Residents plead for help from their cities, which seek bailouts from the states, which flail as they hope for Federal or divine intervention.
No governor can be solely blamed for his or her states crisis; the real test of their leadership, now, is how governors tackle the solutions. And whether they'll be as honest about some issues -- such as the need to increase revenue -- as the President was in his address to Congress.
As a New Yorker, I see a very simple question: will Governor Paterson follow President Obama's lead to ask citizens who earn more than $250,000 to pay their fare share?
Governor Paterson has fallen into right-wing thinking, suggesting a host of regressive taxes that would affect regular New Yorkers, and considering severe cuts from hospitals to legal aid to education...exactly the kind of divestment that's not going to help us get out of this mess in the long term.
And one sees his strategy: an accidental governor, running for re-election in one year in tough times, believes he needs the support of the State's elite.
But he now has a chance to change this perspective. For one, the public would stand with him if he asked the wealthiest New Yorkers to pay their way -- a recent poll put public support 4-1 in favor.
Now, even more than siding with the public, he has the ability to side with the President. Obama is suggesting we ask more of Americans earning above $250,000 -- the same threshold the Fair Share Tax Reform movement in New York is pushing for.
Paterson may not be able to make a case for revenue on his own...we know the right-wing machine will slam him for any tax increase. Fortunately, he's not on his own. There's a little megaphone called "the White House" that will be carrying his message on this one.
There aren't always opportunities to dramatically change a state's relationship to revenue, or the expectations we have of our most fortunate -- so when there's an avenue open, we need to move through it.
I just hope the Gov realizes this opportunity. The President is leading. If the Governor won't lead, then at least he should follow.
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