I Live in a Kleptocracy.

The rule of thieves. That's what the neologism kleptocracy is supposed to me.

The originally description of this phenomenon was the leadership that arose in post-Soviet Russia, where many government figures were using their positions to extort perks for themselves, as a matter of course. Since then the term has been flung around to various third world nations as well - anywhere where baksheesh, and payola, is part of the price of doing business.

However, I think that the term is also useful for other groups.

One of the definitions of a thief is someone who receives goods or services under fraudulent pretenses.

Considering the incompetent fucks in Albany are still on the payroll (Though their pay has been suspended.) while the state budget is 110 days late, I charge them, one and all, with fraudulently collecting salaries and perks of representing the people of NY state.

The lousy, goat-ridden, wastes of food, oxygen, and living space are still on break from the Fourth of July - with no plans for when they will return to Albany to finish the budget.


Which ignores that the State Comptroller, Thomas DiNapoli, has come out with a report that's already damning this year's budget: the budget is going to go up 4.2%, twice inflation, and the kleptocrats are using the most generous possible estimates for revenues to meet the requirement to provide for a balanced budget. Just for one example, the proposed budget depends upon a new, and punitive, cigarette tax that's going to be raising the price of a pack of cigarettes some 17%. It's being sold to the public as a means to "fight smoking." What's less talked about is that the revenues from that sin tax are being counted upon to help shore up the state budget, and there is no provision for any reduction in the sales numbers of cigarettes based upon this price increase.

This is just one of the boondoggles that the budget already has.

Goddamned, lousy, thieving bastards.