Paterson: great Governor, or greatest Governor?

[Einzige]

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local-be ... 09144.html

As the Senate sought to negotiate and further delay a late budget to head off 6,900 promised vetoes, Gov. David Paterson rifled through a 2-foot high stack of the Legislature's budget bills, voiding them at a rate of one every 3 seconds Thursday.
"I'm not talking to them," Paterson told reporters during a break in vetoing the Legislature's budget bills that he said the state can't afford. "They sent me a message. They sent that budget that was out of balance."

Paterson has until the end of July 9 to complete his vetoes, but he expects to finish sooner, perhaps as soon as Friday afternoon. In his office, his counsel Peter Kiernan and several staffers reviewed and passed each veto message to Paterson. At the end of the rectangular table, Kiernan handed him a bill, explained which it was, then the legally blind governor put his nose to the paper and signed his initials.

He said many of the programs are laudable and important, but unaffordable. His vetoes Thursday included grants to the elementary school his children attended, a service group whose board of directors includes his wife, and a group to which his mother had been a member.

Meanwhile, the Democrat-led Senate reversed its course in order to force negotiations with Paterson and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. Senators returned to session, but there was no plan by Democrats to pass the final bill needed to close the budget that was due April 1.
"It is shameful and it makes absolutely no sense," said Sen. Thomas Libous, a Broome County Republican. He and his GOP colleagues pledged to stay in Albany until the budget was finished.

Hilarious. Paterson does the honorable thing by acknowledging the untenability of the New York economic situation, and the Republicans, together with their Democratic lackeys. want to cajole him into spending more. How typical. I'm not a resident, but if I were, I'd happily vote for him over the huckster Cuomo in the Democratic primary, and certainly over whatever cut-rate neo-con shill the GOP sends up.

[MKSheppard]

You realize of course, he can do this because he's basically being forced out of office due to corruption; so doesn't give a shit about his political future or re-electabilty?

Still, it's a pretty good "fuck you" to the NY State legislator. Seems like he's channeling Chris Christie from NJ here.

[Einzige]

You realize of course, he can do this because he's basically being forced out of office due to corruption; so doesn't give a shit about his political future or re-electabilty?

As opposed to -- what, exactly? Some Republican swindle who talks small and spends big, as you'd prefer? I don't give a shit why he's doing it; only that he is.

[Straha]

Einzige, you've got it wrong on Libous. The Democrats passed this budget, laden with pork and massively in deficit, and are trying to get out of town and shut down the senate. This gives Paterson (a man they loathe en masse) a Hobson's choice of either the Democrat budget or no budget. The Republicans, and Libous in particular, are showboating about how they think the only right thing to do is to give up their vacations stay in Albany until they get a good, fiscally responsible, budget passed, and golly-gee-whiz doncha know those Democrats are just being delinquent in their jobs and would rather have fun in the sun than make sure your tax dollars are allocated properly! And, while the Republicans would like to pass a budget, they just can't because they don't have a majority to do so!

Of course, the Republicans don't mean a word of this, and Libous in particular is the little sleaze bag who pulled off the coup about a year ago in the Senate.

[montypython]

Seeing how the NY State budget has never come in on time in the last 20 years, and considering how things such as student financial aid can only be available after the budget actually passes, I can only say F@# Albany, really...

[Edward Yee]

I'm just bothered because MMA legalization got taken out of the budget. *facepalm* Maybe next year... ratfuckers. (At least it got out of the Senate, but fuck you Bob O'Reilly.)

MKSheppard, what's going on over in Juhhh-zee?