Archive for November 20th, 2006
The list of prescriptions drugs available for $4 at Target is here. It warms my heart to see private industry leading the way to reduce health care costs caused by government intervention.
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Now that he is getting a closer look at the books, Gov.-elect Eliot Spitzer said yesterday that his initial reviews of the state’s fiscal picture show that New York is in worse shape than he first thought.
“The cupboard is bare,” Spitzer said. “There isn’t much there that hasn’t been sold, given away or spent.”
What did he think? That there was going to be some magic source of money to cure all the State’s and the taxpayers’ financial woes.
While the state is projected to have a $1.1 billion surplus at the end of this year, Spitzer policy adviser Paul Francis said that money will be exhausted because outgoing Gov. George Pataki and the State Legislature spent some of next year’s dollars this year.
One example was a child tax credit they agreed to in this year’s budget negotiations. That alone will cost the state roughly $600 million each year.
It sounds to me like Mr. Spitzer is already coming up with excuses for not restoring financial integrity to New York State. He wasn’t elected on a platform of “discovering” the State’s finances were a mess. We already knew that. He was elected because he said he was going to fix it. Day 13, he is not even in office yet, and he sounds like he is back peddaling on him commitments.
Spitzer said he also created a “virtual think tank” - an area of his transition Web site, www.transitionNY.org, where New Yorkers could offer their prescriptions for curing the state’s ills.
He doesn’t need a virtual think tank. There is no magic bullet. He needs to find the testicular fortitude necessary to follow through on his promises. The steps necessary require standing up to the special interests that supported his bid for office.
“There’s very little real revenue growth in the budget,” Francis said. “It means Eliot has to … make hard decisions.”
When I read stupid statements like the previous one, it really pisses me off! Of course he has to make hard decisions!!!
A prescription for fiscal health for New York State:
- cut spending
- reduce the size of government
- eliminate pork
- shrink the “cadillac” benefit plans for public sector employees
- repeal the Taylor Law
- eliminate wasteful Public Authorities
- cut social service programs
- stop public education spending increases - promote private education through tax credits
That, Mr. Spitzer, is the beginning of a plan for you. Now we will find out if Eliot Spitzer is a man of his word or just another politician.
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Of all the enemies to public liberty war is, perhaps, the most to be dreaded, because it comprises and develops the germ of every other. War is the parent of armies; from these proceed debts and taxes; and armies, and debts, and taxes are the known instruments for bringing the many under the domination of the few. In war, too, the discretionary power of the Executive is extended; its influence in dealing out offices, honors, and emoluments is multiplied; and all the means of seducing the minds, are added to those of subduing the force, of the people. . . . [There is also an] inequality of fortunes, and the opportunities of fraud, growing out of a state of war, and . . . degeneracy of manners and of morals. . . . No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare. . . .
— James Madison, Political Observations [April 20, 1795]
I stopped with a friend Sunday evening, at 8:30pm, for dinner. The Empire Grill takes orders until 9pm. This was my first time here. I’ve heard some mixed reviews, the negative seeming to be the result of new restaurant syndrome.
I ordered the Seared Sea Scallops in a lemon, caper, butter sauce with a side of spinach and a potato torte. The cost of the entree was $16.00. The scallops were good, perfectly cooked with the hint of brown crust from the sear. The sauce was average. There was little lemon or caper flavor, at least the scallops were good enough to hold their own. Five scallops were included, 3 of average size and 2 that were on the small side.
The spinach was very good, kind of a creamed spinach with some cheese mixed in. It was not overly creamy and the spinach, itself, was the star. The potato torte, described by the waitress as kind of like scalloped potatoes in a crust. Her description was pretty accurate, the “scalloped” potatoes had a crispy out crust similar to puff pastry. It was one decent size concoction, not individual pieces of potato. The flavor was good, however there was a greasy note to the overall presentation that detracted from the overall quality.
The service was OK. I thought it could have been a bit quicker, especially when ordering drinks, considering this was a Sunday night and the restaurant was not full at all.
Overall, I would go back to this restaurant again, but I’m not sure when. It was not the type of experience that would make me longingly anticipate my next visit. The menu had some interesting sounding selections. Wear a sweater if you are going to sit in the front window section on the main floor, there was a chilly breeze that periodically made its presence known.
