CAPITOL Cuomo’s deals with labor unsettling his critics Teachers, health care unions show budget influence BY MICHAEL GORMLEY The Associated Press Michael Gormley is the Albany Capitol editor for The Associated Press.
Candidate Andrew Cuomo told fed-up voters last fall that public worker unions were among the special interests that had turned the Empire State from America’s progressive model run by titans of virtue into a boozy, bloated “Jersey Shore“ run by insiders on the public’s dime. But as governor, Cuomo has given two major prizes to two of those special interests. The actions silenced a powerful teachers’ union and a health care workers union influential with the Legislature. Both had been part of an annual labor effort that included multimillion dollar TV ad campaigns that forever weakened the last three governors. But Cuomo’s political win comes at a cost. And some of the most vulnerable New Yorkers say they are paying the price. Last week, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg won Senate approval of his proposal to base teacher layoffs on performance rather than seniority, a move that could have meant thousands of layoffs this spring. Hours later, the Democratic governor announced his competing bill, just as Democratic Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said he opposed the Senate bill. Bloomberg’s bill to end “last in, first out” was dead. Cuomo said after his political win, which drew praise from teachers unions, he will try to work out an objective evaluation system like the one Bloomberg wants. The estimate is to have something by the start of classes in September. The New York Daily News editorial said Cuomo’s action “betrayed the best interests of New York’s school children,” that his bill “is the functional equivalent of a fraud ... a severe blow to the cause of school reform statewide.” Throughout the week, others who say they are also lost in the political calculations of a tough budget walked and wheeled their way into Albany to make a case they fear is already lost. Seventeen were arrested in a demonstration to make their point that the poor and vulnerable are taking the brunt of the fiscal crisis, while the wealthiest New Yorkers see a temporary income tax increase worth billions in revenue disappear. ...................>>>>..................>>>>....................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r01600&AppName=1
CAFR....CAFR....CAFR....CAFR.....CAFR.........SLINKY ACCOUNTING AND LEGAL MUMBO JUMBO......
union workers are podium pucks and should just jump ship now if you dont like the ride.....the union workers are the wall between the government and us......
I dont like to work for a union myself,,,I choose NOT to ride that dumb ride over and over and over and over.....they make no effect for ANYONE... I wish I could say they did,,,,but they are now just used as smoke bombs to the public when the government's skirt is up and the lies are exposed
do the contracts affect us.....ABSOLUTELY...but the union workers put themselves there by their own actions and choices,,,,if you dont like it--GET OFF!!!!
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
If Cuomo caves in to the unions nothing will change in NYS and the state will remain in debt or Cuomo will be forced to raise taxes and that will not win him any votes. Catch 22.
What St. Augustine had to say about what we now call government:
"A gang is a group of men under the command of a leader, bound by a compact of association, in which the plunder is divided according to an agreed convention. If this villainy wins so many recruits from the ranks of the demoralized that it acquires territory, establishes a base, captures cities and subdues peoples, it then openly arrogates to itself the title of kingdom, which is conferred on it in the eyes of the world, not by the renunciation of aggression, but by the attainment of impunity"
Your Choices in the Political arena: Indeed, the plunder has become so common, and the plunderers so smug and self-confident, that their predations are taken for granted, and the thieves themselves treated with extraordinary deference! It is something akin to the Stockholm syndrome. You encounter the same mugger at the same spot every day, and eventually establish a sort of bizarre relationship with him----even, eventually, thanking him for not taking more. When you are given the opportunity to replace him with another mugger, you vote for the incumbent---sticking with the devil you know, unless his opponent offers to share more of his loot with you. Paul Hein 10-19-2010
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
All we are seeing is the trial balloons and posturing. Meaning all these potential plans/modifications are thrown against the wall to see which ones stick. Throw out a mass of proposals to test the political wind. Then whichever group as a voting bloc yells the loudest will be the ones cut the least as they will represent a loss in voting support for the candidate if their programs are cut. As that is the real bottom line/basis for how the chips fall=getting re-elected.
State Government Structure Location: Home > Citizen’s Guide > State Government Structure -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Legislative Branch Judicial Branch Executive Branch
The Legislative Branch The legislative branch consists of a bicameral (or two chamber) Legislature — a 62 member Senate and 150 member Assembly that, together, represent the 18 million citizens of the State. All members are elected for two-year terms.
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The Judicial Branch The judicial branch comprises a range of courts (from trial to appellate) with various jurisdictions (from village and town courts to the State's highest court — the Court of Appeals). The State assumes the cost for all but the town and village courts.
