Gavin in Va Beach Posted March 20, 2006 Share Posted March 20, 2006 Syracuse City Budget Faces Widening GapMonday, March 20, 2006 By Frederic Pierce Staff writer The amount of money Syracuse city government spends each year is growing twice as fast as the amount of revenue it takes in, according to the state comptroller's office. That's worse than Albany, Rochester, Yonkers and even financially failing Buffalo have done in recent years. But it doesn't mean that Syracuse is headed for the same kind of state budget takeover that has forced Buffalo to close schools, consolidate its parks department with Erie County and cut more than 1,000 jobs, state officials said. "Syracuse has a number of things in its favor, and it's doing some things it needs to do," said Mark Pattison, deputy comptroller in charge of the local government unit. "Control boards can help enforce fiscal discipline, but they don't do anything to change the underlying structural problems of a city's budget." Syracuse Mayor Matt Driscoll raised the specter of a state financial takeover two weeks ago during a State of the City speech in which he warned that Syracuse and other upstate cities could go the way of Buffalo without large piles of new revenue. The speech underscored last month's comptroller's analysis that found all five large cities outside of New York City are facing serious fiscal stress factors, including dwindling popu- lations, shrinking tax bases, rising fixed costs and decreasing ability to raise local taxes. When the factors are tallied together, Syracuse winds up just below Buffalo, the poster child for the plight of urban areas north of New York City. State officials Friday cautioned that all five big Upstate cities shared similar problems and warned that their report shouldn't be used to rank them in a particular order. Rochester and Syracuse are particularly similar, Pattison said. Syracuse has insufficient revenues, too much debt, high fixed costs, heavy reliance on state and federal aid, and a shortage of cash, the report showed. "It's becoming more and more difficult to balance the budget each year," said Administration Director Ken Mokrzycki, Syracuse's acting budget director. "I have never been in a position of looking at such a large budget gap so soon in the future." That gap, estimated to be at least $27 million next fiscal yearnot including the school's district's $18 million spending holewidens to a projected $48.5 million just two years from now, Mokrzycki said. http://www.syracuse.com/news/poststandard/...ll=1&thispage=2 (currently living in Syracuse, but getting the !@#$ out of here as soon as I graduate) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 That gap, estimated to be at least $27 million next fiscal year not including the school's district's $18 million spending hole widens to a projected $48.5 million just two years from now, Mokrzycki said. 636682[/snapback] How in the hell can they project a gap nearly 200% bigger in just TWO years? That's some scary "only in NY" crap going on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweet baboo Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 boy is this a depressing thread...i really need to get out of this state Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjamie12 Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 boy is this a depressing thread...i really need to get out of this state 637603[/snapback] See, I think it's just the opposite... I think you should stay (assuming you want to), and help clean up the mess that's been made. I love Western New York, and want to see something resembling good times again. If everyone leaves, there is no chance of that happening. We need people to stay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IowaBill Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 See, I think it's just the opposite... I think you should stay (assuming you want to), and help clean up the mess that's been made. I love Western New York, and want to see something resembling good times again. If everyone leaves, there is no chance of that happening. We need people to stay. 637617[/snapback] It's mostly a question of perspective. WNY and upstate NY may need to people to stay, but do thjose people need to stay in WNY and upstate. Like many people my age, I bailed on WNY about 15 years ago. I don't regret the move at all. I may miss the area at times, but I know leaving was the right thing to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweet baboo Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 See, I think it's just the opposite... I think you should stay (assuming you want to), and help clean up the mess that's been made. I love Western New York, and want to see something resembling good times again. If everyone leaves, there is no chance of that happening. We need people to stay. 637617[/snapback] I'd love to stay here...My wife is not from WNY and she'd love to stay here. I just need a job first...and the market for Chemical Engineering PhD's seems pretty damn thin here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kegtapr Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 I'd love to stay here...My wife is not from WNY and she'd love to stay here. I just need a job first...and the market for Chemical Engineering PhD's seems pretty damn thin here. 638537[/snapback] Really? I'd think with Xerox, Kodak, B&L that there would be a good market for that kind of