Paterson Wants to Cut Spending to Stop New York Exodus

New York Sun reports on New York's Governor:

Mr. Paterson called for an examination of the state's 640 public authorities, which he said consume billions of tax dollars, noting that a public authority control board regulates only 11 of them. The state's enterprise zones, which were supposed to be spurring economic development, probably need to be investigated as well, he said, and he suggested that a property tax relief program,known as the STAR program, be retracted or changed.

He spoke of an exodus of New Yorkers from the state and said that since becoming governor, he has heard from a number of old friends who long ago left New York for other parts of the country, moving as far away as Texas and Nevada.

One friend in particular, who was in a skills training program for blind students with Mr. Paterson in Syracuse years ago, works in Manhattan but lives in western Pennsylvania, the governor said. Even though his friends love New York State, he said they told him they left because they could not find opportunity in New York and could not pay the taxes, Mr. Paterson said. New York City residents who enter the middle class are leaving the city and choosing to live in New Jersey suburbs over those in New York, he said.

"Whether we be upper middle class or dependent on social services, people are leaving our state," he said. "The government has got to respond to that latest crisis."

You can be assured New York's Congressional delegation will shrink after the 2010 Census.The high tax life style isn't exactly pro-economic or pro-population growth.