Our pathetic excuse of a "governor," David Paterson, has announced a plan for billions of dollars in unnecessary budget cuts that could easily be avoided by making the rich pay a little closer to their fair share in taxes.

Here's the contents of my email to Gov. Paterson. I think people should send similar emails to any corrupt politician advocating budget cuts instead of tax justice.

I am deeply offended that you are attacking middle class and poor people in New York by pushing for draconian budget cuts in the services we need and deserve. You are perfectly aware of the indisputable fact that these cuts could easily be avoided by making the rich pay something slightly closer to their fair share in taxes.

Our budget shortfalls are caused by an economic downturn resulting from irresponsible speculation by the rich and corrupt practices by the banksters and the brokesters. You should make them pay for it, not the innocent. Here are some tax increases that every moral person supports that would get rid of the budget gap.

1) Enact a state tax on all bankster and brokester bonuses.

2) Raise taxes much, much higher on people receiving over $200,000 in income.

3) Enact luxury taxes on expensive cars, mansions, yachts, fur coats, second homes, luxury boxes at sports events, and other examples of conspicuous consumption.

4) Enact a 1/10% tax on every stock transaction.

While you are at it, you should get rid of all the stolen subsidies for rich developers that they have grabbed from the state.

It would be easy to get rid of the budget gap without penalizing the overwhelming majority of New Yorkers who are innocent victims of this economic downturn. Will you do it, or will you sell your office to the biggest campaign contributors?

Paterson is acting more and more like a corrupt Republican every day.

This is a nationwide pattern and an inexcusable one. The rich have been robbing the middle class and the poor for far too long. It's time to use our inalienable rights as citizens in a representative democracy to use the power of our state and federal governments to take back what is rightfully ours.