Analysis of Budget?

On the broad scale (4.00 / 1)

I'm mostly interested in what's changed.

How are this budget's main priorities different from last years?

Which regions lost/won?  (I'm only asking because it sounds like LI won and Westchester didn't on education.)

How far did the legislature - Senate in particular - manage to change Spitzer's original plan?

The one weird piece I'd love to see explained in detail are the rebates, which are the strangest bit to me.

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by: simonstl @ Mon Apr 02, 2007 at 21:22:12 PM UTC

Here's a piece on the rebates simon... (0.00 / 0)

Note that this synopsis also includes a link to a PDF of the rebate related bill text:

http://www.orps.stat...

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by: teaparty2 @ Tue Apr 03, 2007 at 06:54:53 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Very interested (4.00 / 2)

I know it's a lot of work and budget threads don't seem to generate many comments - even when you try and sex them up. But it would be really worthwhile as a tool for those of us who are interested. The more we can break it down into easily-communicatable parts, the better.

I'm also interested in who won & lost - especially if it was as big a victory for Bruno as we're told.

And what does it tell us about the shape of the fights going forward - does it look like school finance is a struggle the reformers are winning, or did the GOP manage to hold the line on the shares system yet again? Did the Medicaid battle have much impact on the budget after all?

What are they smoking? Find out at alien & sedition.

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by: BrooklynRaider @ Mon Apr 02, 2007 at 21:31:48 PM UTC

Long-term effects statewide (4.00 / 2)

I guess my main area of interest is, looking at the future prospects for New York as a state, is this budget a step in the right direction or wrong direction? And by that I mean, does it provide for the prospect of economic revitalization in areas outside the districts of the Albany movers and shakers?

I  guess the larger question is, is there any hope that any budget or budget reform can stop Western New York, with its dearth of jobs, and mass exodus of young people, from being the next North Dakota, only with high property taxes?

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by: MattK D1 @ Mon Apr 02, 2007 at 21:33:10 PM UTC

Upstate plannerly questions (4.00 / 1)

These are questions that I am VERY interested in personally, although I suspect that they won't be the most popular ones blogwide/statewide.  Hang in there, and I will try to do a diary (not a front page one, probably) that addresses these issues seperately-- might not be til next week.

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by: robinia @ Mon Apr 02, 2007 at 22:46:02 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Popular (4.00 / 2)

Lipris has been very indulgent about my regular kvetching about Tioga and other points West. I wish I could discourse eloquently about the Hudson Valley or that really big place between Jersey and Connecticut, what's it called? But my area looks like the Night of the Living Dead, only later, after the zombies run out of people to eat, and they all die too.

So I'm a little obsessive about the issue.

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by: MattK D1 @ Mon Apr 02, 2007 at 23:45:55 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

i guess i want to know what, (4.00 / 2)

in a budget that was still largely produced in secret by three men in a room, looks like reform.

another question i want to ask to everyone and especially the legislators themselves is, "why do we actually have a legislature?" passing a budget would seem to be one of the most important jobs of a lawmaker and yet, in our current system, they are utterly superfluous.

legislator question 2: what's in the budget? betcha can't tell us.

TODAY is day one. It always is.

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by: phillip anderson @ Mon Apr 02, 2007 at 22:20:46 PM UTC

All I need to know (0.00 / 0)

...are the broad outlines, and I need that presented in a form that a non-numbers guy like me can take, understand, and then distill for others. My expertise is communication, but I can't communicate what I don't understand.

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by: Michael Bouldin @ Mon Apr 02, 2007 at 23:21:40 PM UTC

I want a Robinia brain dump. (4.00 / 1)

I want to know what you think is important I know.

You've been on target all along. Don't stop now.

We've got some work ahead of us.

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by: NYBri @ Tue Apr 03, 2007 at 00:17:23 AM UTC

Gee, thanks... (0.00 / 0)

...I was thinking it was more, you know, wonky-geeky to the point of total lack of excitement.

