The state budget needs to at least be frozen  .. preferably cut.   Budget cuts should be achieved by
FIRST eliminating waste by consolidating agencies  --- eliminating a lot of the "fat" at the top and middle
management.    

Budget items like State Museum hours and NYSTI should not be cut with an ax.

Some of Patterson's budget cuts made no sense --   closing the State Museum on Sunday and the
Corning Tower observation deck on Saturday made no sense.     The State Museum and the Corning Tower
observation deck are tourist attractions  --- weekends are a time when most people go visit tourist attractions.  They could have closed the State Museum and the observation deck on a Monday when it is slow tourist wise.

Items like NYSTI  and the ice skating at the Empire Plaza are part of the cultural life of our area and state.
If they cut off State Senators - like Farley - from taxpayer funded vacations .. the state could refund
NYSTI and, also, skating at Empire Plaza.

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

The state budget needs to at least be frozen  .. preferably cut.   Budget cuts should be achieved by
FIRST eliminating waste by consolidating agencies  --- eliminating a lot of the "fat" at the top and middle
management.    

Budget items like State Museum hours and NYSTI should not be cut with an ax.

Some of Patterson's budget cuts made no sense --   closing the State Museum on Sunday and the
Corning Tower observation deck on Saturday made no sense.     The State Museum and the Corning Tower
observation deck are tourist attractions  --- weekends are a time when most people go visit tourist attractions.  They could have closed the State Museum and the observation deck on a Monday when it is slow tourist wise.

Items like NYSTI  and the ice skating at the Empire Plaza are part of the cultural life of our area and state.
If they cut off State Senators - like Farley - from taxpayer funded vacations .. the state could refund
NYSTI and, also, skating at Empire Plaza.

DV, NYSTI and the museum are NOT necessary.  YOU can pay for it out of YOUR OWN pocket.     Run the state like a household budget.  When money is tight you spend the money on sidewalk instead of spending it at the theater.  You replace the furnace instead of sending the kids to private lessons and sports.  You pay your medical bills and cut out the cable TV.   Household budgets have eliminated the extras.  The state MUST cut out the extras too.    

Gosh, I heard smeone on the radio today from Erie Co I think and it was talking about medicaid in NY state, which is generous in many ways because it covers things beyond what the federal government mandates.  SO I hear the guy listing some of the things that could be cut from medicaid.  Private duty nursing.  Now, there's this push on to get people out of nursing home, so the families need the nurse to come to their home because caregivers can't quit their jobs, but then someone suggested eliminating the nurse that comes to the home?  The guy was listing other things, not mandated, such as eyeglasses - so I guess people on medicaid can go without glasses.  Diabetic shoes are covered, like most health insurances cover it.  I guess diabetics can just have their legs cut off.   Eliminate dental care.  Even those that take best care of their teeth can get cavities, and when the teeth rot, that causes cardio-vascular problems, but let's cut out dental care for people on medicaid.  They'll have more expensive problems, might need expensive heart surgeries, and they'll have to live on liquid diets.

But of course, as DV says, the arts and culture and other things NOT essential to public safety, NOT essential to living, we should fund that stuff.  

How about cutting the fat pensions of the teachers which are bankrupting the municipalities.  How about cutting all the handouts to the millionaire businesses in downtown Schenectady??????

How about with the State Museum making an actual charge for people to enter?  Right now, you don't have a clue how many people are going in and out and how many of those are or aren't paying the "suggested donation" in the boxes at the entrances.  If you actually charged a fixed fee, maybe the museum would more take care of itself.  Also, find out the times where the least number of people are coming and close for a few hours to help to control costs.

when the economy is bad it's bad...donations fall....I would go to the museum 'free'....why not?

My only reason for saying that they need to put in something to make sure people pay is because of the costs of running the museum.  They can't guarantee that they're going to make a penny, and with the economy how it is, people do refuse to pay for it, most likely, and rihtfully thinking that we already pay enough out of our state taxes to fund it.  Well, we're being bled dry and we can't afford it anymore.

Quoted from Kevin March

How about with the State Museum making an actual charge for people to enter?  Right now, you don't have a clue how many people are going in and out and how many of those are or aren't paying the "suggested donation" in the boxes at the entrances.  If you actually charged a fixed fee, maybe the museum would more take care of itself.  Also, find out the times where the least number of people are coming and close for a few hours to help to control costs.

I would have no problem if they charged an admission fee for the State Museum.  

Quoted from Kevin March

My only reason for saying that they need to put in something to make sure people pay is because of the costs of running the museum.  They can't guarantee that they're going to make a penny, and with the economy how it is, people do refuse to pay for it, most likely, and rihtfully thinking that we already pay enough out of our state taxes to fund it.  Well, we're being bled dry and we can't afford it anymore.

I would pay to....hell, it's cheaper than a movie....what is funny is that we purchase movie crap and actors get millions and we afford
their lucrative life styles...yet we need to make a museum 'donations suggested'??? might as well have a lotto terminal in the lobby
of the museum....hell, use lotto $$...donate that in their hats...it's for edumacation....isn't a museum for edumacation/arts/history?