Just how stupid can one man be?

Paterson Increases Aides’ Pay

ALBANY - Gov. David Paterson is taking heat from public employee unions that say he should be ashamed of giving pay raises to his inner circle during a fiscal crisis.

Paterson, however, said Tuesday the $250,000 in salary increases spread among some staff members is part of a net cut in executive chamber pay because he eliminated some jobs and cut executive branch spending 10 percent overall.
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I don't do politics on this blog but this morning's headline in the local paper set me off. The following is the copy of a letter I've sent to Governor Paterson:

"Dear Governor,
I was outraged at today's headline outlining your plan to give raises to members of your staff. To be perfectly blunt Gov. Paterson have you taken leave of your senses? At a time when many of us are facing pay cuts, reductions in hours or outright loss of our jobs what are we supposed to think as we watch your staff getting pay raises?

Will you justify by saying they're doing more work? Some of us are holding down multiple jobs to pay our bills.

As we criticize the Wall Street fat cats for insuring they get their year bonuses how do we justify padding the paychecks of the Governor's staff?

Times are hard and you are proposing a budget that will take even more money OUT of MY pocket to cover the institutional failures of the budget process in this state. Now I'm told you need more money so your staff can have raises?!?!?!

I'm a lifelong Democrat Governor but this action puts in serious doubt any chance of you earning my support in the future.

Come to your senses, show that you AND your staff are willing to work along side the people of New York in these tough times. Not that your staff is a privileged elite who deserve more than the people for whom they work."

Beyond the incredible injustice of handing out raises to your own staff while you're raising taxes and fees on almost everything how on earth did he think he'd survive the PR storm? Sadly our Governor has shown an incredible tin ear to public opinion in his short tenure.

Wonder who's planning on running against him?

Peace
JP