There’s no “change” when it comes to politics as usual in The Empire State, in fact the Emperor’s latest edict is not being well-received.
Gov. Paterson’s proposed $121 billion budget hits New Yorkers in their iPods - and nickels-and-dimes them in lots of other places, too. Trying to close a $15.4 billion budget gap, Paterson called for 88 new fees and a host of other taxes, including an “iPod tax” that taxes the sale of downloaded music and other “digitally delivered entertainment services.”
“We’re going to have to take some extreme measures,” Paterson said Tuesday after unveiling the slash-and-burn budget.
How about some cuts in wasteful or redundant programs, Governor? Paterson had to have seen this coming…?
The proposal, which needs legislative approval, did not include broad-based income tax increases, but relied on smaller ones to raise $4.1 billion from cash-strapped New Yorkers.
Movie tickets, taxi rides, soda, beer, wine, cigars and massages would be taxed under Paterson’s proposal. It also extends sales taxes to cable and satellite TV services and removes the tax exemption for clothes costing less than $110.
“The governor is nickel-and-diming working class families,” said Ron Deutsch, executive director of New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness, an advocacy group.
It’s unfortunate that 521 state workers will be losing their jobs, but when you consider that’s out of a workforce of 263,000, we’re talking a drop in the bucket, and you can’t tell me that cutting the size and scope of government couldn’t offset the “revenue” knee jerk nickel-and-diming would suck out of the taxpayers.
Then again, you get the government you vote for so let the New Yorkers soak in the dumpster water they created. Maybe one day, they’ll learn.
Bob Parks is a is a member/writer of the National Advisory Council of Project 21, Senior Writer for the New Media Journal, VP of Marketing and Media Relations for the New Media Alliance. Bob’s websites are Black & Right and youtube.com/BlackAndRight
Bob can be reached at: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
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Views are those of authors and not necessarily those of Canada Free Press. Content is Copyright 2012 the individual authors.
Pursuant to Title 17 U.S.C. 107, other copyrighted work is provided for educational purposes, research, critical comment, or debate without profit or payment. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for your own purposes beyond the 'fair use' exception, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
Views are those of authors and not necessarily those of Canada Free Press. Content is Copyright 2012 the individual authors.
