Balance Budgets and Middle Class Tax Relief

As our state retired employees sue New York State over a modest health care premium increase, the rest of us will swallow 8% increases on our health insurance.   ”Danny Donohue, president of CSEA, said the administration is being “heartless.”  “Nobody bargained for this and these increases will hit retirees hard — it’s not right and they don’t deserve this treatment,” he said in a statement.”   I could use the same quote for New York State tax payers, “we don’t deserve this treatment”.   State and Local governments are going to a have a tough time trying to balance their budgets this year.   The low hanging fruit of easy cuts has already been picked.    The State did pass a middle class tax cut or so the news release claimed, .04% reduction for those making 40k.   Hardly worth the effort  and will have no real effect on our state economy, as inflation will more than eat up the reduction.   Must of been the quilt the legistlature’s felt after increasing state school aid 4% to help school districts make payroll.  Looks like more of the same for 2012, blame Albany and Washington for our problems and mask it as leadership.