All The King's Horses

Attention New Yorkers: Our state is broken. Our shops are closing, our taxes are rising and our families are migrating south. Our weak national economy has exposed the inevitable consequence of reckless spending and blind obedience to special interests. The state legislature’s majority has bowed to demands of organized labor at the expense of the taxpayers. With unsustainable state pensions, systemic Medicaid abuse and a state judiciary akin to Santa Claus, is it any wonder that New York faces a $9 billion deficit? Our nation was built on principles of individual liberty and freedom of commerce. Yet, time and again, New York’s elected officials have enacted laws that prohibit private sector growth and stunt Wall Street investment. Our state’s practice of relying on business for revenue while regulating its ability to prosper is counterproductive, to say the least. You cannot create jobs by attacking the job-creators. You cannot reduce deficits by adding to the debt. While these facts appear to be self evident, the legislature’s Democrat majority would beg to differ. Attention New Yorkers: Our state is broken and we need to fix it. Here’s how.


We must start by cutting erroneous spending and waste. New York’s pension system of “defined-benefits” requires increased state spending in times of decreased earnings. When poor markets cause drops in pension benefits, the state makes up the difference; when the markets recover, the state breaks even. Unless these Wall Street busts are followed by record-breaking booms, the state’s and the taxpayers’ losses continue to grow. If New York’s pensions were changed from a “defined-benefit” to a “defined-contribution” system, akin to the 401K, its debt would steadily shrink and eventually produce net gains.


A state-run campaign against Medicaid fraud is another easy solution to reduce waste and save the taxpayers millions of dollars. A responsible state attorney general could launch this crusade with the flick of a pen. Although New York Attorney General Andrew Coumo appears unable to initiate such a project, perhaps his successor will not share in his timidity.


Our next step in fixing New York’s fiscal woes will entail promoting business and cutting taxes. Business and financial institutions, large and small, cannot long withstand the financial burdens being thrust upon them by higher state and local taxes. From Manhattan to Long Island and from Goshen to Oswego, proprietors are closing shop and patrons are leaving town. Taxes, from income to payroll and from corporate to M.T.A., are draining the life and profit out of New York industry. The companies that are still intact have managed this by cutting their workforce and raising their prices, neither of which augur well for their respective communities. By reducing the costs of doing business in New York, the state will invite private sector growth and with it, expanded job creation.


Last, but not least, is tort reform. With President Obama unwilling to stand up to the trial lawyer lobby, the states are left to fend for themselves. Fair and comprehensive caps on medical malpractice rewards, along with a concerted effort to curb erroneous lawsuits would exponentially lower the cost of healthcare in New York. This would help to alleviate the pressure on businesses and families alike.


These aforementioned steps, if adopted, would go a long way toward piecing our state back together again. They would pull countless New Yorkers off the unemployment line and place them back in the workforce where they belong. The sales taxes gained from a thriving New York economy would far exceed the revenues lost from an over-extended business community. People who have more will spend more. It’s that simple.


To enact these policies, New York politicians will need to rid themselves of their growing dependence on union bosses and special interest lobbies. New Yorkers must vote into office, at every level of government, people who will look out for them and disengage themselves from rival party factions. With proper leadership, New York State can take back its rightful place as commercial empire of the world. A new, conservative electorate can achieve this by cutting both taxes and spending and by curbing government waste, fraud and abuse. Our citizens can make all of this happen by electing into office true stalwarts of our state’s salvation. Attention New Yorkers: Our state is broken. But, we can fix it.


Jeremy Pitcoff


Smithtown Republican Committeeman