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CAPITAL
Higher fees, taxes would make N.Y. tough on young
BY VALERIE BAUMAN The Associated Press

    Oh, to be young in New York — at least for now.
    Just as Gov. David Paterson is trying to “right size” New York and halt an exodus of young educated New Yorkers, his budget proposal to slash public spending and raise dozens of taxes and fees would hit younger New Yorkers hard.
His 2009-10 budget released Tuesday would, among other things, jack up the cost of going to college, downloading music and movies, buying beer and wine, seeing a show or game, even paying the rent.
And as unemployment spikes, the old reliable pipeline of state jobs could dry up because of layoffs and a government hiring freeze, months after New York made a big push to hold on to college graduates.
    For those youth who do get a state job, pensions and other benefits are shrinking or disappearing altogether.
    “It’s an extra month’s pay a year in order for me to go to school next year,” said Adam Torres, who hopes to graduate from Bronx Community College this year. The 22-yearold hopes to transfer to a City University of New York college to become a teacher, but he’s worried about the $600 tuition increase Paterson proposed.
    The increase will bring SUNY tuition to $4,970 for one semester, and $4,600 for CUNY. In-state college tuition in New York is still considered a bargain compared to private schools and out-of-state tuition in other parts of the country.
    Paterson’s proposal to cut public school aid by 3.3 percent also has Torres thinking that he might not be able to land a teaching job in New York when he’s done.
    “The next obvious state is New Jersey, and I would hate to have to leave my home and the state,” he said.
    Paterson’s call to reduce public workers’ pension benefits are a longer term worry.
    “If benefits like that are continuing to be cut, it makes me wonder what kind of life I’ll be able to provide my children and grandchildren,” Torres said.
    “The governor chose to avoid broad-based tax increases, such as the income tax, and instead turned to specific fee and assessment increases that we believe are necessary to balance this budget, and which are placed primarily on discretionary spending rather than on necessities,” said Errol Cockfield, a Paterson spokesman.
    Paterson says years of Albany’s notorious overspending, a national recession and Wall Street’s collapse forces him to take drastic steps to eliminate what he projects will be $51.1 billion in deficits over the next four years. He warned for months there would be pain, and now he’s trying to minimize it by spreading the cuts to all New Yorkers. He’s also proposed a loan program that if approved by the Legislature would provide students some lower interest aid.
    “I think young people are going to really feel the pinch,” said Blair Horner, legislative director for The New York Public Interest Research Group. “Now, what they choose to do about that, who knows? The financial insecurity that young people feel, it is, I think, a palpable and real problem.”
    Horner said students will be hit with a tuition increase and limited access to tuition assistance programs.
    Katherine Tejada of the Bronx feels the pinch just getting to her writing and literature classes at Manhattan Community College. A subway ride could cost her $2.50 next year, even as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority plans to reduce services. She’s...........http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....amp;EntityId=Ar00103

Quoted from bumblethru

Listen carefully.....STATE WORKERS DO 'NOT' PAY STATE INCOME TAX....EVER!!!! Just Federal taxes!  Whether working or retired!  I believe this is called 'corporate welfare'!! It is time that the state workers start paying their 'fair share'. State workers are becoming a major part of the fiscal problems in this state.

Quoted from B GAGE

Quoted from bumblethru

Listen carefully.....STATE WORKERS DO 'NOT' PAY STATE INCOME TAX....EVER!!!! Just Federal taxes!  Whether working or retired!  I believe this is called 'corporate welfare'!! It is time that the state workers start paying their 'fair share'. State workers are becoming a major part of the fiscal problems in this state.

Why are  you bashing the state workers......how about the  scumbags that are on welfare that do not  need it.......increase the welfare grant  ya good one

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Governor Paterson makes first trip to Iraq to spread holiday cheer
BY STEPHANIE GASKELL
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER



Sunday, December 21st 2008, 11:18 AM

Gov. Paterson made a surprise visit to Iraq on Sunday to deliverChristmas presents to the troops and say thank you on behalf of all NewYorkers.

Paterson, joined by Reps. Anthony Weiner (D-Brooklyn,Queens) and Steve Israel (D-L.I.), arrived in Iraq with Yankees andMets baseball caps for the soldiers.

...
"They treat the three of us as if we've done something extraordinary by coming over to visit them," he told reporters by phone from Baghdad."The least we can do is come over and bring them some gifts and tell them how much the American people, in particular New Yorkers, arebehind them."

It was the first trip to Iraq for Paterson and Weiner and the third for Rep. Israel.


"I think you can see on thefaces and feel from the conversations of those who are serving here in Iraq that they really feel the allegiance back home," he (Paterson) said.

sgaskell@nydailynews.com

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Paterson spent Sunday in Iraq with Reps. Steve Israel of Long Island and Anthony Weiner of Queens; the three Democrats were joined by Republican Reps. Tom Cole of Oklahoma and Ed Whitfield of Kentucky.