Just Another Vet

Governor David Paterson seems to be having a great deal of trouble getting the New York State Legislature (both senate and assembly) to go along with what he is attempting to accomplish. Although he is trying to pass the 2010/2011 budget which is now more than three months late, he is not receiving the cooperation he thought he would have from both houses of the legislature in Albany.

His primary goal is to balance the state books so we are not spending any more than we are taking in through taxes and other fund-generating procedures to keep the Empire State operating without the potential of shutdowns as has been the case the past few weeks. Most of us understand that the way our state office-holders spend, it’s no easy task to take in enough money to cover the enormous expense of what assemblymen and state senators spend each and every year for what they consider essential state purchases.

Going Bankrupt?

Because of the endless ‘essential’ purchases made in Albany, the state is literally going out of business. Instead of tightening their belts since the current recession hit last year, it seems as though more and more money is being spent leading to what Governor Paterson believes will be a staggering nine billion dollar deficit for 2011. Are you kidding me? Is the World Serious? If every taxpayer knows about this, and they certainly do, why hasn’t Albany moved to slow down expenditures so we are able to reduce this year’s and next year’s mounting red ink?

Understand that the recession we are now in is the worst within the past ninety years. That’s right 90 years! You can’t drive down any Main Street in any Long Island community without seeing a half dozen or more signs saying ‘Out of Business.’ It’s sad but all too true from one end of the island to the other. If that isn’t bad enough, we a setting all time records for home foreclosures. Each and every morning we rise and are informed how many more homes in the region, state and county have gone under the gavel forcing hard-working families from a little piece of the ‘American Dream’ into a not-so-encouraging area motel where they are forced to be squeezed in along with their children a small pet to spend their days and nights until the business climate becomes more tolerable and a parent is able to find suitable employment. 28,000 Suffolk homes and 26,000 Nassau homes have already been foreclosed.

With all this misery, some seem to be profiting from these sad stores such as ‘roach motel’ owners charging an arm and a leg for temporary housing. Some families are paying three to four thousand dollars a week to survive in such motels.

Thinkers Wanted

Something stinks and maybe someone has a buddy or two getting fat off so many unfortunate residents. I do not understand why, with so many great thinkers (or maybe they should be labeled stinkers) throughout the state, we couldn’t have turned around and helped these individuals with payment for their tardy mortgages rather than pick up part or the entire tab at so many motels. The more intelligent option might have been helping families pay a $1,500 or $2,000 monthly mortgage payment and allowed them to remain in their home. They also could have extended their mortgages for many years and they would have been able to work their way through this painful recession. Then again, I’m an honest individual while those holding public office generally are not.

A recent survey showed nine out of ten people interviewed would want to have those in office removed because they performed far below the level expected and their general effort was simply cruddy. The President of the United States turns around and avoids providing senior citizens with a moderate Social Security cost of living increase. These are individuals who have been paying into the SSI fund all their lives and now, when they need a few extra dollars more a month they have earned, the response from the Oval Office is ‘leave me alone.’ Sounds like someone simply stole their money. What a rotten, low down, dirty shame.