• Kruger Continues To Close Public Out Of Budget


    by on May 6th, 2010

    The New York State budget is now more than one month late. Timid “leaders” in the state legislature are so afraid to unveil cuts during an election season that we face a $9 billion budget deficit, a figure that’s rapidly increasing as the state continues to take out loans to pay for services until the budget is revealed. And New York City is being forced to submit its own budget in the face of uncertainty, as city administrators haven’t been informed of what funding to expect from the state. (Bloomberg is expecting a $1.3 billion slash in state funds).

    At the epicenter of budget negotiations is the Senate Finance Committee chairman – Sheepshead Bay’s State Senator Carl Kruger. For the past month, and before it, Kruger has remained mum about budget discussions. As you can see from the video above, he has shut out even his fellow legislators. Because of his reluctance to add transparency to the process, the public remains in the dark on what funding gaps exist,  and what cuts are on the table. As residents and constituents, we’re given no say on where our money will be spent, and we have no opportunity to offer solutions to the inevitable cuts.

    Of course, we’ll probably never have that opportunity. Last year, the final proposal was dumped on the public (and the minority party) and a vote on it was scheduled for just hours later. As distance grows between the passed deadline and the vote, the agencies, municipalities, and the leaders that represent them are desperate for any plan at all – a situation Kruger and his crew depend on.

    This is thuggish, undemocratic behavior. Open up the budget process, Senator Kruger. If you can’t get the job done on time, then let us have our say.

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    • http://www.flickr.com/photos/lisanne001 Lisanne!

      Totally disgusting. Kruger is a disgrace to our community. I think we need to make it known that his constituents do not share his view that the budget is a private affair.

    • http://www.njluxurymotors.com Arthur Borko

      Enough is enough, don't pay them. How much money will we save if we don't pay them?

      Maybe the citizens of the state should stop paying their state taxes because our government has proven to be ineffectual.

    • Andy

      is that exactly the reason why we keep re-electing him?

    • http://www.flickr.com/photos/lisanne001 Lisanne!

      Krueger's offensiveness has gone into high gear in the last year and a half. Before that, I found him tolerable, if just barely so.

    • http://www.flickr.com/photos/lisanne001 Lisanne!

      Since we have home rule and jurisdiction over many of the functions the state government has elsewhere I suppose that we should be paying a large percentage of our state taxes directly to the city. That way we don't have to be hung by the misdeeds of Albany politicians. Rather, we can be totally at the mercy of our City Council

    • http://www.njluxurymotors.com Arthur Borko

      Frankly I've long felt that New York City should secede or otherwise kick
      out the state and form its own state. We'd of course retain the name New
      York State. We could take Long Island with us. City residence would then pay
      3/4ths the combined tax. The city gets more, people pay less overall, we all
      win. What do we need the rest of the state for? Don't we already own the
      water lines and the reservoir feeding the city? That wont be a problem then.
      When the 2010 Census is done we'll have a new population number for the city
      and I'm gonna bet that New York City has more residents then New York State.
      Either way. We don't need them and they are a drain on the city.

    • http://www.flickr.com/photos/lisanne001 Lisanne!

      Undoubtedly NYC has more citizens than the rest of NYS. And Income generated from us subsidizes the rest of the state, which is economically in decline, and has been for decades. But I wonder whether the Federal government would be able to recognize such a succession. I'd have to dig really deep to find out the answer to that one, though there are parts of the constitution regarding the formations of states.

    • http://www.njluxurymotors.com Arthur Borko

      I remember from HS that the formation of a state requires Congressional approval and in order to be eligible there needs to be a certain amount of people per square mile. I think we'll be fine there.

      The big question is what side effect this will have on Congress and the Electoral College. If I'm not mistaken though Upstate has a high democratic population outside of “major” population centers it's mostly republican. Heh, if you can call Albany and Buffalo “major population centers” to begin with hah!

      Though NYC has a higher population then NYS it's still pretty close, so our electoral votes would be split down the middle wouldn't they? Actually no, we'd gain 2 more, from being the 51st state.

      Woah, what do you think they'd do to the flag?

    • http://www.njluxurymotors.com Arthur Borko

      I didn't vote for the slimeball.

    • aherring

      Hear, hear, Ned. I wish Kruger would.

    • http://www.nedberke.com Ned Berke

      Thanks to local broker, I learned today that Montana has less than a million people. Wyoming is the state with the smallest population – just over half a million. That to me is friggin ridiculous that they're allowed to be states, and have the same number of senators as us (pop. 19.5 million) or Cali (pop. 36.9 million).

      But back to the topic at hand, I do believe NYC should secede. And we DON'T need to take Long Island with us. Or Staten Island for that matter. And, if Congress doesn't approve, it's time for an armed secession. Who's with me?

    • Local Broker

      Now if i was not on twitter i would not of seen this till tomorrow. I read an article last week dont remember where but it was about Long Island becoming its own state as well as Puerto Rico either going independent or becoming a state. Anyone see that?

    • http://www.nedberke.com Ned Berke

      Never heard about Long Island. There are constant calls for NYC to go rogue, though. There have been some pretty meaningful attempts, too. In the past few years, bills have been introduced into the city council calling for secession. Check it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secession_in_New_York

    • Izzy

      People, come on, haven't you heard?
      Kruger is up for re-election this year.
      NOW'S YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE HIM OUT!!!

    • http://www.njluxurymotors.com Arthur Borko

      Frankly I think we should cap population in major metropolitan centers. We
      need to learn how to fit more people together without destroying the
      environment before we stack much more. New York City, thankfully, is one of
      the “Greenest” cities on the planet. But it's still a very polluted city,
      all you need to do is look at Greenpoint, Newton Creek, Plumb Beach, etc to
      see just how scarred it is. Look at cities more populated then us, they are
      far more polluted aren't they? We can't let that happen here. If we keep
      letting the city grow without knowing how to better move garbage, produce
      energy, fix roads, move people, maintain bridges and mass transport then it
      will spiral out of control.