Am really glad you are back-- sorry if I said anything to hurt your feelings.

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by: robinia @ Tue Apr 03, 2007 at 02:15:27 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

sooo.... (0.00 / 0)

I'm ready for the five part budget series. Let's start with the education allotment...and how Spitz caved on the "rebate" issue?

:>)

We've got some work ahead of us.

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by: NYBri @ Tue Apr 03, 2007 at 02:29:19 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

what brian said (4.00 / 1)

Ditto.

Also, it may not be best to interpret lack of comments as lack of interest.  Sometimes walls o' text are well worth the reading, but don't require comment.  Hell, I've been reading this blog for four months or so and this is only the third thread I've commented in.

Make no small plans.

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by: demahir @ Tue Apr 03, 2007 at 15:54:09 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Agreed (0.00 / 0)

I want to know everything. Barring that, I agree with NYBri.

As for my personal feelings, I also want to know more about Upstate in general.

I write at Rochester Turning

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by: Sayhar @ Tue Apr 03, 2007 at 20:53:12 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I read, but I don't understand enough to comment (4.00 / 2)

So there is the interest, just the knowledge is lacking at the moment, at least for me.

Reality has a well known liberal Bias-Stephen Colbert

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by: pierredude @ Tue Apr 03, 2007 at 01:53:43 AM UTC

All of the above (0.00 / 0)

And just because no one comments, it doesn;t mean no one's interested- I don't comment on a good portion of TAP posts, but I read and enjoy almost all of them, especially yours!

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by: Roatti @ Tue Apr 03, 2007 at 05:05:32 AM UTC

Upstate versus downstate (0.00 / 0)

As a relative newcomer to NY politics and an upstater; I've been surprised at how  many progressive upstaters are worried about an all-Democrat government. They honestly see the Senate Republicans as a leverage point against Assembly Democrats, who in their view will focus all attention and resources on NYC. I'd like to understand that dynamic and how real it is.

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by: bankbane @ Tue Apr 03, 2007 at 11:31:20 AM UTC

well, about that all-dem government (4.00 / 1)

I guess that would be true if the Senate Dems were like the Assembly Dems, but my understanding is that the Senate Dems are somewhat more progressive and the Senate Dem leadership is a lot more reform-friendly.

Make no small plans.

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by: demahir @ Tue Apr 03, 2007 at 15:57:11 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

please, more! (4.00 / 1)

robinia-

I read your stories with great interest, and try to follow the budget considerations even though it's not anywhere near my area of expertise and so there's not much for me to comment on.  I'm somewhat embarrassed to admit that I'm more of a passive reader of this site, but I follow it all as closely as I can!

I don't know if I'm speaking for myself or for a whole group of interested readers, but please keep up the good work.  Awareness it the first step to change.  Don't underestimate the profound impact you can have on New York by simply investigating and reporting on these issues: it contributes to public awareness, even if it's a slow process and feels pointless at times.

I could not say this strongly or frequenly enough: thank you, and all the other contributes to this site, for the great work you do to get more people involved in New York politics.  I am about 1000% more informed than I was before I learned of this web site.  Change will come, and this here is the front lines.  Thank you for making a difference.

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by: EightBall @ Tue Apr 03, 2007 at 17:20:02 PM UTC

Thanks for the "holler-back" (0.00 / 0)

This is really very helpful-- and, yes, it probably does make sense to start with education, so, that will be the first budget piece.  Am working, look for it in the next couple/three days.
 

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by: robinia @ Tue Apr 03, 2007 at 18:23:58 PM UTC

I'm interested, but easily confused (0.00 / 0)

What I need is budget analysis that is -- as the old Readers Digest slogan put it -- "written so YOU can understand it."

Good points in the above comments re: how is it different? winners/losers? political implications?

I'll read the diaries, I promise!

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by: greenheron @ Wed Apr 04, 2007 at 13:52:19 PM UTC