K-12 Tax & Spending Climate: New York Governor Cuomo Offers Plan to Curb State Spending

Danny Hakim:

The proposals laid out by Mr. Cuomo -- including reducing the number of agencies, authorities and departments by 20 percent and capping the annual growth of state government to the rate of inflation -- set up a clash with the more liberal Democrats who control the State Assembly.

In addition to freezing the salaries of most state workers, Mr. Cuomo would reduce spending on Medicaid and limit local property tax increases statewide.

"New York has no future as the tax capital of the nation," Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat, said in his speech. "Our young people will not stay, businesses will not come, this has to change. Put it simply, the people of this state simply cannot afford to pay more taxes, period."

The roughly 47-minute speech also offered New Yorkers a different view of their new governor: he was highly animated in his expressions of frustration over the state's reputation and injected cornball humor, a PowerPoint slide show, and even air quotes into the formal setting.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at January 7, 2011 3:52 AM
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