    • http://www.flickr.com/photos/lisanne001 Lisanne!

      NYS had 19 million in 2000. NYC had 8 million. Add Nassau and Suffolk and it does come about even in a split.

      NYS has a number of areas with high population density. Rochester, Utica, Binghamton and the cites of Southern Westchester. And Albany of part of the tri-cities of Albany-Schenectady-Troy. But the Democratic majorities in some of those places are marginal at best. NYC does provide better protection for Democratic Presidential candidates.

      There is a bigger problem than the flag. We can't have two states named New York. Maybe we'll end up with North New York and South New York.

    • http://www.njluxurymotors.com Arthur Borko

      No. There wont be two New Yorks. There will be New York, our New York,
      period. They can name themselves something else for all I care.

    • http://www.flickr.com/photos/lisanne001 Lisanne!

      We need Nassau and Suffolk. A city-state (double-entendre quite intentional) would never get through Congress, you might see Minneapolis-St. Paul deciding to succeed from Wisconsin. Or Austin from Texas. But maybe we can sell Staten Island to New Jersey.

    • http://www.flickr.com/photos/lisanne001 Lisanne!

      See, that's why we need Nassau and Suffolk. So we can resume the suburbanizing process. After all, NYC has the highest population density in the country.

    • http://www.njluxurymotors.com Arthur Borko

      I won't disagree.

    • Local Broker
    • http://www.flickr.com/photos/lisanne001 Lisanne!

      I found about a small town in New Hampshire once seceded from the United States. Most interesting story, involving a boundary dispute between the US and Canada and a hardware store debt that almost led to another war with Great Britain.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_Indian…

    • http://recordsresources.com genealogy

      close. tool goes here. Here's why Freddy Krueger continues to fascinate that cameos by Roseanne Barr and Tom Arnold weren't out of place. ok

    • Andy

      I bet he will be re-elected

    • http://www.nedberke.com Ned Berke

      Bet all you want. But don't let your presumption stop you from voting. Too often people think the outcome is obvious and so they don't bother voting, and it creates a self-fulfilling prophesy.

    • aherring

      There's finally someone else running, so he's got my vote, no matter what when the day comes to pull that lever.

    • http://www.flickr.com/photos/lisanne001 Lisanne!

      I hope you don't mean that literally. Voting for a candidate merely because he is NOT someone you would not vote for is not necessarily using one's vote wisely. I'd look into Kruger's opponent and vote for him only if I am absolutely sure he is the best alternative.

    • http://www.flickr.com/photos/lisanne001 Lisanne!

      I threw in geographically incorrect placename just to see whether anyone would notice. And it so obvious too.

      We are so NYCcentric. I suppose I am too.

    • aherring

      I do know enough to know that he won't vote against gay marriage, implying he's liberal enough for me, and a vote for him does by simple logic mean a vote against Kruger, who has been given too much power recently. He's the head of the Finance Committee & chooses to shut people out of budget discussions. Why? What is he hiding?

    • http://www.flickr.com/photos/lisanne001 Lisanne!

      I don't like Kruger at all. And yes, he has proven to be dangerously arrogant. As for Oberman, his stated views are consistent with mine. But I've grown suspicious of those who suddenly decide to enter politics. Could we do worse than Kruger? I don't know.

    • aherring

      Old friend's mom had a saying, 'Things just get worse,' so sure you never know, but I doubt it. Not voting for anyone is voting for Kruger. And so far I like the sound of Oberman. Suddenly? He's a lawyer. So politics is normal. He grew up here. He graduated B'klyn College cum laude. He reminds me of a girl I taught years ago, same year his web site says he came here, 1981. She had also recently moved here from Russia. She was the top student in my freshman English Rhet & Comp class. English was her second language but boy was she smart & determined.

    • http://www.flickr.com/photos/lisanne001 Lisanne!

      I stay cautious as there is little known about Oberman and what motivates him. There is a good likelihood that he is how he presents himself. I suppose I would feel more comfortable if I had the opportunity of meeting him. Perhaps that will come to pass.

    • aherring

      Definitely would also like to see him speak. Here's the 'contact me' url from his web site…http://www.igoroberman.com/index.html...

    • http://www.flickr.com/photos/lisanne001 Lisanne!

      Maybe we can get some of the local groups to invite him to speak. Some of them do as a regular activity have candidate nights.

      I do wonder whether a debate, like the one held for the council candidates in the 46th last year, is a possibility.

      We should find out whether he needs petition signatures. I think that is important,
      as Kruger will challenge the petitions. The best way for us to have any choice at all is to see to it that he is given the legitimacy of being on the ballot. That being done, he will have a better opportunity to get people to know more about him.

    • aherring

      Yes, definitely. On the site he's looking for campaign volunteers….

    • aherring

      Definitely would also like to see him speak. Here's the 'contact me' url from his web site…http://www.igoroberman.com/index.html...

    • http://www.flickr.com/photos/lisanne001 Lisanne!

      Maybe we can get some of the local groups to invite him to speak. Some of them do as a regular activity have candidate nights.

      I do wonder whether a debate, like the one held for the council candidates in the 46th last year, is a possibility.

      We should find out whether he needs petition signatures. I think that is important,
      as Kruger will challenge the petitions. The best way for us to have any choice at all is to see to it that he is given the legitimacy of being on the ballot. That being done, he will have a better opportunity to get people to know more about him.

    • aherring

      Yes, definitely. On the site he's looking for campaign volunteers….

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