Let’s Be Honest New York:Shell game property tax shifting schemes and “Here’s a bag of cash” economic development public risk/private gain scenarios are NOT working. We need to get serious about cutting taxes and spending.

Where does our money go? Half to education and Medicaid http://

openbudget.ny.gov/overview.html

K-12 cost – Highest in USA Per US Census data in 2013:

Average per pupil spending - $10,300New York - $19,818

We are 92% above the national average! This does not include construction either.

Construction – Really expensive for K-12 schools See this report page 6, state of Texas: http://

www.texastransparency.org/Special_Features/Reports/School_Construction/pdf/Public_School_Construction_Costs.pdf

Extreme costs for K-12 construction in New York: After the 2011 flood both Owego Elementary

and Binghamton MacArthur were rebuilt. Costs are over $120,000 per student for

each. Cost is over EIGHT TIMES the average to

build elementary schools in Texas ($17,461). It’s not all due to labor differences. See this about Corruption in this market: http://

www.slideshare.net/RichPurtell/corruption-in-new-york-public-construction/

School Choice Some states are doing voucher

programs, but many of their strategies are corrupt.

Public Schools in New York are good quality, but very expensive.

We need to strike a balance between cost and performance. See this article I wrote in August 2015 for the local newspaper:

http://www.pressconnects.com/story/opinion/2015/08/27/guest-viewpoint-school-choice/32483051/

Medicaid- Another big piece of the pie, also high cost Our annual growth in cost has actually been

better than many other states. The damage was done around 20 years ago

and we’ve been struggling ever since. Medicaid and unfunded mandates to cover

the costs are the biggest forces upon our property taxes for many years now.

This shows the growth per year in New York not being too bad, 2.4%. National average was 4.1% 2000-2012.

http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/multimedia/data-visualizations/2014/medicaid-spending-growth/

Medicaid spending per enrollee, near the top US Average $5,790 per year overall. New York $8,901 per year overall (54% above

average) US Average for individuals with disabilities: $16,643 New York individuals with disabilities: $30,221 (82%

+) Source: http://

kff.org/medicaid/state-indicator/medicaid-spending-per-enrollee/

The 1199SEIU union has been brutalizing New York for years. When will politicians and voters develop enough hutzpah to take on this group? http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/08/08/the-union-that-rules-news-york.html

Scaffold Law Reform: Over the years the original intent

of the scaffold law has been re-interpreted by the courts in NY to be an absolute liability standard.

Contributory negligence by employees has no bearing on awards.

See this group: http://www.unshackleupstate.com

/

Prevailing Wage Law: Wage standards are set for

construction projects. Some projects go a step further and

require a PLA, project labor agreement, which further forces the need for organized labor.

Let’s not do Right-to-work however, these laws are wrong in the opposite direction:http://www.forbes.com/sites/investor/2012/12/14/why-milton-friedman-opposed-right-to-work/

Worker Compensation Another way in which New York

State reinvents the wheel too much and fights against free market competition.

We should moved towards being an NCCI state.

http://www.cutcomp.com/depts.htm

Keep digging voters It’s all well and good to have property

tax relief programs like STAR and to try to cut unfunded mandates and cap spending, but we need to get serious about the big ticket items in the state budget. Education, health, and construction are three broad categories where New York overspends and we need to get competitive.

Private sector jobs will come back and grow if we reduce taxes and spending.

Thank you Prepared by:

Rich PurtellLibertarian Party candidate NYS Senate District 52Cell 607-425-9730

email: purtellfornysenate@gmail.com

Web site: http://purtellfornysenate.nationbuilder.com/