{"id":1529,"date":"2009-02-16T17:01:17","date_gmt":"2009-02-16T22:01:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jasetaro.com\/blog\/?p=1529"},"modified":"2009-02-22T08:03:04","modified_gmt":"2009-02-22T13:03:04","slug":"do-as-i-say-not-as-i-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jasetaro.com\/blog\/2009\/02\/16\/do-as-i-say-not-as-i-do\/","title":{"rendered":"Do As I Say, Not As I Do…"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ever think you’re stuck in the twilight zone? I’d love to say this story was unbelievable but it’s not, it’s business as usual<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Gov. Paterson has secretly granted raises of as much as 46 percent to more than a dozen staffers at a time when he has asked 130,000 state workers to give up 3 percent pay hikes because of the state’s fiscal crisis, The Post has learned.<\/p>\n

The startling pay hikes, costing about $250,000 annually, were granted after the governor’s “emergency” declaration in August of a looming fiscal crisis that required the state to cut spending and impose a “hard” hiring freeze.<\/p>\n

One raise was approved as recently as last month – when Paterson claimed the budget deficit had reached an unprecedented $15.5 billion.<\/p>\n

The raises, which have stunned the few state workers who know about them, are outlined in data obtained from the office of state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, prepared at The Post’s request.<\/p>\n

Two of the raises were tied to publicly proclaimed promotions – granted despite the supposed hiring freeze – of some of Paterson’s most important appointees, although the announcements didn’t include disclosure of the pay hikes.<\/p>\n

The remaining 14 raises appear to have gone to individuals who remained in their same positions, despite claims by a spokesman for Paterson that they had been promoted.<\/p>\n

“These are not raises for old positions, rather new salaries for new positions,” Paterson spokesman Errol Cockfield insisted.<\/p>\n

But a DiNapoli spokesman, Dennis Thompkins, said flatly, “These are individuals who stayed in their same position and received a salary increase.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The issue isn’t the money, it’s that politicians \u2014 and doesn’t matter whether they’re democrats or republicans all seem to suffer from do as I say, not as I do syndrome. Rather than doing the responsible thing and actually tightening their belts the way they’re asking the rest of us do they give their cronies raises.<\/p>\n

The sad truth is the vast majority of politicians are all a bunch of self interested, blowhard jerks who are in it for self aggrandizement and cronyism… They honestly believe it’s their money, not ours, and that they can do whatever they want with it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ever think you’re stuck in the twilight zone? I’d love to say this story was unbelievable but it’s not, it’s business as usual: Gov. Paterson has secretly granted raises of as much as 46 percent to more than a dozen staffers at a time when he has asked 130,000 state workers to give up 3 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[7],"tags":[478,477],"class_list":{"0":"post-1529","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-politics","7":"tag-david-patterson","8":"tag-new-york","9":"entry"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pfpI7-oF","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3681,"url":"https:\/\/www.jasetaro.com\/blog\/2010\/11\/05\/priceless-aarp-hikes-employees-insurance-costs-cites-health-care-reform-as-cause\/","url_meta":{"origin":1529,"position":0},"title":"Priceless: AARP Hikes Employees Insurance Costs; Cites Health Care Reform as Cause","author":"Jeff","date":"November 5, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Remember when the AARP jumped on the Obamacare bandwagon? Well it's time for them to pay the piper... The seniors' lobby has sent an e-mail to its employees explaining their insurance costs will rise partly as a result of the law they endorsed: WASHINGTON \u2013 AARP's endorsement helped secure passage\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Health Care"","block_context":{"text":"Health Care","link":"https:\/\/www.jasetaro.com\/blog\/category\/health-care\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3175,"url":"https:\/\/www.jasetaro.com\/blog\/2010\/01\/14\/train-wreck-retail-sales-fall-jobless-claims-rise-foreclosures-set-record-and-the-dollar-crisis\/","url_meta":{"origin":1529,"position":1},"title":"Train Wreck: Retail Sales Fall, Jobless Claims Rise, Foreclosures set Record and the Dollar Crisis","author":"Jeff","date":"January 14, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Whew, I can't believe I got all that in headline! Anyone who has read this blog for any period of time knows I'm a pessimist on the economy, in short I don't see any reason to be hopeful: Retail sales unexpectedly fell in December, leaving 2009 with the biggest yearly\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Economy"","block_context":{"text":"Economy","link":"https:\/\/www.jasetaro.com\/blog\/category\/economy\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":4158,"url":"https:\/\/www.jasetaro.com\/blog\/2011\/08\/13\/the-fallacy-of-the-101-mix-of-spending-cuts-and-tax-hikes-question\/","url_meta":{"origin":1529,"position":2},"title":"The fallacy of the 10:1 Mix of Spending Cuts and Tax Hikes Question","author":"Jeff","date":"August 13, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"I suspect most of you have seen or heard about this exchange during the Republican Presidential Debate in Iowa last Thursday night: http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ASQNITVweLo&feature=player_embedded It was a bullshit question, first of all unless those spending cuts are immediate they'll never materialize... particularly when the baseline for negotiations is that the taxes\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Economy"","block_context":{"text":"Economy","link":"https:\/\/www.jasetaro.com\/blog\/category\/economy\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/ASQNITVweLo\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2760,"url":"https:\/\/www.jasetaro.com\/blog\/2009\/09\/22\/ouch-new-york-gov-paterson-blasts-pres-obama\/","url_meta":{"origin":1529,"position":3},"title":"Ouch: New York Gov. Paterson Blasts Pres. Obama","author":"Jeff","date":"September 22, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"The feud between New York Governor David Paterson and the White House took a turn for the worse today with Gov. Patterson essentially telling reporters at Columbia University that Obama's just cranky because he hasn't accomplished jack (emphasis mine): I understand the president\u2019s concern, but I understand the concern of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Politics"","block_context":{"text":"Politics","link":"https:\/\/www.jasetaro.com\/blog\/category\/politics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":4249,"url":"https:\/\/www.jasetaro.com\/blog\/2011\/10\/03\/democrats-to-push-tax-hikes-first-in-deficit-talks\/","url_meta":{"origin":1529,"position":4},"title":"Democrats to Push Tax Hikes First in Deficit Talks","author":"Jeff","date":"October 3, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"From Reuters: Democrats want tax hikes to be the first item negotiated in \"super committee\" deficit-reduction talks, trying to force Republicans to confront an issue at the heart of this year's budget fights, sources told Reuters. The tough stance by Democratic members of the powerful 12-member congressional panel reflects the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Economy"","block_context":{"text":"Economy","link":"https:\/\/www.jasetaro.com\/blog\/category\/economy\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2735,"url":"https:\/\/www.jasetaro.com\/blog\/2009\/09\/16\/the-tax-man-cometh-senate-health-reform-bill-includes-many-tax-hikes\/","url_meta":{"origin":1529,"position":5},"title":"The Tax Man Cometh: Senate Health Reform Bill Includes Many Tax Hikes","author":"Jeff","date":"September 16, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"The folks at Americans for Tax Reform have examined the Senate Finance Committee health care reform bill announced today and come up with a list of all the tax hikes in the bill: Individual Mandate Tax.\u00a0 If you don\u2019t sign up for health insurance, you will have to pay a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Health Care"","block_context":{"text":"Health Care","link":"https:\/\/www.jasetaro.com\/blog\/category\/health-care\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jasetaro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1529","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jasetaro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jasetaro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jasetaro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jasetaro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1529"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.jasetaro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1529\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jasetaro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1529"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jasetaro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1529"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jasetaro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1529"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}