The Judiciary functions under a Unified Court System whose organization, administration and financing are prescribed by the State Constitution and the Unified Court Budget Act. The Unified Court System has responsibility for peacefully and fairly resolving civil claims, family disputes, and criminal accusations, as well as providing legal protection for children, mentally-ill persons and others entitled to special protections.
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The Executive Branch The executive branch of New York State government consists of 20 departments — the maximum number allowed by the State Constitution. This limitation came about as a result of constitutional reforms from the 1920s that were designed to make State government more manageable, by eliminating many of the independently elected executive officers and curbing the creation of new departments.
The current 20 departments are:
Agriculture and Markets Serves agricultural producers and the consuming public. Promotes agriculture through various industry and export development programs; enforces food safety laws.
Audit and Control Maintains the State’s accounts; pays the State’s payrolls and bills; invests State funds; audits State agencies and local governments; and administers the State employee retirement system.
Banking Primary regulator for State-licensed and State-chartered financial entities operating in New York, including: domestic banks, foreign agencies, branch and representative offices, savings institutions and trust companies, mortgage bankers and brokers, check cashers and money transmitters. Ensures the safe and sound conduct of these businesses, maintains public confidence in the banking system and protects the public interest as well as the interests of depositors, creditors and shareholders.
Civil Service The central personnel agency for the Executive branch of State government. Provides the State of New York with a trained workforce; administers health, dental and insurance programs covering State employees and retirees as well as some local government employees; and provides technical services to the State’s 102 municipal service agencies, covering approximately 392,000 local government employees.
Correctional Services Operates facilities for the custody and rehabilitation of inmates.
Economic Development Creates jobs and encourages economic prosperity by providing technical and financial assistance to businesses.
Education Supervises all educational institutions in the State, operates certain educational and cultural institutions, certifies teachers and certifies/licenses 44 other professions.
Environmental Conservation Administers programs designed to protect and improve the State’s natural resources.
Executive At the time of the 1920s constitutional reforms, the Executive Department — headed by the Governor — housed only a few core functions such as budgeting, central purchasing, the State police and military and naval affairs. Since that time, numerous agencies have been created within the Executive Department to accommodate governmental functions not anticipated in the 1920s, while conforming with the limits established by the Constitution. These additions include divisions and offices that do not logically fit into the framework of the other departments, such as the Division of Veterans’ Affairs (which advises veterans on services, benefits and entitlements, and administers payments of bonuses and annuities to blind veterans) and the Office of General Services (which provides centralized data processing, construction, maintenance and design services as well as printing, transportation and communication systems).
Family Assistance Promotes greater self-sufficiency by providing support services for needy families and adults that lead to self-reliance.
Health Protects and promotes the health of New Yorkers through enforcement of public health and related laws, and assurance of quality health care delivery.
Insurance Supervises and regulates all insurance business in New York State. Issues licenses to agents, brokers and consultants; conducts examinations of insurers; reviews complaints from policyholders; and approves corporate formations, mergers and consolidations.
Labor Helps New York work by preparing individuals for jobs; administering unemployment insurance, disability benefits and workers’ compensation; and ensuring workplace safety.
Law Protects the rights of New Yorkers; represents the State in legal matters; and prosecutes violations of State law.
Mental Hygiene Provides services for individuals suffering from mental illness, developmental disabilities and/or substance abuse.
Motor Vehicles Registers vehicles, licenses drivers and promotes highway safety.
Public Service Ensures that all New Yorkers have access to reliable and low-cost utility services by promoting competition and reliability in utility services.
State Known as the keeper of records, the Department of State issues business licenses, enforces building codes, provides technical assistance to local governments and administers fire prevention and control services.
Taxation and Finance Collects taxes and administers the State’s tax laws.
Transportation Coordinates and assists in the development and operation of highway, railroad, mass transit, port, waterway and aviation facilities.
Elected Officers and Appointed Officials Only four statewide government officers are directly elected:
•The Governor, who heads the Executive Department, and Lieutenant Governor (who are elected on a joint ballot). •The State Comptroller, who heads the Department of Audit and Control. •The Attorney General, who heads the Department of Law. With a few exceptions, the Governor appoints the heads of all State departments and agencies of the executive branch. The exceptions include:
•The Commissioner of the State Education Department, who is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the State Board of Regents. •The Chancellor of the State University of New York, who is appointed by a Board of Trustees. •The Chancellor of the City University of New York, who is appointed by a Board of Trustees. Local Governments Geographically, New York State is divided into 62 counties (five of which are boroughs of New York City). Within these counties are 62 cities (including New York City), 932 towns, 555 villages and 697 school districts (including New York City). In addition to counties, cities, towns and villages, “special districts” meet local needs for fire and police protection, sewer and water systems or other services.
