Lawn Guyland Is America’s Future -- Krugman

[Donnachaidh]

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/11/lawn-guyland-is-americas-future/?src=twt&twt=NytimesKrugman

My homeland is in big trouble (I was born in Albany, but spent my formative years in Nassau County.) A new Tea Party-backed county executive has taken office, gone ahead and cut taxes — and can’t come up with offsetting spending cuts. It looks as if the county may be in receivership soon.

It’s sort of the natural place to go when you’ve got an increasingly powerful movement that demands smaller government — and wants that smaller government to keep its hands off Medicare.

Alas, Babylon line.

[geckosfeet]

1. Nassau county, one of the richest counties in the country, faces bankruptcy due to insane tax policy

and general ineptitude.

Despite Wealth, Nassau County Is in Fiscal Crisis

Nassau is not alone in seeking to pass on costs for services to localities; states have imposed similar measures. Yet these changes will take years to deliver true savings.

For the fiscal year that begins Jan. 1, Mr. Mangano's budget appears to include as many prayers as plans. He penciled in $60 million in givebacks from labor — surprising unions, who have contracts that run through 2015. Pressed on that point, Mr. Mangano said he would “order” union concessions, ignoring the idea's dubious constitutionality and drawing biting mockery.

The budget also called for borrowing an additional $100 million to pay tax refunds, and counted on more than $20 million in new help from the state.

Officials at the Nassau Interim Finance Authority questioned the seriousness of the plan.

And the country looks on.

[Donnachaidh]

2. Not just Nassau County

Just spoke to my bro who works for the only state-run rehab on Staten Island. The State is looking to sell the grounds the rehab is on - which will effectively close the facility. The rehab program has already been gutted to the max, but to close the one public facility on the Island?

We're all on tenderhooks about this. He's been the one to help others in the family during the hard times. Now we may be helping him if Albany gets their way.