You're now on the archive server. Commenting has been disabled.

New York State Is So Broke It Steals From Itself To Pay Off Unapproved Debt

Tyler Durden's picture




The surrealities of a "healthy" economy never end. The latest indication of the new banrkupt normal is New York State itself. A new report by NY state comptroller Thomas DiNapoli entitled "Highway Robbery: State's ailing road and bridges robbed; State siphoned money to pay for operations and debt service" tells you all you need to know about just how prosperous the ailing economy really is. According to DiNapoli, "only one-third of the money in the Highway and Bridge Trust Fund has
actually been used to pay for highways and bridges. The rest has been siphoned off to pay for debt service on back-door
borrowing and to fund operational costs for the DMV and the state
Department of Transportation." Is that lack of stolen pocket change Mr. DiNapoli can believe in? Apparently not - Mr. DiNapoli's words: "I think outrage and anger is certainly appropriate; we need to channel
that into thoughtful public policy." Yet anger is so September 2008. Welcome to the Xanax highs of the new credit bubble.

“This money should be going toward keeping our roads and bridges safe,
not to fund state agency operations. The bridge closing in Crown Point
is just one more example of why this is so important. If this trend
continues, the state will have to transfer nearly $4 billion into the
Trust Fund over the next five years. Using this dedicated capital money
to pay for operations and debt service is just one more gimmick on the
list of New York’s bad fiscal choices
.”

Should one cry or laugh here? New York State is stealing from itself, and its own comptroller is bitching against this practice, seemingly powerless to do anything to prevent it in the first place. Perhaps the state's transportation trust fund should put all its stimulus money in CIT stock or whatever the HFT megavol stock de jour is and hope and pray. These days the market has odds that are just a little better than Craps (although the likelihood of being comped by your broker when the ponzi market loses all your money, are still slim to none).

Full DiNapoli report below.

 




Comment viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.
Thu, 10/29/2009 - 17:05 | Link to Comment Anonymous
Thu, 10/29/2009 - 17:08 | Link to Comment Mad Max
Mad Max's picture

Uh, ummm, uh, I thought that a State Comptroller was supposed to manage state monies to prevent this sort of stealing?

Thu, 10/29/2009 - 17:09 | Link to Comment bugs_
bugs_'s picture

They are so broke!
HOW BROKE ARE THEY?
They are so broke they went to siphon some funds
and found the siphon had already been hocked.

Thu, 10/29/2009 - 17:13 | Link to Comment geopol
geopol's picture

State of NY went to the treasury and the treasurer said "If you close out the account I'll give you a toaster"

Thu, 10/29/2009 - 19:27 | Link to Comment Cognitive Dissonance
Cognitive Dissonance's picture

This brings a whole new meaning to the term "go fuck yourself" doesn't it?

They really are!!!

Thu, 10/29/2009 - 17:16 | Link to Comment HarrisonBergeron
HarrisonBergeron's picture

So this means "Victory for the Bulls!" Right?

Thu, 10/29/2009 - 17:17 | Link to Comment geopol
geopol's picture

Mr. DiNapoli's words: "I think outrage and anger is certainly appropriate; we need to channel that into thoughtful public indictments."

Thu, 10/29/2009 - 17:18 | Link to Comment SDRII
Thu, 10/29/2009 - 17:26 | Link to Comment geopol
geopol's picture

I'll just have one rib....Got change for a hundred bro...?Hey lighten up stride-right...

Thu, 10/29/2009 - 17:18 | Link to Comment Anal_yst
Anal_yst's picture

mmm xanax, I'll take two please!

Thu, 10/29/2009 - 20:22 | Link to Comment Miles Kendig
Miles Kendig's picture

After your last attempt at publication I don't blame you.

Thu, 10/29/2009 - 17:21 | Link to Comment Edna R. Rider
Edna R. Rider's picture

I read an interesting bit of research at 13D.  The basic idea was that the supply chain was badly broken during the "crisis."  (remember that?)  The adjustment will mean customers will pay suppliers MORE v. less (creating inflation), may build inventory higher (increasing GDP), and pass those costs along to consumers (inflation).

 

More to the point of NY state taxes:  since government bailed out Wall Street.  Next year will Wall Street bail out government?

Thu, 10/29/2009 - 17:35 | Link to Comment mannfm11
mannfm11's picture

you are not measuring inflation correctly.  Where is the consumer going to get the extra credit to pay this bill?  The consumer might look at Citi with its 30% interest rate and tell who ever is trying to sell something for more to go f**k themselves.  This is not inflation, but the art of deflation.  If you think we are going to inflate, you should make the first 30% loan to someone who is 99% certain to never, ever pay you back. 

Thu, 10/29/2009 - 17:32 | Link to Comment mannfm11
mannfm11's picture

http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/2009/10/city-of-houston-is-bankrupt-so-are.html

This link is to Mish's article on Houston being broke.  It has been covered up by them taking the money due the pension funds of employees and replacing it with bonds (sounds like the social security scheme to me, except they can't bill the beneficiaries for another round of money).  I read an article a year or so ago that the average federal employee made over $100K a year.  I am sure that included benefits.  Regardless of what they say GDP is, what they say unemployment is, what they say consumer spending is, tax receipts and budget problems for all governments say they are a lot worse. 

Thu, 10/29/2009 - 17:36 | Link to Comment deadhead
deadhead's picture

As a 50+ year resident of New York, well versed in the financial sector and NY politics, please allow me to save everybody time and effort by suggesting the following theorem:

New York State is a piece of shit whose horrendous balance sheet is only outdone by some of the USA's largest commercial and regional banking institutions.

I hope this helps.

Thu, 10/29/2009 - 17:47 | Link to Comment Miles Kendig
Miles Kendig's picture

Government representing its largest constituency...  got it.