Local governments are granted the power to adopt local laws that are not inconsistent with the provisions of the State Constitution or other general law. The Legislature, in turn, may not pass any law that affects only one locality unless the governing body of that locality has first approved the bill — referred to as a home rule request — or unless a State interest exists.
I like this summary list. Some neighbors (one a public sector worker) of ours and us were having a conversation along these lines of what could we live without. This is just kind of an open question. Which of these services are you willing to live without? Should the state cut services? Should it cut out inspections of bridges? Should it stop cleaning up oil spills? SHould it stop having driver licenses? Should it stop testing as a condition of getting a job with government? Should it stop subsidizing nursing homes? Should it stop inspecting foods? What are the ramifiacations of cuts? If bridges inspections are cut, what will you say when a bridge is cost or a family member loses his/her life when a bridge goes down? Clean up of oil spills is cut, are you willing to live with the consequences? If driver licenses are cut, are you willing to drive on the roads with people who don't know how to drive? Without civil service tests, what are the chances that the hiring will be done based only on political connections, like happens with titltes that are not tested for. Without money going into nursing homes, how would the elderly who need such services, get it? Are you willing to eat foods which have not been inspected and origins are unknown?
Remember that tour bus in NYC, what did virtually the whole population say? "the government needs to do more, to make sure buses are safe" OK, do you prefer more regulation of buses in the interest of protecting travelers or do you prefer the goverment cut out all regulating and if people are hurt, then no big deal? Last summer some senator I think, criticized the DOT for excessive use of overtime by those who were inspecting school buses. Should the state cut back on inspecting buses?
How do you answer these questions? When there is a pot hole, who do you call? When you have exhausted your arguing with Nat Grid, who do you call? When snow and ice cover your street, who do you call? When you go to a restaurant and see someone handling money and then handling the food, and you tell the manater, but then you go there the following week and see the same thing, who do you report this to? When the house next door, owned by a slumlord, has smelly trash overflowing in the bags near your fence, who do you call? When patients in a hospital or nursing home frequenly get bed sores, who do you call? When the car you bought turns out to be a lemon, who do you call? When you suspect a child is being mistreated, who do you call? When your employer does not pay you OT for excess of 40 hours a week, who do you call?
And I said, why do we need government employees checking out the content of fat in cakes and in the oil used for fries. I'll bet some of those regs cost us a bundle. I mean, hey, we might get fries at fast food three or four times a year, is that going to kill us? While maybe knowing where meat is from and wanting to be sure it's inspected might be OK for the government to do and us to pay for, why should we pay to regulate the texture (and ability for decorating) of frosting on wedding and birthday cakes.
What do we need, what can we live without. Good thing DV hasn't been posting frequently, we don't need to hear that we need high paid teachers and 100% tax exemptions to millionaires
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
why does another layer of government have to inspect the school buses? why is it the government's job to check for bedsores? why do we have to have tour buses? why do we continually go to the same restaurant to eat if we feel it is unsafe? why would you stay in the employ of a jerk boss? why would you go back to the same car dealer and not pass along word of mouth how they suck? why doesn't the neighborhood take back it's street and take on the slumlord?
we spend so much time working to pay for taxes that it leaves no time for things like this.....everytime we get the government involved it costs...and they are lawyers and accountants.....we have access to lawyers but our elected write laws that make our hired lawyers ineffective because we are without the knowledge of the language of the law......
so I say...keep the legal beagels out of our personal business and we can survive after taking back our valuable time....my time is worth more than running around like a hampster in a cage to meet this and meet that for the government legal beagels....why do we take cold medicine?.....so we can get to work and make money for the government.....
all these regulations/laws are feel good podium pucks that remove the ability and desire for folks to 'DO'.......blanket laws and regs so 'no one has to worry'.......that sounds nice but it insidiously usurps the human spirit.....and soon the American Pioneering spirit will be extinct.....
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
why does another layer of government have to inspect the school buses? why is it the government's job to check for bedsores? why do we have to have tour buses? why do we continually go to the same restaurant to eat if we feel it is unsafe? why would you stay in the employ of a jerk boss? why would you go back to the same car dealer and not pass along word of mouth how they suck? why doesn't the neighborhood take back it's street and take on the slumlord?
we spend so much time working to pay for taxes that it leaves no time for things like this.....everytime we get the government involved it costs...and they are lawyers and accountants.....we have access to lawyers but our elected write laws that make our hired lawyers ineffective because we are without the knowledge of the language of the law......
so I say...keep the legal beagels out of our personal business and we can survive after taking back our valuable time....my time is worth more than running around like a hampster in a cage to meet this and meet that for the government legal beagels....why do we take cold medicine?.....so we can get to work and make money for the government.....
all these regulations/laws are feel good podium pucks that remove the ability and desire for folks to 'DO'.......blanket laws and regs so 'no one has to worry'.......that sounds nice but it insidiously usurps the human spirit.....and soon the American Pioneering spirit will be extinct.....
