???New York State Gov. Paterson spoke before an audience of more than 600 people in Niagara Falls on Wednesday about economic issues facing the Buffalo Niagara region and seemed, at best, to miss the point of citizens' questions.
???Paterson has agreed to take a 10 percent pay cut, which is a nice gesture even though he himself notes that the money saved is nowhere near the amount needed to fill New York State's budget shortfall. He continually referred to his pay cut and other possible spending cuts as 'symbolic' gestures that will not accomplish much in the grand scheme, which seems to show that Paterson does not understand the reality of a financial crunch.
???Recently, several of Paterson's top aides and others on staff were given raises, which drew the ire of many in the audience. In a time of financial turmoil and strife, it is unconscionable for any public servant to be given a pay raise, regardless of any change in his or her position or responsibilities.
???The thing to remember here is that in spite of what we have been told by corrupt any government official is a public servant. By helping themselves when so many others are hurting from budget cuts, they are doing us all a disservice.
???Paterson seems to approach the state budget the same way an irresponsible teenager would approach a debit card. To both parties, little purchases are too small to matter. The $200 toaster purchased for the governor's mansion, for example, was allowable both because it was approved before the fiscal crisis began and because $200 is only .000000014 of our budget shortfall. But if, hypothetically, a few 1000 luxury purchases under $1000 had been approved in the last year, then that's a quick $100,000 that could be put to better use.
???Then there are the big purchases, like the high-speed train Paterson wants to build between Buffalo and Albany. It isn't even remotely possible that we have enough demand for high-speed travel between these two cities to warrant the millions of dollars it will cost the state to build, maintain and staff such a device, nor is it possible that this non-existent demand will be enough for the train to pay for itself.
???The bottom line is that in a time of trial and fiscal famine, it is unacceptable for the government to be paying for anything more than the bare necessities, like keeping the citizenry fed, clothed and sheltered and making sure that state infrastructure is sound enough that those fortunate few who have jobs can keep them.
???The responsible and just thing for Paterson to do is to order the axe on every luxury purchase and pay raise in the NYS legislature and encourage or even force the higher-paid staffers to take pay cuts. Not because that simple act would fix our budget problems, but simply because it wouldn't make them worse.
???After all, Ric Marasco, a local man who spoke to Paterson Wednesday said it best using the $200-toaster as an example: "$200 to someone in Niagara Falls is a week's wages. My point is this, sir: you are not demonstrating how you are feeling our pain, if at all."
???It's time to put your money where our mouths are.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
