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.

 

Gov. Paterson's decision to select the notorious gun extremist, Kirsten Gillibrand, to be my state's newest Senator, is both dangerous and irresponsible. As a victim of gun crimes, I find gun nuts like Gillibrand morally reprehensible.

Gillibrand, like all opponents of gun control, is personally responsible for putting guns in the hands of the crooks who robbed me at gunpoint three times. Being in the same near death situation three times completely needlessly gives one a sense of real clarity. There is no excuse for supporting private gun ownership. Hunting with guns is too one sided to honestly be referred to as a "sport." Gun ownership increases the likelihood for death and injury for the gun owner. The Second Amendment only applies to government sanctioned militias, contrary to the propaganda of the nation's largest terrorist group, the National Rifle Association.

Opposing my basic right to live in a gun free society is something I take very personally, because I have experienced the consequences of gun extremism like Gillibrand's very personally. I am not obligated to passively go along with politicians who put guns in the hands of muggers, rapists, and murderers.

If this monster runs in the 2010 Democratic primary, I will vote for a primary challenger. If she wins the primary, I will vote for the Green Party candidate. I don't care which of two Republican gun nuts wins.

I seriously doubt I could vote for David Paterson after this horrifying betrayal either. Why did he vote for an inexperienced, Republican, gun extremist like Gillibrand over so many capable and qualified people who actually are Democrats and who are decent human beings?