I understand your frustration, we are all frustrated. But, if you don't mind, let me throw out some questions to your comments regardless of my personal thoughts on the issues.
The state inspects buses. What additional layer are you talking about? Do you believe buses, especially school buses should not be inspected?
The government doesn't check for bedsores, but when patients are poorly taken care of, should poor care in hospitals and nursing facilites just be ignored? If you had a family member that was poorly taken care of in the hospital, let's say, developed bed sores which became infected, perhaps resulting in loss of leg or arm, whatever, then would you just say "oh well, no big deal." Would you contact the head of the hospital who might say "I'm sorry" and then you would leave it at that? And then if it happened to others (and you became aware of it) would you still think "oh well, no big deal" Should regulation/inspection of hospitals & nursing homes be eliminated even if it means people might be hurt?
Remember the story not long ago about Northwoods, locally. Was it proper use of tax dollars for the state to close them down? Or is it better that these places just be left to do whatever they want no matter who gets hurt?
Why do we have to have tour buses? I'm going to guess you would prefer to drive your car to NYC to see a Broadway show? How about someone who worked all their life, nsaved for retirement, and can no longer drive, or has vision issues, should they be denied the enjoyment of life?
THe restaurant, well, yeah, I wouldn't go back if I had a bad experience myself, however, would you say that restaurants should operate totally without any government oversight, never to be inspected. When you go to a restaurant, do you do an inspection before you order? Do you go into the kitchen and check the bowls, pots, pans and countertops for cleanliness? Do you bring a thermometer with you and check the temperature of the water used in cleaning? Do you check the temperature of the refrigeration?
Why would someone stay in the employ of a jerk boss? Maybe because there are no jobs out there? Perhaps because they have a family to support, rent to pay, etc? Shoould employers be allowed to exploit employees? Should there be no oversight of employers? Should employers be allowed to uncontrollably exploit employees? And the employees' only recources are to leave their job even if it means having no replacement job, then no income? With the low wages so many employers pay, far too many employees can't put away money to keep them afloat for 6 months if they have a jerk boss.
THe car dealership, we can all pass the word. I can tell my siblings, my neighbors, my co-workers about a lemon I bought at ABC Dealership. If I don't know you, and none of my family, neighbors, and co-workers know you. OK, I have the car, it's a lemon. I go to the dealership and they won't do anything. To whom do I turn to? I write "dear editor" in the papers and the dealership sues me for libel. Maybe other people do the same thing after their experiences. This one is easier because via enough word of mouth or media stories, most people are not going to do business with that dealership and it will make good to the customers or go under. However, If they go under, then what happens to those who suffered a loss?
What should the neighborhood do about the slumlord? Write a letter to an a fly-by-night LLC at a PO Box in Timbucktoo and say, "could you please have someone come and clean up the trash" If the neighborhood doesn't get a response, ok, the neighborhood could go pick up the trash itself and put it at the curb. But now the neighborhood writes a letter to the LLC about the chimney bricks that are falling down into your driveway, or the slate shingles falling. If the neigborhood doesn't get an answer, what does the neighborhood do? Would YOU spent $10,000 of your own money and hire a chimney company to come and replace the chimney on the house next door to you owned by an absentee slumlord?
I like these discussions like this, I like to think about both sides and sometimes try to take opposing side, or even both sides sometimes. I'm sitting here watching that meeting that Paul Tonko had about the CDBG issue and some woman stands up and says that money from the lottery is supposed to be used ONLY for education and nothing but. But she didn't say one word about how, if any, it's not being used for education. And it's when people don't know, they mis-understand. But I listened to that woman and thought "I wonder if she thinks money should be used to pay the winners." Ch 6 said something recently that half of the revenue goes to pay winners, then of course there's the costs of terminals, printing tickets, paying Yolanda to get people to play, paying KPMG, paying for audits, etc, and then other goes to education. I mean, I don't think money from Lottery goes to fund nursing homes, or snow plowing, etc. The speaker said something about Tax and Finance and I thought, DUH! SHe needs an education in that Tax and Finance must get involved because it's income to the winner. OK, I got carried away.
THanks, senders, keep putting out thoughts (and the rest of you too)
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
THANK YOU MC.....I really really appreciate the discussion.....that is why I post most of what I post.....I dont think anyone is 'wrong' in their own postings just seeking others views/experiences if they care to share..... have a GREAT DAY....type with ya later
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
Logged
have a GREAT DAY....type with ya later
