Citi Bank to Sponsor State Parks

Citi Bank has come to the rescue of some 55 New York State parks that have been closed as a result of state budget woes. The $25,000,000 deal, inked in a closed door session last night includes the following provisions:

1. Allegany State Park will now be known as the Citi Allegany Fun Spot.

2. Swimmers at the reopened Stony Brook swimming area will be required to wear speedos with the CitiBank logo across the ass.

3. Seneca Lake will be dyed "CitiRed" every year on CEO Vikram Pandit's birthday.

4. Each state legislator will receive a complimentary $20,000 CitiBank Ultimate 5-yr CD locked in at 3.85%.

5. The Moinihans of Jamestown, NY will be required to rename their annual Bona Vista State Park Memorial Day Picnic "The Moinihan's BBQ brought to you by Citi." Each invitation mailed shall include one application for a CitiBucks platinum credit card.

Reason Magazine has an interesting article outlining the benefits of state park privatization here (sorry Glenn Beck haters, he's right on this one). Our power-hungry lawmakers have an aversion to forfeiting control of anything. However, if they can't even keep our parks open, shouldn't we give the privilege of oversight to someone who can?

BOTTOMS UP: Paterson Won't Tax your Fanta

Governor Patterson, in the midst of a whirlwind "Town Hall Meeting" tour of New York's forgotten districts, announced today that funds from the federal stimulus package will negate the need for so-called "obesity taxes" and similar taxes and fees proposed in Albany. That means that soda, gym memberships, ski lift tickets, haircuts etc. will not be subjected to Albany's heavy hand.

This should make everyone happy. Not the health care and teachers unions, which are reported to view the move as a direct attack on their interests. Any monies from the stimulus package used to counteract additional taxes and fees are monies not used to sustain excessive health care and education services.

New York State's predicament is similar to that of the domestic auto industry, which is being crippled by union contracts , pensions, lobbyists et al. Toyota, a company who's workers are not union organized, seem nearly immune to the catastrophic "end-of-the-world" scenario that GM, Ford and Chrysler are facing.

Paterson's approval ratings have dropped to near record lows due to the proposal of these so-called "obesity taxes" and fees. Now that he has reversed his stance, he has drawn the ire of the overbearing and unfairly influential health care and teachers unions. The irony is that the only people that could have afforded such taxes and fees are those workers fortunate enough to be members of such influential unions.

As Reported by the Albany Times-Union.

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