Just as an example, and not really
for any other purpose than show
and tell, I have carried over the
news story below from my own city
newspaper. The governor of New
York has vetoed the state budget
because of major league crisis,
and this story is merely to show
to all of you the fallout from
that and what is going on in one
single state of the nation, with
this being the Capitol city of the
state.

If you have not been able to
put into perspective up until
now, just how much damage is
being done to cities and states
across the country by the bleeding
of budget money to send Billions
of dollars out to "world aid", or
from the failure to collect ample
tax money from "non profit organizations"
who mave million dollar budgets
at their hand, then I say look
no further than the place where
I live right here.

This news story could be any city
in the country in any state.
They are bleeding this country
dry of money and services all
in the name of "world aid".
In recent days I have seen AP
stories that even since the
bridges fell into the river
out in Minnesota, that somehow
the Feds never got the message
and no new money has been released
in the national budget to pay
better attention to roads and
bridges. Just like the Levees,
I guess, they are standing around
waiting for an even BIGGER human
disaster to take place, while
Africa rakes in Billions from
us for doing nothing at all but
sitting around killing their own
kind.

This news story, could be anyplace
in America, but the content and
message is all the same: end
world aid, and eliminate "non profit"
statusing for corporations who
have budgets in excess of $100,000
per year. If you have that amount
of money coming into your operation
as a corporation, then there is
no compelling reason at all why
such a corporation should not have
to pay SOME kind of taxes.

It is an absurd and ridiculous
concept to force individual taxpayers,
and even retirees, to pay taxes
while corporations are exempt,
when the whole time our nations
major cities are sinking like
the Titanic.

______________________________________


Without aid, city looks at layoffs

Albany facing $14.7M deficit after governor vetoes payments

By SCOTT WALDMAN, Staff writer


First published: Friday, August 8, 2008


ALBANY -- Mayor Jerry Jennings said Thursday that city layoffs could come in the wake of Gov. David Paterson's rejection of a boost in long-term state aid in lieu of taxes for the Harriman State Office Campus.

Jennings said his administration will look for ways to plug an estimated $14.7 million deficit in 2009 and "absolutely will review whether layoffs are necessary."

The governor, citing the state's own dire budget projection, vetoed a bill on Wednesday that would have given Albany $5.5 million this year and $11 million annually for 29 years after for a total of $325 million as a PILOT payment for the 330-acre complex east of the University at Albany.

Assemblyman Jack McEneny said the bill's supporters worked over the weekend to pitch a reduced aid package to Paterson's administration. McEneny said they proposed eliminating the payment this year and stopping state contributions after 12 years, instead of the 30-year plan.

"It wasn't that we're unrealistic or that we're down in La-La Land," McEneny said, but the state did not budge.

State PILOT payments for land used by state government have increased more than 500 percent since 2000, from $4.5 million to more than $22.8 million a year, according to Erin Duggan, a spokeswoman for the governor.

Richard Conti, Common Council president pro tempore, warned that the projected deficits for $14.7 million for 2009 and $20.4 million in 2010 could mean significant tax increases for city residents. "A re-examination of many aspects of city government" is needed to prevent raising city taxes by about 30 percent in each of the next two years.

"That's an unacceptable option and certainly not a burden that Albany property taxpayers can sustain," he said.

The 2008 budget's $7.5 million operating deficit was closed with city reserve funds, and an additional $1 million in operating expenses is being funded by a one-time allocation from the city's Industrial Development Agency, Conti said.

McEneny said Albany will face big problems in the coming years because of its aging infrastructure, and its current fiscal woes are a "grave situation" comparable to Albany's travails of the early 1970s.

The mayor noted that Albany receives less funding than other major cities throughout the state. He blamed the city deficit on rising costs for health insurance, salaries, utilities and gasoline.

"Without some additional funds," Jennings said, "we're going to have difficulty continuing to provide the services we're providing."


_________________________________________
End of Times Union release
Albany NY


UPDATE NOTE: Before reading this new
release on the government crisis in
New York, remember that George Bush
sent $39 Billion over to Africa this
year in his state of the union address.



FROM WNYT TV NEWS, AUGUST 11, 2008

Paterson calls for $1B more in cuts

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - Gov. Paterson has laid out the state spending cuts he wants lawmakers to consider when they return to Albany next week for a special session.

Of the proposed $1 billion spending cuts, Paterson says he wants $600 million slashed from the budget this year.

Paterson gave the proposals to Senate and Assembly majority leaders Monday, eight days before the chambers are due back in Albany for a special session the governor called because of the state's fiscal crisis.

Paterson's spending cuts include slashing $50 million from the City University of New York. He's already trimmed a similar amount in the State University of New York system.

The governor is also seeking $505 million in cuts in Medicaid funding to hospitals and health care providers.

Paterson says raising taxes will be a last resort.


_________________________________________
END of WNYT TV Release

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