DON'T HOLD STATE
WORKERS HOSTAGE!

New York has a budget crisis that is the
result of the State Legislature and Governor
spending too much. Last year they approved
a 9 billion dollar spending increase. It is not
suprising that the state has a similar budget
shortfall now.

Holding state workers hostage is not the
answer. State workers have homes, families
and are faced with rising property taxes and
rising costs for food, medical care and other
life essentials.

The Governor's furlough plan, unfairly singles
out state workers, for what amounts to a 20
percent cut in pay, at a time of economic
hardship for all capital district residents.

If implemented, this wage cut will negatively
impact spending in malls, further reducing
sales tax revenues for local counties, which
are used, in large part ,to pay for medicaid,
social services, jails and other programs.
How will counties make up lost revenues?

Meanwhile, almost all local school districts
have presented school budget increases
that are to be voted on May 18. These
budgets invariably translate into property
tax increases of 4 percent ,or more, at a time
when homeowners and businesses are
struggling to stay afloat.

City school districts in Albany, Troy and
Schenectady, in particular, have high
drop out /low graduation rates. Taxpayers
are not getting a fair return on their ever
rising costs of financing these schools.

How about the Governor and State Legislature
furloughing school administrators, and
teachers too? Why no effort to limit school
spending, so that there are zero property tax
increases this year?

Keep in mind the high rate of unemployment
and spectre of more housing foreclosures.

Maybe property taxes should be indexed
to school performance and the level of
drop outs?

Why are the Governor and State Legislature
not enacting changes in state law to permit
cities like Albany, Schenectady and Troy
consolidate city schools with city governments
create one property tax roll to support both
return to K-8 neighborhood schools, and
make the mayors and city councils responsible
and accountable for the performance of
city schools?

City schools are dysfunctional, in large part
because far too many pupils come from
broken, dysfunctional homes. Neither those
pupils, nor their parent(s) have any respect
for learning.

The Governor and State Legislature have
to make changes in social services programs
and, the federal government must make
changes in the monthly social security
("crazy money") payments that reward bad
behavior and bad attitudes of pupils and
their parent(s).

The County of Albany, and other counties
can no longer serve as dispensers of
social servives to a growing population
of recipients. This is unsustrainable.

In the current economic climate - climate
change is necessary.

In sum, holding state workers hostage with
an ill concieved furlough program is not
the answer. It will only result in more
economic hardship for, them and for the
rest of us.

Joe Sullivan