New York State

Gov. David Paterson is reportedly delaying the issuance of state income tax refunds by about two weeks for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers. Officials in New York insist that while there is currently a halt in the issuing of state refund checks, it is only for two more weeks, and only because the state cannot issue any more refunds until the new fiscal year starts on April 1, according to ABC News.

Here are the rules regarding delayed refunds, according to the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance:

Regulatory agency actions and updates for March 12, 2010:

New York Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo recused himself from an ongoing investigation into Gov. David A. Paterson’s alleged ethics violations, appointing retired judge Judith S. Kaye to continue the inquiry in his stead.

Staff of the New York State Comptroller's Office got an opportunity to learn about the requirements of the state's new accounting reform law in a special training session held at the agency's lower Manhattan offices o

New York state needs money, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevension, we're all fat and unhealthy -- or, as they put it, "obesogenic."

Hence the proposed "soda tax," a revenue-raising device made easier to sell to the public through its targeting of the products blamed for what's considered a national epidemic of obesity. (Because that had nothing to do with us, or our appetites.)

Financial desperation aside, it was a surprise to see an e-mail from New York's executive, Gov. David A. Paterson, in my inbox last night. The e-mail address seemed valid, so I started to read. It wasn't until the third paragraph that I became a bit confused:

"I have been a physician in New York for 30 years."

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, up for reelection this year, has proposed a series of actions intended to repair New York’s recurring budget problems and out-year budget gaps by requiring the state to address out-year budget gaps and attain multi-year budget balance, align spending with available resources, limit debt and curb the use of what he referred to as "fiscal gimmicks."

David A. Paterson, still the governor of New York despite growing demands that he resign from office, faces ethics charges today, adding to the already sizeable heap of scandals that have captured the imaginations of New Yorkers everywhere. Now, on top of everything else Paterson has been trying to deal with, the governor is accused of using his influence to get free Yankees tickets and then lying about it under oath.

[Updated, 3:43 p.m. The New York Times is reporting that Gov. David A. Paterson has officially dropped out of the 2010 race for New York state governor.]

After repeated statements to the contrary, it seems that embattled Gov. David A. Paterson will not be seeking a full term as governor of New York in the next election.

The accounting reform law and its impact on government CPAs was highlighted by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli in the winter issue of his newsletter, The Local Government Connection.

New York State's Senate decided to shed its senator best known for slashing his girlfriend's face in what he said was an accident in December 2008 -- and for his role in the Senate coup last summer.