THE STATE OF THE STATE

Governor Paterson is a talented man.

Herewith, are some thoughts as to
what the State of the State should
include:

1. Balancing the budget. Reduce spending.
No new spending.

Responsible New Yorkers are doing so.
Government must do the same.

End sanctuary status for New York
City and New York State.

Require state/ US citizenship
for receiving any social services and
educational benefits, or jobs.

Uneducated, illegal aliens are a drain
on government and law enforcement
budgets, at every level.

Illegals compete with citizens who
will be looking for work in these
times of rising unemployment.

Wean lifers off welfare and social
service systems Reform those
systems to discourage rewarding
destructive, anti-social behaviors,
including teen age pregnancies.
(See earlier post, this blog for more
specifics).

2. Health Care.

All adults over 18
(except if in school) should be
responsible for their own health
and health care.

An obesity tax on soft drinks is
absurd. What will be taxed next?

Why not enact an across the board
fat tax for any adult or child that
exceeds the recommended weight
applicable to their sex, age, height
and physical frame?

Eating less and more exercise is
the answer. This should be a
personal responsibility not
mandated by government.

Not, to worry. With hard economic
times, the obesity problem will
quickly disappear.

3. Education

To become educated, one must
desire to learn, make the effort
to learn and put into practice
that which is learned.

We spend much too much
money and resources
trying to educate unwilling
students who do not value
learning, who do not make
the effort to learn, and who
do not behave in a manner
that demonstrates that they
are, in fact, capable of being
productive, responsible
members of society.

Children who come from
dysfunctional households
and neighborhoods can not
be expected to change.

The responsibility for
improved aspirations and
behaviors lies with
the adults in those households
and neighborhoods, the
churches and with the children
themselves.

Public schools that lack
disciplined environments
where unwilling learners
detract from students who
desire to learn, serve neither
well.

Every child need not go to college.
Particularly those not academically
motivated or equipped.

Such students must be steered
to careers in trades , and other
occupations which afford them
opportunities to be productive
members of society, who earn
a decent living.

The recalcitrant, unwilling
learners should be culled out
of school early and sent to
Boot Camp educational settings
staffed by former military.

Rather than close facilities
like Mt McGregor, convert
the them to boot camp academies.

Involve those participants in
public service work improving
blighted neighborhoods and
deteriorated urban utility/
infrastructure renewal, urban
forestry, etc. Teach them skills
behaviors, attitudes, and values
so that they become well adjusted
productive members of society.

Offer technical, trade, occupational
diplomas to those not academically
inclined or equipped.

Expand the New York Guard or
state organized militia provided for
under the State Constitution.

This body takes over when the
National Guard is activated and
sent out of state.

The New York Guard should have
a construction and public service
focus as well as security mission.

Provide 19,and 20 +year old volunteers
with a modest stipend, health benefits
educational opprtunities, free college
tuition at community colleges, etc.

An expanded New York Guard home
defense/construction/public service
force is a wise move when we are
facing more emergencys, natural
and man made disasters and terrorist
threats.

Do not give people health care, food
an education....have them earn it!

4. Energy and Environment. Focus on Upstate.

Conserve. Use less energy.

Shift away from private vehicles
to rebuilding canals and waterways
rail roads and light rail lines to
move freight and passengers.

Most of New York's population
still resides in the Hudson River
Mohawk-Erie Canal corridors.

Rebuild the transportation, utility
manufacturing and
urban infrastructures of those
corridors.

Create an independent Erie Canal
Authority, seperate from the NYS
Thruway, and seek domestic and
foreign investment to achieve the
above objectives.

Scrap plan to dredge Hudson
River PCB's. Reallocate millions
of dollars to rebuild aging water
and sewer infrastructure of
Troy, Albany, Cohoes
Watervliet and river towns.



Scrap the taxpayer give aways to
AMD and other such outfits, investing
in blue collar jobs in transportation
utilities, manufacturing, trades and
construction.

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles are not
the way to go in the vastness of Upstate.

Natural gas, water power and, yes, coal
will be required for transporation, heating
and electric power production.

Expand agriculture and food production
processing base of Upstate as well as
forestry potential.

In our unstable times, it is wise to
rely more on local food production.

These are but a few suggestions that can
restore New York to it's former place as
the Empire State.


Joe Sullivan