Cuomo's Billion Dollar Bribes

The “Buffalo Billion” and a proposed $1 Billion in new education funding for public schools. It's nice how “Status” Cuomo is throwing around money these days. What I find interesting is the recipients and the amounts.

Look at the “Buffalo Billion.” It is being used to “rebuild” Buffalo and WNY after the rust belt disaster and the Crash of 2007. After NAFTA and other disastrous policies of the ruling elites that began in the 1970's (OK. NAFTA was in the 1990's for the chronologically pure) the whole of WNY suffered a great decline with the destruction of the manufacturing industries.

Now, with the automotive industry mostly shifted to the non-union south and out of the country, Cuomo brings in big bucks to bribe capitalists to build and invest in WNY. And many of the new jobs, while paying decently, are non-union jobs and the elites have no fear of the unions because most of the old unions die-hards have died or retired and what is left of the union leadership has pretty much sold out to the 1%.

This is an easy buck for the 1%.

They have an economically depressed area, a governor (in their pocket) who is willing to give them our tax dollars to build their businesses in the state, and tax deferment for 10 years,All of this is out of our pockets and onto our backs because we have a population that is getting desperate for employment.

Sounds to me like we lose here.

Now let's look at the $1 Billion proposed for new education funding.

Actually it's not an addition. It's a restoration of some of what Cuomo cut from school budgets back in 2007 in order to balance the state budget. That he did it on the backs of our children instead of on the the backs of Wall Street, the banks, and other corporations that crashed the economy and then demanded we we bail them out is even more reprehensible.

So Cuomo's cutting dollars and adding back spare change.

And school districts are in a panic because the tax cap this year is 0.12% - not enough to maintain programs at last year's levels. Even though the economy is “looking up” because of the low unemployment rate (according to capitalist economists), school districts are looking to have to cut positions and programs because the tax cap is too low to sustain or grow programs for students next year.

What we need to understand: Cuomo sold us a bill of goods. He claimed that the tax cap would be set at 2% a year for school taxes. The actual bill stated that it would be 2% or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower. This year the rate of inflation is 0.12%. The students got screwed and we were told that they were not performing good enough on exams, so the schools we paid for with our taxes have to be privatized (so that capitalists can make money off of our children).

What is interesting is that Cuomo is willing to throw billions of dollars at his capitalist friends so that they can make money, but the people who really are responsible for the economy and making it work and grow get pennies.

And that shows in the educational system where students are tested to death from grades 3 on and then go to college and have to take remedial courses because they can not pass a basic high school comprehension exam in Math and Language Arts. (This includes reading skills. Something students rarely do any more,)

Interesting. The group that funds his campaigns get billions and the people he needs to put him into office he tries to sucker into voting for him with pennies.

This is a joke and an insult.

Socialists, and anyone that thinks, demand:

1. An end to taxpayers subsidizing capitalist ventures. If we're paying for it – We get ownership.

2. Any corporation that refuses to grant ownership to the citizens is allowed to keep their company and all tax breaks are converted to interest bearing loans. BTW – The loans have to be guaranteed by the CEO & Board of Directors' personal wealth. The interest rate is equal to prime plus a fair percentage per year. (Look at home mortgages and equity loans for guidelines. Or small business loans.)

3. Full restoration of all educational funding to 2007 levels, adjusted for inflation and with interest.

These are the minimums.

Long term,  we demand justice and socialism.