Not surprisingly, this year we spent a lot of time talking about the scary state of the economy. Being from Upstate, we have spent many a hunting trip talking about the economic problems facing New York. But now it's different. While we haven't exactly been thriving in New York over the past twenty years, we've been able to get by. Me and the boys now question whether New York can move forward without really changing our ways.

One area of reform that I brought up was the way that public sector contracts are "negotiated." I put quotes around the word because, the way I understand it, local government officials in New York are not given a fair shake at the negotiating table. And this is important when you consider the fact that (1) the property tax is the single largest source of government tax revenue in New York, (2) property taxes are used exclusively to fund local governments and school districts, and (3) personnel costs are by far the single largest piece of every municipal and school budget.

Some of the guys on the trip are union members and thought my point was an attack on them, but that is definitely not the case. Hey, I used to be a union member and my dad and brother are both involved in the local teachers' union. But New York has gone too far in creating huge obstacles to negotiating a fair but affordable public employee contract in New York. Until this changes, local officials will never be able to fully control expenses and property taxes.

If you want to see what I am talking about, just take a look at the many state mandates listed under the category of "Employee Relations" at www.StopTheTaxShift.org. First, if a public employee contract expires before a new contract has been agreed to, then New York's "Triborough Amendment" mandates that all the terms of the expired contract stay in effect. No other state has such a requirement, and it has the effect of bringing the negotiating process to a grinding halt and discouraging unions from offering concessions or givebacks.

Then, if negotiations remain at a stalemate, New York's compulsory (or binding) arbitration law takes the key decisions concerning the salary and benefits of police officers and firefighters out of the hands of locally elected officials and local taxpayers, and instead places these decisions under the control of a panel of non-elected, non-residents.This arbitration panel has significant power and can issue an award which requires an increase in taxes, and the panel is not responsible for its award and is not accountable to taxpayers.

Finally, the ultimate barrier to fair contract negotiations is the State Legislature's practice of interfering with the process and mandating particular benefits that unions were unable to negotiate at the bargaining table. Bills have been passed to unilaterally mandate the employee discipline process, types of paid leave, and even health insurance benefits. This gives the unions a benefit without having to negotiate a concession or giveback, and means higher costs for local governments and their taxpayers.

I am all for protecting employee rights and providing fair compensation to our public employees. Let's just make sure we allow for a fair and balanced process where our local officials have the ability to negotiate reasonable and affordable contracts. New York's future depends upon it.