. . . Governor Andrew Cuomo presented a budget that eliminated a $10 billion deficit without a tax increase (New York Post). It turned out to be a lot eaier than anyone thought, in no small part because the deficit was driven by automatic spending increases built in every year by law (in Albany, this is called “current services” budgeting; in Washington, “baseline budgeting”).
Cuomo expressed “shock” at the practice, although its been in place since long before his father was governor (NYP). Odds are the real surprise was that the baseline had so many mandated increases that, left alone to its own devices, state spending would go up 13% this year alone.
Or, as Cuomo himself put it in an op-ed to the Post – itself a dramatic political statement for a Democrat (emphasis added):
In Albany speak, “deficit” means the amount needed to fund the 13 percent increase (as opposed to a normal rate of increase). For example, if one assumed these programs would increase at the rate of inflation (instead of 13 percent) the $10 billion deficit is really a $1 billion deficit.
Yikes!
Even without that $9 billion in fantasy-land spending, Cuomo’s budget reduced people and agencies. He also demanded, loudly, that the current services/baseline nonsense be destroyed by the force that created it: the state legislature.
That should be fun to watch.
In the meantime, Cuomo has already established himself as the most reasonable Democrat in America. If he can get his budget – and the reforms – through the legislature (I’m betting the Assembly controlled by his supposed allies will be much tougher sledding that the barely Republican Senate), they’ll be talking about a White House run – whether Andrew wants it or not.
