New York Gov. David Paterson called for a special legislative session this week to address the state’s crippling budget woes. New York currently faces a $3.2 billion deficit, so there is no time like the present to act. Unfortunately, the intransigence of lawmakers that help put the state in this position in the first place is on full display again.
To show just how petty things have gotten in Albany, take the case over this week’s activities. Paterson desired to address the legislature in a joint session set for today in order to outline a strategy to cut the deficit. Senate Democrats threatened to boycott the joint session because Paterson has no constitutional authority to call it, though they begrudgingly agreed to the special session on Tuesday, because he does hold authority to call that. Not exactly an attitude conducive to mitigating a crisis.
This complete lack of respect for the state’s top elected official by members of his own party does not bode well for Paterson’s efforts. His best hope for cooperation at this point may lay with the GOP, which holds a slim Senate majority and whose leader, Dean Skelos, has called a state spending cap a priority.
The events that transpire in Albany in the coming days could set the fiscal course for the state for years to come. Paterson has not been an ideal leader, but he has at least expressed a grasp for the gravity of the situation. The big question now is will Senate Democrats join the debate in a constructive fashion or will they scuttle a sincere attempt to make a course correction for the state with petty politics?
4 responses so far
1 Churl // Nov 9, 2009 at 2:28 pm
Remember when Obama said he would prefer that Paterson not run for re-election? Paterson did not agree. Is there some Chicago-style wire pulling going on?
2 MI-GOPer // Nov 9, 2009 at 4:59 pm
“Democrats turn on Paterson”?
Bigots. Racists. Anti-disabled. Democrats should make us all sick. Bigots. Turncoats. Racists.
Did I mention bigots?
3 Aucturian // Nov 10, 2009 at 12:02 am
Oh, I can’t wait till the constitutional convention! I agree with ‘churl’ and resent this injection of chicago politics into NYC and Albany.
For quite some time, New York State Senate just stopped when the troubled democratic party supprot switched back and forth. Wasting time, isulting citizens, while we’re all working. The nonfunctional senate and house live in a world where the representatives don’t resepct the people, and use redistricting to keep seats easier to win. Once in, their schedules are filled with personal and partisan agendas. More and more New Yorkers are asking: What can we do?
Let’s recall a similar question Thomas Jefferson asked in a 1787 letter to William Smith: “[W]hat country can preserve its liberties, if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance?” We in New York can act on Jefferson’s warning. We can demand a constitutional convention.
A new constitution must properly address official procedures to have control of a body, proper nomination of lt. governor when the seat is vacant, and address processes to formulate a budget. Maybe we should having citizens vote on certain lg. spending projects, in order to limit tax increases.
4 sinz54 // Nov 10, 2009 at 9:46 am
Aucturian:
You should talk with informed citizens of California, to find out how “government by referendum” has worked out for them.
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