EDITORIAL: Fiscal sanity in New York

Editorials

Discussion

April 24, 2008

Staff Reports The Journal-Register Thu Apr 24, 2008, 11:17 AM EDT

Stop the presses. It looks like somebody in Albany actually gets it.

And that someone is the new governor of New York, David Paterson.

On Monday, Paterson issued a directive to all state agencies freezing all but essential hiring for state government. He said that if his cost savings targets aren’t met, he will impose a hard hiring freeze and other measures on agencies. He says he is willing to withhold budgeted funds if an agency fails to meet his cost-saving targets.

Paterson said the measures are necessary because of declining revenues projected in a worsening economy.

What is even more astounding than the fact that the governor has figured it out is that it’s this particular governor. When Paterson assumed the rank after a lightning-fast prostitution scandal swallowed up the previous occupant of that office, there were concerns that he would be just another tax-and-spend Democrat. Critics pointed to the former state Senate minority leader’s record in the Legislature as evidence.

But Paterson is taking a conservative budget course that even few Republicans have traveled. He has set a goal of cutting the budget for the 2009-10 fiscal year by 5 to 10 percent before it’s sent to the Legislature. Monday’s memo is the first order in that effort.

The fact that Paterson inherited the agencies’ heads from the Spitzer administration seems to be an advantage in this case. He has no direct allegiance to them and appears to be willing to play hardball when it comes to budget matters.

“There are several corrective actions that I am prepared to take,” Paterson told department heads. “These include withholding an amount of budgeted funding needed to hit your savings target or implementing a hard hiring freeze at your agency. I sincerely hope and expect such measures will not be necessary.”

In Albany-speak, that amounts to a slap in the face with a simultaneous bucket of cold water poured over the head.

It’s about time.

The state work force stands at 167,172 employees. As you might expect, public employee union leaders, who were blindsided by the governor’s move, were not happy.

“When you don’t give us some forewarning on this, it certainly undermines the confidence and trust in labor relations,” Civil Service Employees Association union spokesman Stephen Madarasz said.

Too bad.

If these are tough times, as the governor and others have repeatedly stated, tough measures are called for. It’s gratifying to us, as state taxpayers, that David Paterson gets the connection.

Text Only

Editorials

EDITORIAL: Interning: The opportunity of a lifetime There’s something to be said about internships. It used to be that college students were encouraged to do at least a summer of interning to learn about the field they wanted to go into. After all, what use is a degree if you graduate and then decide the job you thought you wanted really isn’t for you?

May 8, 2008
EDITORIAL: Pork disparity is petty politics Pork isn’t the other white meat in New York if you’ve got a Democratic state senator or a Republican assemblyman. In fact, there isn’t much to chew on at all if that’s the case.

May 8, 2008
EDITORIAL: Gas tax 'holiday' an election-year ploy
May 5, 2008
EDITORIAL: Thruway Authority out of control Despite opposition from many elected officials, the Thruway Authority’s board of directors recently approved a series of toll hikes that managers say will bring in an additional $125 million annually.

May 4, 2008
EDITORIAL: Wait your turn to speak There are meetings we go to regularly, and frequently the only ones in the gallery are us. Medina is the exception to what appears to be the rule in many cases around Orleans County.

April 29, 2008
EDITORIAL: Fiscal sanity in New York Stop the presses. It looks like somebody in Albany actually gets it.
April 24, 2008
EDITORIAL: Food costs require solution Add this to the list of things that costs more today than it did yesterday: A dozen eggs.
April 15, 2008
EDITORIAL: State budget: dumb idea Stupid.

There are a lot of words that could describe the 2008-09 state budget passed in Albany last week. How about irresponsible, illogical, unsound, unsustainable and late? But the first word that comes to mind is just plain stupid.
April 13, 2008
EDITORIAL: Airport screening still needed According to an Associated Press report this week, Homeland Security officials have reported no would-be suicide bombers have been discovered in four years.
April 9, 2008
OUR VIEW: Sabres must pay to play The Sabres will miss the playoffs this season, which for most is a huge surprise, considering two years of back-to-back Eastern Conference final appearances.

April 8, 2008
More Editorials Headlines

Editorials

Search Results

Discussion

EDITORIAL: Fiscal sanity in New York

Site Map

Contact Us