governor’s office has been shut down, the office still spent $137,584 from April 1 through June 30, including nearly $22,000 on travel and $83,614 on salaries, according to the comptroller’s office.
Despite the increased spending in his office, he said, “we have to wake up New York to the possibility that we’re all going to feel some pain. The sooner we address it, the sooner we are going to recover from it.
You know something, he is right on this topic. I just wish he would stop and take his own advice. He of all people should realize that the residents of New York State will just think he is talking out of both sides of his mouth. You cannot tell people there will be financil cuts in the state, then continue to increase spending in your office.
2 Responses to “Gov. Pattersons’ Office Continues to Spend”
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You’ve gotta’ give him credit though for so forcefully bringing deficit spending as well as the cap on property tax issues to the forefront.
It’s ironic that a legally blind governor of the Democratic persuasion appears to be exhibiting clearer vision on this subject than did his recent predecessors.
Bucking the powerful teachers union, among other powerful lobbyists, is nothing short of courageous. I can only hope that the legislators of both parties exhibit the same political courage and that what appears to be momentum on this issue doesn’t wane until massive and needed cuts and reforms are made across the board. We need are a hardcore reformer at the helm! And, frankly, I couldn’t care less to which “party” they might identify themselves with.
Prodigiously excessive spending, of course, is not just a state issue. We, at the local level, should tighten our belts as well. And all from both parties should come together to make that happen.
I honestly believe that any legislator who dares to publicly and strongly depart from ideology & party loyalty and who openly rejects the demands of special interests will get the campaign funds s/he needs to be elected from “we the people”. Such an inspirational and pace-setting departure from the business-as usual-approach to governance would be extremely attractive to all but the monied lobbyists and the blind party ideologues, both groups of which I suspect are in the minority in any case. Money alone gives these lobbyists power.
At long last, lobbyists and their parochial interests at every level should be cut down to size. My fear, as always, is that campaign costs and the lack of political courage among our elected reps and those who may wish to replace them may effectively thwart any meaningful reform at any level.
Small, efficient and more responsible government is still an elusive dream. But, for some of us it’s still a realistic goal. ANY candidate who opnely champions achievement of this worthy goal deserves our unstinting support.
I agree I am starting to like this guy. He came on the radio with Robach and he wants to cut spending and he is being honest with us.