$461M budget proposal cuts jobs (Albany, New York)

[UpInArms]

http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=293392&category=ALBANY&BCCode=HOME&newsdate=10/9/2004

ALBANY -- County Executive Michael Breslin released a $461.6 million tentative budget Friday, calling for the largest tax increase in county history, 28.6 percent, and layoffs of 21 workers.

If the spending plan is approved by the County Legislature, it would be the third straight year of a double-digit tax increase. In 2003, taxes went up by 23.8 percent; this year, by 17.7 percent.

<snip>

Breslin cited spiraling costs for state-mandated programs, primarily Medicaid, which grew from $40 million in 1999 to a projected $70 million next year. Pension costs for county retirees also dramatically increased, officials said.

"We need to stop the state mandates," Breslin said. "But, at our level, there is no control over the forces that drive them."

<snip>

"We've been through this before, in the early '90s we had approximately 100 layoffs (proposed), and we dealt with them," Commisso said. The legislature saved jobs for 89 people, some of whom went to positions that opened and others to the private sector. Then-County Executive Michael Hoblock, a Republican, called for the layoffs.

...more...

Remembering in the 2000 campaign when *Co said "I'm gonna pick up where my daddy left off."

[asjr]

1. Shrub cuts taxes and the states have to pick it up by raising

taxes to manage state government. No one wins, everyone loses.

[izzie]

2. Maybe NY could get some of the money from Wy. ?

Then maybe the terrorist will really go to Wy. next time and not NY?

[coreystone]

3. The FEDS get the credit......and, the STATES get the blame! n/t

[AP]

4. Medicaid more expensive because of drug costs. So taxes are going up to

pad the profits of drug companies-- the most profitable industry in the history of the world with 50% profit margins, and now taking up something like 20% of the GDP.

It's absurd what we do as a nation to make drug company insiders rich.

We tolerate tons of unemployment. We mortgage our futures. We drive people into insupportable debt. And we tax the hell out of the working class. This is how the IMG treats third world countries. It shouldn't be how the US Gov't treats its own citizens.