Thu, 10/29/2009 - 19:45 | Link to Comment Anonymous
Fri, 10/30/2009 - 09:42 | Link to Comment Anonymous
Thu, 10/29/2009 - 18:01 | Link to Comment chet
chet's picture

I think this type of stuff is well-represented in most states and medium to large cities at this point.

Pensions are the great unfunded obligation on almost every level.

Thu, 10/29/2009 - 18:05 | Link to Comment deadhead
deadhead's picture

you are correct, however, we are now in recovery and everything is okay now.  we can just sit back and watch the money roll into the usa coffers.

all's good now.

Thu, 10/29/2009 - 18:14 | Link to Comment chet
chet's picture

Phew, that's a load off my mind.  For a second, I thought maybe the country had put itself into a completely untenable position by spending a bunch of money we didn't have.  Nice to know it's all cool now.

Thu, 10/29/2009 - 18:14 | Link to Comment Miles Kendig
Miles Kendig's picture

Fo sho  DH.  As we know those tax receipts are just busting all records....

Thu, 10/29/2009 - 18:17 | Link to Comment geopol
geopol's picture

I have a sense your in denial......

Thu, 10/29/2009 - 18:22 | Link to Comment Miles Kendig
Miles Kendig's picture

It's a running joke between DH and I associate.  Trust me.. there is a good deal of understanding here...

Thu, 10/29/2009 - 18:30 | Link to Comment deadhead
deadhead's picture

yep.

the usa is broke and has horrendous debt

the usa is policing every phucking country in the world except our own.

many of the usa's state and local municipalities are broke.

for all intents and purposes, the usa banking system is insolvent.

the media and government propaganda machines are lying.

lying is more acceptable than telling the truth.

fraud is rampant in our business and political system.

we are debasing our currency.

our central bank is monetizing governmental debt.

our political system is approaching complete dysfunctionality.

most americans are jerking off or watching tv (pls pass the soma)

I happen to believe I am witnessing the downfall of the usa. oh, it will take many years, but the path that we are on is clear.

yes, recovery is on the way.

it was a good run for a couple of hundred years.

history.does.not.lie.

"..a society built on lies and fraud is simply phucked"   deadhead

 

 

Thu, 10/29/2009 - 18:44 | Link to Comment geopol
geopol's picture

How can I agree more?????? HOW? Double space analysis is very effective... I would have you in my fucking fox hole anytime...

Thu, 10/29/2009 - 18:53 | Link to Comment Miles Kendig
Miles Kendig's picture

Settling for the ability to fight for any and lay claim to the scraps of the corrupt while selling out the premise of responsible self governance built upon the foundation of the rule of law applicable to all with preference to none.  My forbearer's and descendants would kick my ass were I to do so. - Miles Kendig

Thu, 10/29/2009 - 23:37 | Link to Comment Anonymous
Thu, 10/29/2009 - 18:30 | Link to Comment geopol
geopol's picture

Dear Miles,, it was levity, just levity

Thu, 10/29/2009 - 18:34 | Link to Comment Miles Kendig
Miles Kendig's picture

I do try to put the fun back into dysfunctional...  I just wish our government & markets would do the same..  No luck there no matter how much hopium gets consumed.

Cheers

Thu, 10/29/2009 - 18:42 | Link to Comment geopol
geopol's picture

I think you have it covered...

Thu, 10/29/2009 - 19:31 | Link to Comment Cognitive Dissonance
Cognitive Dissonance's picture

Every time I line up for my hopium shot, they tell me they're out because all available supplies are being sent to NYC and DC. I'm moving to where the action is.

BTW will someone please place the word "hopium" in the spell check dictionary here on ZH? Considering what's going on around the world, the word is NOT a passing fad.

It's a keeper.

Thu, 10/29/2009 - 22:36 | Link to Comment Oxytan
Oxytan's picture

Please listen to deadhead folks!  Look, of course well be fine, your worrying is starting to appear childish.  You can be sure that the smart guys realize that they don't need Main Street to participate in this recovery.  Our egos are inflated.  Truth is we're just not worthy of their time, and we need to realize that and stop complaining. 

Just look how the farmers in Zimbabwe were proven unnecessary for that country's economy to go sky high!  The proof is in how their currency & GDP went up to incredible non-relative heights!  If they had a stock market, it would have been up 150,000% last year alone.  And GDP?  Wow, incredible! Makes our 3.5% look like a joke. 

I'm so mad I missed my chance to invest there.  I would have turned an ounce of gold, or maybe even an ounce of silver into 500 Trillion Z-Dollars last year.  That kind of chance only comes once a lifetime right?

Why is it so hard for Main Street to understand that it is redundant and unnecessary and when will it get with the program?

Thu, 10/29/2009 - 23:52 | Link to Comment Anonymous
Thu, 10/29/2009 - 20:12 | Link to Comment digalert
digalert's picture

I hereby challenge New York, my state California has got to be numero uno. If not then Ca and NY are tied, remember that Ca's budget brings with it, humor.

Thu, 10/29/2009 - 20:29 | Link to Comment Anonymous
Thu, 10/29/2009 - 22:47 | Link to Comment Anonymous
Fri, 10/30/2009 - 08:11 | Link to Comment HayeksConscience
HayeksConscience's picture

Would somebody please hit the reset button.

Fri, 10/30/2009 - 10:00 | Link to Comment Anonymous
Sat, 05/14/2011 - 09:34 | Link to Comment isolinx
isolinx's picture

I visited this page first time and found it Very Good Job of acknowledgment and a marvelous source of info.........Thanks Admin!

http://www.reverse-phone-look-up.net
http://www.reverse-phone-look-up.net/phone-lookup

Do NOT follow this link or you will be banned from the site!