New York – The state is on the brink of its first-ever government shutdown.
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Gov. Paterson unveiled his latest emergency spending bill Friday – it’s stuffed with $327 million in cuts to mental health and social service programs.
“We think we have put a bill together that has cuts that are reasonable, cuts that we believe the Legislature could live with, and spending they know we need to do,” said Paterson budget director Robert Megna.
The Legislature is due to vote on the plan Monday, though its fate is unclear in the state Senate.
If lawmakers vote it down, state government would shut down at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday.
State Sen. Ruben Diaz (D-Bronx) insisted he will not support an extender containing cuts.
“If he wants to shut the government down, that’s his doing,” Diaz said of Paterson. “He could avoid it [by] sending a straight extender with no cuts while we negotiate a budget.”
The budget is 73 days late, as Paterson and lawmakers battle over closing a $9 billion gap. The governor has kept the state running with weekly spending plans.
Because 32 votes are needed to pass anything in the Senate, the Democratic majority will need at least one vote from a GOPer on Paterson’s emergency extender if Diaz doesn’t budge.
Republicans hinted votes may be available. “If the bill is not completely offensive, I think there’s likely to be some support from our conference,” said Sen. George Winner (R-Elmira).
Republicans asked Paterson to put a slew of budget cuts into his proposal. He accepted a fraction – about $12 million, aides said.
“I am not going to be intimidated or threatened by: ‘Do this or we’re going to do that,'” Paterson said. “I’m doing what’s right for the people of New York.”
Paterson once again warned of widespread peril if the Legislature doesn’t approve his short-gap plans.
He has threatened to eventually include $1.4 billion worth of education cuts – something Assembly Democrats and many senators oppose.
“If there is going to be a shutdown, it would likely be over that issue,” said one lawmaker.
Meanwhile, officials said state leaders last night agreed to save hundreds of millions of dollars this year by reducing state and local government payments to the state pension fund over the next three years.
The money would be repaid with interest over a decade after that.
I think that it is time to private’tize the goverment.
It should run as a business.
Things will get much better.
If that melt down dose ever come you will wish you have a rifle and some ammo i have mine the criminels have thers do you have yours?
Good. This week I am going out to the mountains so there would be no tolls…………….
Can somebody explain why a government shutdown should be a help in this case?
Good now maybe the state can actually save money
Shomrim will take care of bp and willy way better than the cops. And no tickets, tax and water bills. Omg!
That’s not true. There are ways to cutt costs, the people working in the goverment did not work for the money, and know that this is free money. So the spend the money just as people spend money they did not work for..
On the other hand a business owner tries to do thing much more efficiantly, and to cut costs so like that he stays woth a profit. And like that he can ‘capture’ more customers. Since he offers the same service at a much better price.
If we the people would be the customers, and the goverment would be a vendor with other vendors competing to get our business. The goverment would stay with one customer, and that is you..
What does a shutdown mean? could anyone please explain.
will nys regents be given this week then?
During a state shutdown only NONESSENTIAL services are stopped. Such as DMV, department of education, etc. Not police, firefighter, ambulance
Eliminate the “ambulette” scam of taking people to medical and dental appointments for a fortune. This scam eliminated would save millions and millions of dollars.
The State should not be privatized, at the opposite Nationalized. New York needs to be bailed out by the Federal Govt. Paterson has been clearly been boycotted to an unheard levels by his own people, mostly. He has managed to bring quite a bit of HAVOC. in the state command controls. Have you heard of a blind driver.
He isn’t a bad driver, He is a blind driver that can’t see obstacles. And should not be driving, Smart is one thing unable to see something else.
The military can always step in, and institute curfew like in the good old ghettos in Poland. We are headed that way. The american dream, has gone bust.
And goyim hate us at all time high here in the U.S. Soon we are going to have soldiers delivering our mail.