Category: News and Opinion

The rest of the state seems to have all kinds of ideas for capping property taxes. One would give school districts in the rest of the state (but presumably not in New York City) the ability to force the state to pay for their education costs, no matter how high. City residents, would have to pay, but would get nothing. Another would have the state pick up the retiree costs for all teachers. New York City would pay far more in state taxes than it would get in state help, because years of under-funding, fewer teachers and lower pay mean it would have less in retiree costs to pick up. Some want to limit the increase in taxes each year for all school districts. This will ensure the New York City’s lower spending, staffing and teacher pay, relative to the rest of the metropolitan area, will be locked in. Or, if the city is allowed to use local income taxes to increase school spending, the state would presumably raise state income taxes, which city residents also has to pay, to increase school spending in parts of the state subject to a cap. Speaking of the local income tax, Governor Spitzer’s idea, implied by his latest budget, is to have the state pick up more and more of the cost of education in the rest of the state through STAR property tax relief while cutting state aid to the city by gradually eliminating STAR income tax relief.

Mayor Bloomberg is absolutely right. By telling the rest of the state they deserve lower taxes without insisting that the rest of the state spend less money, and not even considering the tax burden in New York City (which is more tilted toward income taxes), virtually every proposal being consider would work to the detriment of the people of the City of New York, and attempt to roll back any improvement in the city’s own schools.

I’ve often said that just because it is the national average, adjusted as best as possible for population, the cost of living, and other factors, doesn’t make it right. But a substantial deviation in any direction raises questions. As it happens, the U.S. Census Bureau makes data available that can be used to calculate an average public school spending per child for every region and every school district in the state. I compiled the data for 2005, simplifying the revenue and expenditure categories and adding a cost of living adjustment for high-cost Downstate New York; based on last year’s release, updated data should be available in late May or early June.

As the spreadsheet attached to this

It seems that, perhaps because my teenage kids spend too much time on the phone, no one called to ask that I serve on the Suozzi Commission on high property taxes. No matter. Rather than stand on ceremony, I’ll just make my contribution here on Room Eight. Those on the Commission are encouraged to download the spreadsheets attached to the posts linked here. What the data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows is the opposite of what people in the portion of New York State outside New York City insist on believing, and their elected officials insist on telling them. Property taxes are high in the rest of the state because spending is high, not because New York City has such a wonderful deal. Spending in the suburbs and upstate is high in particular categories, not in all categories, for reasons that are not unfamiliar in New York City. Spending in those categories benefits powerful interests with an outsized and unchallenged sense of entitlement. And spending in those categories is increased by one set of elected officials, who get credit, but funded by another set of elected officials, who get the blame. High staffing levels, particularly in the public schools, may also be a response to weaknesses elsewhere in the economy, as it was in New York City under Mayor John Lindsay. But whereas economic problems in New York City led to a growth in the welfare rolls, economic problems elsewhere have led to an increase of more than 100,000 local government jobs since 1990, jobs that have pensions and unfunded retiree health care attached to them.

Now that the Hillary vs. Rudy Presidential race is dead, the NY press is desperately hyping the other pipe dream – Mike for President dream. The latest to waste newsprint on the subject is New York Magazine.

http://nymag.com/news/features/43308/

Most of the story is the same old, same old about how voters want a competent alternative to the two major parties, blah, blah, blah.

Room 8 readers might not have appreciated this post when I wrote it last April, but might want to give it close a read now. I don’t think I could explain any better the economic situation we have gotten ourselves into, so I have decided not to try. We are about to have a recession driven by a cultural problem, a psychological need to spend significantly more than we produce. That is a condition that cannot persist forever, and only persisted as long as it did because people were allowed to borrow money they could never pay back.

Let me posit this: so far in this presidential cycle, Barack Obama may have gotten the four most significant endorsements of any presidential primary candidate ever; and definitely in my lifetime. These are namely (in order of importance): (1) Oprah Winfrey, (2) Caroline Kennedy, (3) John Kerrey and (4) Ted Kennedy. And with these endorsements in the bag Barack Obama needs to tighten the screws on the Billary Clintons. There are many ways to go about this in the short term.

To do this Barack needs to take a picture of himself and Caroline Kennedy, and use in a mailer, where he lifts the op-ed from the New York Times, in which she favorably compares him to her deceased father President John F. Kennedy. Then he needs to mail this to every democrat on the prime list (who is over 45 years old). You see Barack has already locked up the under -45 vote; this will be a coup de grace. After he does this he can stick a fork in Hillary Clinton: she will be cooked; done; finished. This will be one of the most extravagant mailing consignments ever, if he were to run it through all the Super Tuesday states (Feb.5th).

2 weeks ago, the NY press was all excited about the announcement that the 2 political has-beens who started Unity 08 – Gerald Rafshoon & Doug Bailey were leaving to start an effort to draft Mike Bloomberg.

Their effort consists entirely of a website where they ask people to sign up to urge Mike to run.

As I write this (Sunday, January 27 at @2:30 PM), less people have signed up than the 5,457 people who voted for Duncan Hunter in the first 4 Republican contests!

My guess is that Mike numbers will eventually pass Hunter (now that he has dropped out) but I don’t know if he can catch Kucinich!

I will preface this column with some “new rules” that are effective immediately. In the short term I will be doing only one column a week. In the short term, the comment section (thread) to all my columns will be closed. I am not getting into an explanation at the moment; it isn’t important right now. Just last week, Chris Owens admonished me to get back to “quality” and get away from “quantity”; so I will try to appease him/lol.

I start out this “Vines” column with some news that isn’t so good. Mr. Roy Hastick- head of the Caribbean-American Chamber of Commerce Inc. (CACCI) – has suffered a major stroke. It is serious. My best wishes for a speedy recovery are extended. He is recuperating. Roy is a very fine gentleman who has befriended many in the political circles of Brooklyn and beyond.

According to a press release put up on this site “New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. and the New York City Pension Funds today announced the expansion of the consolidated class action lawsuit filed against Countrywide Financial Corporation and other defendants. The expanded suit will include 26 different financial services companies that underwrote Countrywide stock and bond offerings, two global accounting firms, and additional Countrywide officers and directors who signed SEC filings that contained false and misleading information about Countrywide’s
business and finances.”

With the price of oil having touched $100 per barrel and gasoline over $3.00 per gallon, Americans are beginning to adjust, just as they did in the late-1970s and early-1980s. They are looking to buy gas-sipping hybrids instead of gas guzzling SUVs, and compact urban condos or smaller, more efficient suburban homes, rather than sprawling exurban McMansions. Some are carpooling, others switching to mass transit, scooters, motorcycles or even bicycles. The boom in rooftop solar is so strong that there is a shortage of panels. American business has also started to make changes. Investment capital and research dollars are pouring into alternative energy sources. The nuclear energy market has revived. After killing off the electric car and fighting fuel economy standards, General Motors is desperately trying to develop a plug-in hybrid while killing off the H1 Hummer.

What are we, a bunch of idiots? OPEC knows that what most Americans really want is to be fat, lazy, and stupid, and that our politicians get elected by pandering to our worst instincts. As soon as conservation and alternatives begin to make a dent in our fossil fuel dependence OPEC will, as in the mid-1980s, pump up production and cut the price of oil. And as soon as it does Americans will forget all about our long-term economy, our national security, and the global environment, and suck that cheap oil like a pacifier. Those who conserve will again be derided as losers, as the winners drive more massive vehicles designed to cause rather than suffer fatalities in a crash, and those who invest in energy alternatives will go broke. Until they have us over a barrel yet again.