By Lee Wishing, Administrative Director of The Center for Vision and Values

Vacationing in western New York last week, I picked up a copy of the Buffalo News. Two items caught my eye. The “Quote of the Day” in Friday’s sports section came from Buffalo Bills receiver Roscoe Parrish who said, “It’s training camp, so every day you go out there, you got to approach it like it’s your last.” Contrast Parrish’s compete-for-survival attitude with New York Gov. David Paterson’s front-page remarks about his state’s bloated budget. “It doesn’t tax much, either,” Paterson said.

“How much is not much?” the Buffalo News asked. “Try $1 billion – [in new taxes] at least.” Compared to last year’s New York record-setting budget, with tax increases of a whopping $6-to-$8 billion, this year’s budget doesn’t tax much. How about another Twinkie, Gov. Paterson?

New York could use a leader with Parrish’s training camp mentality because states, like NFL teams, play in a competitive league. The NFL has 32 teams; the United States has 50 “teams” and New York is projected to finish dead last (50th) according to a competitiveness study by the American Legislative Exchange Council. ALEC uses 15 variables in its “Economic Outlook Ranking.” Consider some of these New York Twinkies:

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