degree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YellowLinesandArmadillos Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 That's was a horseshit argument the first time it was made, and it's a horseshit argument now. NYC has the financial district of the richest country in the world and the United Nations, which means it's pretty much recession proof. At the same time it wields a ridiculous amount of power to set the legislative direction of the rest of the state, which led to almost complete business flight everywhere else. But we can pretend tossing a few crumbs in the way of tax money balances everything else out because it makes it seem like the failed liberal policies of the last forty years actually suck a bit less. Oh and BTW, I don't know where you get your numbers but NYC's population (according to the 2004 census) is north of 8.1 million. That's over 40% of the state's population. 634972[/snapback] Darin is right about the pop numbers Mickey, overall state is 17+ million 12+ in NYC and 4+ in upstate. Except Darin NYC is does drive the economy of the state and upstate politicians have been bought of and are incompetent both GOP and Dems. The GOP controls much of upstate and pays a lot of lip service to improving the economy up there but rarely delivers anything, the only area that seems to weather economic storms is the Southern tier. U.S. Rep. Amo Houghton ® of Corning Glass fame seems to have had a decent moderate balance between delivering projects and business acumem. Except he recently retired. What was interesting in this whole discussion is that it started out as a Republican Bash of Spitzer. Funny how it seems the Bloomberg is going to endorse Spitzer, how about them apples. On the other hand the corruption especially upstate and tax rates make D.C. taxes look reasonable. Heck, I moved to Massachusetts and despite criticisms, the taxes there are on par with Virginia's, in some cases a lot less, in others close. I guess NYS taxes wouldn't be so bad if you actually got some decent infrastructure for the dollars spent, but until pollution issues, clean air, and corruption is dealt as a result of the tax dollars you cannot expect young families to want to even telecommute from those areas. The relatively good schools just allow folks to get out quicker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
X. Benedict Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 The GOP controls much of upstate and pays a lot of lip service to improving the economy up there but rarely delivers anything, the only area that seems to weather economic storms is the Southern tier. U.S. Rep. Amo Houghton ® of Corning Glass fame seems to have had a decent moderate balance between delivering projects and business acumem. Except he recently retired. 639423[/snapback] Amo was pretty well liked by people of both parties. He was pragmatic. The Southern tier seems to weather everything because it never gets the economic upturns to begin with. The coming crunch is coming with Medicaid. Unlike other states, NY has cut taxes and shifted the burden to the counties. If I remember correctly 52% of Livingston County's budget will be for Medicaid in the coming fiscal year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YellowLinesandArmadillos Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 Amo was pretty well liked by people of both parties. He was pragmatic. The Southern tier seems to weather everything because it never gets the economic upturns to begin with. The coming crunch is coming with Medicaid. Unlike other states, NY has cut taxes and shifted the burden to the counties. If I remember correctly 52% of Livingston County's budget will be for Medicaid in the coming fiscal year. 639453[/snapback] The old making your bed you lie in it adage applies here. Neglect and lack of inspiration provided to today's youth have left everyone who could get out, gone. The rest there are dependent upon government help. No surprise and now with all the fed cut backs except for the war effort and for give aways to drug companies, and with prohibitive tax rates and corruption eliminatingusiness investment opportunities, upstate is becoming like North Dakota, who really wants to live there? Cargill, Monsanto and ADM is taking over the farmland, I even heard the King Ranch has a sizeable chunck of upstate under its belt. Here comes mono-culture and high level pesticide use. Better check you wells for chems leaching from non-point sources. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 Except Darin NYC is does drive the economy of the state Where did I say anything different? They have to drive the economy of the state because 40 years of favorable legislation toward downstate has killed business everywhere else. Did you miss the part where I said they have the financial center of the goddamn universe in their yard? Pretty much recession proof. and upstate politicians have been bought of and are incompetent both GOP and Dems. The GOP controls much of upstate and pays a lot of lip service to improving the economy up there but rarely delivers anything What can they deliver? Empire zones? