If It Looks Like a Dysfunctional Government …

November

Gov. David Paterson was asked this morning whether Albany’s inability to cut the current state budget by $2 billion today is a sign of its dysfunction.

His response:

“Well if it looks like a dysfunctional government, and it acts like a dysfunctional government, it may actually be one,” Paterson said.

Paterson has grown increasingly frustrated with Senate Republicans over their unwillingness to negotiate any budget cuts. He was on WCBS radio in New York City to discuss it and then went on Fred Dicker’s radio show in Albany to continue to question why lawmakers refuse to negotiate.

He’s holding a public leaders’ meeting at 12:30 today to get them all on the record about where they stand.

You can watch it here.

“I just am very interested in finding out if the leaders are willing to negotiate because it is clear that nobody wants to take the first step,” he said.

He said that taking no action today does not bode well for having to potentially cut $15 billion from the budget next year to close the 2009-10 budget gap.

“We’re looking at a Legislature that can’t reduce the budget by $2 billion when the indebtedness is $15 billion,” he said. “That’s really an unfortunate situation, and I don’t really know any other way to describe it unless we act soon.”

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 18th, 2008 at 12:09 pm by Joseph Spector.
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7 Responses to “If It Looks Like a Dysfunctional Government …”

the consultant November 18th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
you have to hand it to him..he says what he is thinking
this is a dysfunctional state..too much power for too
long in the special interests that contribute and
work for the candidates on both sides of the aisle..
ed1 November 18th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
”...Senate Republicans who are unwilling to negotiate any budget cuts?” If I read this right, the Guv didn’t say this, but Joe Spector did. Have the Democrats been rallying for budget cuts? If so, I hadn’t noticed. As an independent voter, I think they’re ALL dysfunctional. Each side wants to play defensive volleyball and have the other side take the hit. Meanwhile, the State staggers. Maybe someone should come up with an even more pejorative term than “dysfunctional.” It doesn’t seem to embarrass anyone up there any longer.
Generation X November 18th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
The senate republicans will be out of control in January. It should be the democrats who make these decisions. Because when the Democrats take control they will blame the Republicans for the cuts. The voters have spoken. It is the Democrats call on this.
The Voice of the Majority November 18th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
It’s not “each side” that wants to avoid the hit – it’s the REPUBLICANS who want to avoid the hit. They want to blame it all on the Democrats, starting the 2010 election right now. Lest we forget, the bulk of the mess began under Gov. Pataki® and the Republican Senate as well as the Democratic Assembly.

The Assembly was prepared to vote for some cuts IF and only IF the Republicans joined them. Since the cuts hurt Democratic constituencies they wanted it to be a joint effort. The Republican Senate, smarting from their loss, said “nothing doing”, and played rope-a-dope. Give us the whole budget for 2009-2010 before we vote. And the Assembly Republicans barked on the sidelines as usual, with no power and no sense of responsibility. And they keep losing seats (down to 41!).
ed1 November 18th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
If so, then why don’t the Dems get it in motion, bring up the cuts they propose, lose the Republican votes in the Senate, and then revote and re-affirm when they gain their seats in January? Because they are utilizing a thinly-veiled political game-plan of their own. It’s all Machiavelli up there. And your guys are not without sin – far from it. They’re ALL useless. By simply pointing fingers, you’re cheering on the status quo.
a new day November 18th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
The republicans will have no control after January. Let them vote in January. This will be a Democrat thing not a Republican thing. Voice of the Majority you blame Pataki. Why not go back farther. Blame Rockafellor. Why not blame the Republicans. Pataki has been out of office for a while. The Democrats will control all 3 branches of state government. They will have no one to blame. Remember it is a new day in January. We all voted for change. Let’s see how they do. If they succeed you know they will take the credit.
Good luck. You will need it.
Jiminy Cricket November 18th, 2008 at 9:19 pm
Ed…Yes, there is a better term than “dysfunctional.” It begins with an “f” and ends in “up.”

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