New York Governor David Patterson, Democrat, has submitted his Executive Budget proposal to the New York legislature: $134 billion, with $6 billion in spending CUTS and $1 billion in new TAXES to offset a $7.4 billion deficit. Nearly every facet of the NY State government sharing in those cuts (not HIS office, mind you... but everyone else) and every single New Yorker that goes to a gym/health spa/hair salon/barber facing as much as a 4% hike in costs, along with anyone buying a non-diet soda (18% tax increase), anyone drinking a malt-liquor beverage (6% increase), anyone watching cable or satellite TV (4% increase), anyone buying clothes or shoes that cost less than $500, outside of a two-week sales "holiday" (6% increase), anyone driving a personal vehicle of any kind will see an increase in licensing and usage fees of as much as 18% annually, and a 4% increase to the taxi-car rental tax state-wide.
Patterson is up for re-election this year, as is a large number of his Party "comrades" in the New York legislature, so I wonder how he thinks this kind of "tax and cut" policy is going to sit with a state that was fiscally-viable as recently as 2006 under Republican Governor George Pataki?
Not well, I'd bet.
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3 comments:
Soda companies are good corporate citizens. They employ people in various communities and give to those communities in times of need. One of the first companies to respond to the tragedy in Haiti was Coca-Cola with a donation of $1 million dollars to the Red Cross. On the ground, Coca-Cola is getting four thousands cases of water through to Haiti each day. Keep going Coke -- Please keep helping!
Governor Paterson should back off the soda. It is not the source of the obesity problem. Inferior physical and nutritional education, which of course leads to poor exercise habits and ill-advised diets, are the cause of inflated waistlines. Having a salad with a Coke is far better then a bottle of water to wash down a face full of dirty water dogs. Add walking up the stairs instead of taking the elevator and you’re golden.
I'm not sure if this is a real comment or one of the many spam-posts the Bund recieves regularly, but it seemed fair to give it the benefit of the doubt... so I published it.
If the jist of the post is to decry Patterson's efforts to punish Coke for consumer's inability to employ a little personal restraint in their diet, I couldn't agree more.
My original post is one of many I have placed up around the Internet. The truth is I like Coke as a product and a company. Coca-Cola was the first major American company to be head by a minority, a Hispanic. Next time you admire a Norman Rockwell painting or have your child sitting on Santa's lap, thank Coke. The Cold War thankfully was not won with tanks, guns and nukes, but with a cheeseburger and a Coca-Cola.
Concerning Governor Paterson’s proposed soda tax and the absurd justification behind it. I dislike when my tax dollars are use in the name of bad science. Soda has been around since 1265.
See... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soft_drink#History
The obesity problem has been what the last 2 or 3 decades. Do the math. Consumption isn't the issue, the lack of physical activity is. It doesn't matter what you eat, celery and vitamin pill or a chicken wing with gravy. If you don't get off the couch, you will suffer from bad health.
It offends me that some politician is planning to tax my freedom of choice in the name of a problem he will do nothing to solve. The evaluation of Governor Paterson’s soda tax really comes down to one question. How much of those soda tax dollars will fund physical exercise programs vs. pet projects to keep the politicians in office?
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