Tim,
Spitzer's idea on how to boost New York's economy:
New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, in his first address to a joint session of the Legislature, asked lawmakers to strengthen the state's economy by such measures as boosting spending for transportation projects and a $2 billion bond proposal for stem-cell research.
Gee, more debt and a feel (for liberals) spending on experimenting with human fetuses.
As if New York state wasn't already burdened with crushing debt burden and a plenty of feel good spending...
On the other hand, Spitzer may be a little bit of a loose cannon, but I can't imagine him being worse than last terms of Pataki. Pataki was great during his first term, delivering on his promises, but he has progressively gotten worse to the position that he was worse than any average Democrat.
Spitzer may turn out to be better than an average Democrat. One of the reasons is that he is a rich man, and he got where he is thanks to his parents money and his personal abilities. He didn't get there by giving IOUs to the worst elements that are holding the State of New York captive, which is unions (government employees and employees of the vast number of semi-govermental entities). An average Democrat has to pay those IOUs (of course with taxpayer money), and Spitzer not having many is a good sign.
Well, giving money to "transportation" is certainly a bad sign, since that could be a code word for funneling the money to the transportations union through increased state subsidies...
Joe
PS: one of the first things he has done that I really love is crack down on the spending excesses of the governor's office (meaning himself). The governors in the past spent ongodly sums of money promoting themselves in "public service" ads. For example, the lawmakers would come up with some idiotic new program (= a new way to waste taxpayer money). Then, the governor would run expensive ads (in expensive media market) in NY state "announcing" this giveway.
He started by example, but he really is after the excesses of the legislators, and this certainly puts him on the moral high ground to wage this war with legislature. |
