Chealsea, NYC

Budget IN!

Our New governor's new budget is in and he is ready to fight with the powers that be to get it passed. He has pledged to take it to the people, and with his unprecedented win this past November he has the political capital to do it! GO ELIOT!

Here is an excerpt from a times article:

"Many of the governor’s proposals face a tough sell in the Legislature, with Republicans who control the Senate uncomfortable with Mr. Spitzer’s plans on education, health care and property taxes, and the proposed overall increase in spending. The governor’s relations with Democrats who lead the Assembly have been strained by a battle over how to pick a new state comptroller.

The difficulty of the governor’s task also became apparent when two influential interest groups, the Greater New York Hospital Association and 1199 S.E.I.U. United Healthcare Workers East, the health care workers union, put out a detailed rebuttal to the governor’s health proposals this morning, calling them “riddled with inaccuracies.”

But Mr. Spitzer, as is his way, said in a speech to the Legislature in the capitol complex this morning that he was ready for a fight and would take his case to the public. Polls show the governor is far more popular than the Legislature.

“I’m going to be out there talking to voters, citizens, homeowners, taxpayers, editorial boards,” the governor said in his speech to lawmakers. “I’m going to be speaking to anybody who will listen. This is not a debate that will be cloistered in the halls of this building, this is a debate that I plan to bring to the people of New York.” "

Why Eliot Has What It Takes to Make Real Change In Albany

Our new governor Eliot Spitzer has made it clear that he is committed to change and good clear government as he stands up against the democratically controlled assembly over controversy surrounding five candidates that were chosen by an independent panel for the empty comptroller seat. Assembly Majority Leader Shelden Sliver has expressed extreme displeasure in the fact that none of the candidates recommended by the panel are Assemblymen and has been trying to pressure Elliot into choosing an Assemblyman, which our new governor has refused to do. Spitzer is in many ways showing the State Democrats that Albany is a new town one that is transparent and ready for real change. Here is an excerpt yesterday the New York Times, which shows how dramatic this all has been up in Albany:

"Mr. Silver spent Friday mulling his options and trying to cool down members of the Assembly, who are furious at what they perceive as a slight. Some of Mr. Spitzer’s deputies are reaching out to the Assembly to take its temperature — trying to see how much political capital the administration used up on the comptroller fight the week before it releases its first budget proposal.

Mr. Silver is in a particularly sensitive position. If he accepts a candidate from outside the Assembly for comptroller, he risks incurring the wrath of the members of his conference, whose support he needs to remain speaker. But if he reneges on the deal he publicly made with Governor Spitzer, he could find himself in an all-out war with the governor’s office fresh off Mr. Spitzer’s landslide victory.

“I think we’re at war, but I’m not sure,” said one Assembly Democrat, who was granted anonymity to describe the private machinations in the Assembly. “This is a clash of the titans, and I don’t know how this plays out.”

Farmers urge relief on prices

Moon shines over former dairy farm.

This is from the Daily Star an Oneonta paper and the article was written by Amy Ashbridge who writes frequently about farming issues. Here is the link!

By Amy L. Ashbridge
Oneonta Daily Star Staff Writer

Schenevus dairy farmers Doug and Connie Lull have 85 head of cattle.
"We had more," Doug Lull said, explaining that the couple had to sell several head last year. "We didn’t have the feed for them."
Holdridge said they received $14.27 _ in 2006 dollars _ in 1986 for a hundredweight, and now receive $14.21. Although the milk price is essentially the same, Holdridge said, other costs have increased.
Lull said a combination of lower milk prices and higher prices for grain have made it harder for farmers to make a living.
"The price of grain is going to go up higher," Doug Lull said. "Grain prices are not going to come down at all."
Emergency payments from the Milk Income Loss Compact are also three months late, Lull said. That money is $500 a month; Lull said it does make a difference not to have the emergency payment.
Holdridge said his accountant told him that about 92 percent of farmers are losing money; the other 8 percent have only made money because they sold their farms, Holdridge said Sunday.
He said the meeting was an attempt to make politicians see what lower milk prices are doing to farmers.
"If they don’t do something by the spring, there’s going to be quit a few farmers that sell (their farms)," Holdridge said. "Something’s got to change."
Those who went to the meeting included Assemblyman Bill Magee, D-Nelson, and representatives from various agri-businesses.
Magee is the chairman of the state Assembly Agricultural Committee. He said he had been invited to the meeting and considered it important to be there.
"The upstate economy is agriculture," Magee said. "Farmers spend their money in the community."
He said he learned from Thursday’s meeting and planned to take that knowledge back to Albany to share with his colleagues. Magee said he found out farmers hadn’t been buying new machinery when it broke, but opted instead to try to fix it themselves when possible.
The Senate and Assembly committees are having meetings to get testimony from farmers throughout the next several weeks. Magee said the first meeting is at 10 a.m. today in Albany.
The Holdridges are attending that meeting but will not be testifying.
Other meetings will follow in Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo and Jamestown; the Syracuse meeting is scheduled for Wednesday.
"Maybe New York state can do something for some temporary relief," Magee said. "The long-term solution to the problem has to involve the federal government and some sort of relief."
Connie Lull said the meeting Thursday accomplished at least one goal.
"We tried," she said. "We can say we tried."

China Town, NY, NY

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