So how bad is the New York state budget situation?

[cinyc]

It should be said, that 99.99% of this problem* is a coalition between Diaz, Espada, and the Senate Republicans, the latter of whom benefit from the dysfunction in Albany, and relish he incumbent party embarrassing themselves and shutting down government in election day.  

Espada was (one year ago, last Wednesday), one of two Senators that flipped Albany into chaos by switching to the Republican conference, if you remember.  So these aren't two parties that are unfamiliar with working together to create governmental circus.

Diaz, is of course, a social conservative who issued a press releasing issuing something that included the phrase "militant boycott" responding to Andrew Cuomo's selection of a white male, LG.

God help us all.  

*Problem being defined as "budget extender not being passed, and the state's budget not being passed.  Obviously both left-wing viewpoints and fiscal conservatives view this shutdown as preferable to the status quo of Paterson slowly forcing spending cuts week by week.

99% of this problem is that the morons in Albany haven't passed a budget yet despite it being due in April.  Sometimes, enough is just enough.  Espada claims he's trying to force the morons in Albany to actually agree on a budget instead of passing zombie extenders.  (And he's not happy with some of the cuts made by the extenders).

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

He's baaaaack:

Espada Threatens to Stall Government Again

Ooh - maybe there'll be more interesting chamber videos

[Lunar]

Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr. told the AP: “I’m voting `no’ on Monday. So one of three things will happen Monday: They will have to do something, have a budget; Republicans are going to eat their pride and vote `yes’; or the government will shut down.”

[LBJ Revivalist]

Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr. told the AP: “I’m voting `no’ on Monday. So one of three things will happen Monday: They will have to do something, have a budget; Republicans are going to eat their pride and vote `yes’; or the government will shut down.”

What do you think will happen?

[Lunar]

Oh, we're going down.  Next Monday will be fun.

[Smash255]

It should be said, that 99.99% of this problem* is a coalition between Diaz, Espada, and the Senate Republicans, the latter of whom benefit from the dysfunction in Albany, and relish he incumbent party embarrassing themselves and shutting down government in election day.  

Espada was (one year ago, last Wednesday), one of two Senators that flipped Albany into chaos by switching to the Republican conference, if you remember.  So these aren't two parties that are unfamiliar with working together to create governmental circus.

Diaz, is of course, a social conservative who issued a press releasing issuing something that included the phrase "militant boycott" responding to Andrew Cuomo's selection of a white male, LG.

God help us all.  

*Problem being defined as "budget extender not being passed, and the state's budget not being passed.  Obviously both left-wing viewpoints and fiscal conservatives view this shutdown as preferable to the status quo of Paterson slowly forcing spending cuts week by week.

If a shutdown does occur it will likely be the Republicans that get the most blame, especially considering the Democrats they are siding with.

[cinyc]

If a shutdown does occur it will likely be the Republicans that get the most blame, especially considering the Democrats they are siding with.

Slight problem:  Republicans in Albany control NOTHING.  No shutdown can occur without some Democrats supporting it.   And if the Democrats were actually consulting Senate Republicans during budget negotiations, we wouldn't be where we are. 

Plus, the government should be shut down.  We'd save money.  The inability to timely pass a budget in a one-party state is an epic fail - for New York Democrats.

[Lunar]

If a shutdown does occur it will likely be the Republicans that get the most blame, especially considering the Democrats they are siding with.

Slight problem:  Republicans in Albany control NOTHING.  No shutdown can occur without some Democrats supporting it.   And if the Democrats were actually consulting Senate Republicans during budget negotiations, we wouldn't be where we are. 

Plus, the government should be shut down.  We'd save money.  The inability to timely pass a budget in a one-party state is an epic fail - for New York Democrats.

The New York Senate has a razor-thin margin, and that's with your Espadas and you Monserrates in there.  How do you negotiate with a Monserrate?  You have people like Diaz and Espada that will vote no on anything that has substantial budget cuts, and there's no control over these people, they're willing to vote for the Republicans to be in the majority before they're willing to give up control.

In the Assembly, Shelly Silver could rename The Bronx to "Red Sox Nation" if he wanted to, so there's no problem there.

[cinyc]

The New York Senate has a razor-thin margin, and that's with your Espadas and you Monserrates in there.  How do you negotiate with a Monserrate?  You have people like Diaz and Espada that will vote no on anything that has substantial budget cuts, and there's no control over these people, they're willing to vote for the Republicans to be in the majority before they're willing to give up control.

In the Assembly, Shelly Silver could rename The Bronx to "Red Sox Nation" if he wanted to, so there's no problem there.

Monserrate is gone.  

You get around the Espadas and Diazes by making a deal with the Republicans to cut the budget even more than Espada and Diaz want.  The state budget is full of extravagant spending that we simply cannot afford.  We should not be paying more to Medicaid than California and Texas combined.

The Assembly and ESPECIALLY Sheldon Silver ARE the problem.  They are so beholden to the trial lawyers and public employee unions that no real spending cuts are possible.  Sheldon Silver is my ultimate HP in New York State politics.  

[Lunar]

Actually, Monserrate is running for he Assembly this year, so he might be back.  I used him as the posterboy for a larger, systemic problem,  to prove that the Democrats don't have control over their own conference in the Senate.

If New York's government doesn't shut down on Monday, it will be because of exactly what you said, the extender containing the cuts tha the Republicans want.  I guess we disagree in how much the GOP actually wants those cuts, as I'm of the opinion that they would rather let the government shut down and profit politically, than making a deal and receive the backlash for severe cuts to necessary programs.        

Obviously Silver is quite close to the teacher's unions, and is actually literally on the payroll of a trial lawyers organization for caseswork which he, strangely enough, doesn't actually do, but if the Senate Dems could pass a damn budget, my feeling is that Silver wouldn't stand in the way.   Imagine if lobbying firms could put U.S. congressmen on their payroll and no disclose how much they are paying them or what said congressmen are actually doing for the company.

[Smash255]

Well the shutdown was averted

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