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA You're never going to get businesses to move in for nothing more than tax breaks because of all the long term costs associated with doing business in NYS. Unlike the voters, CFOs can understand a balance sheet and have to look at a crystal ball to keep their businesses healthy. The only thing NYS politicians are concerned about is keeping their power base and their families/friends in cushy jobs. What was interesting in this whole discussion is that it started out as a Republican Bash of Spitzer. Funny how it seems the Bloomberg is going to endorse Spitzer, how about them apples. Whoopie. Bloomberg is about as conservative as Mickey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YellowLinesandArmadillos Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 You're never going to get businesses to move in for nothing more than tax breaks because of all the long term costs associated with doing business in NYS. Unlike the voters, CFOs can understand a balance sheet and have to look at a crystal ball to keep their businesses healthy. 639562[/snapback] What are the long term costs minus some tax breaks, graft and protection money? The only thing NYS politicians are concerned about is keeping their power base and their families/friends in cushy jobs. Yeh, unfortunately this seems to happen across the political spectrum and until that changes you won't get rational property tax breaks? Sales tax rates aren't too bad, pollution and bad weather is still a problem. Spitzer doesn't sound so bad under that light, he might actually be able to weed through that B.S. and have some clout to do it. Wether he will or not is another story, but you never know? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 What are the long term costs minus some tax breaks, graft and protection money? Labor costs adjusted for productivity, energy costs, taxes, hiring/firing regulations, educated work force, mandated benefits... NYS consistantly ranks in the bottom five states in this type of thing. Spitzer doesn't sound so bad under that light, he might actually be able to weed through that B.S. and have some clout to do it. Wether he will or not is another story, but you never know? 639895[/snapback] Spitzer is an assclown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YellowLinesandArmadillos Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 Labor costs adjusted for productivity, energy costs, taxes, hiring/firing regulations, educated work force, mandated benefits... NYS consistantly ranks in the bottom five states in this type of thing. Spitzer is an assclown. 640865[/snapback] Tell me how you really feel, LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gavin in Va Beach Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 State Tells Towns: Trees Are Taxable Some towns are raising the assessments on properties filled with trees. Friday, March 24, 2006 By Erik Kriss Albany bureau New Yorkers pay taxes on everything from cell phone calls to fireplace mittens. What's next, trees? Actually, yes. Some towns, including Cortlandville in Cortland County, have begun dramatically raising assessments on large properties for the value of their trees. Opponents call the move "crazy," saying it will encourage the chopping of trees and could hurt wildlife, water supplies and soil as well as the timber, maple and recreation industries by depleting healthy forests. Some state lawmakers agree and have introduced legislation to prohibit the practice. But the Pataki administration says the number and quality of a property's trees affect its market value, which forms the basis for its tax assessment. Plant a tree, raise your taxes Is this pretty common everywhere? Do you usually have to have x amount of trees before it kicks in or is one enough? Or is this just another revenue grab by the good ole' state of new york? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YellowLinesandArmadillos Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 Plant a tree, raise your taxesIs this pretty common everywhere? Do you usually have to have x amount of trees before it kicks in or is one enough? Or is this just another revenue grab by the good ole' state of new york? 641360[/snapback] sWhat do you think and from a Republican Governor, shame on him. Hence, why NY taxes system is inane and overburdensome. This sounds like a communist plot to redistribute income, with a Republican twist. Nothing like Tammany Hall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 I can't wait till the NON-union freight company gets here to drop off an operator unit... About 600 lbs... For some reason it left Grand Rapids and went right past this place and went to Midway... There it sat for days... We finally get a call from a dispatcher that they have been trying to find this place... Think that NON-union company has provisons to get the thing off the truck for the driver?... I sure the hell don't but, can find a way. Think I should help? Mix a tractor, some boards and what-not... It is gonna look like 2 monkeys effing a foot ball. I guess this is how non-union companies get ahead. If it was up to me... I would refuse the order. Heck... I could have picked it up in Michigan 2 days ago with the pick-up truck... All the huffing and puffing would have been worth it. It is the little things... The little things... Who plows the snow and fixes the roads. Getting gov't security items is a beautiful thing. Sorry for the rant... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 I think more of us agree than just you two. Western NYS is not a place you move to, it's a place you move from. 634783[/snapback] Why? I pay more in taxes in a republican collar county in Illinois than if my house was in NYS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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