Today, the New York Post is reporting the legislature is at about $200 million in cuts, which is $400 million short on the goal. The Governor rightfully points out they are not cutting spending at all, they are cutting growth in spending, therefore $200 million should be absolutely unacceptable.
Meanwhile, according to Newsday, the Assembly is positioned to pass a school tax cap with a circuit breaker paid for by an increase in taxes on higher income earners. This is a gimmick, nothing more than a tax shift by the Assembly.
The circuit breaker in the Senate, which was supported by Senator Darrel Aubertine, was defeated because it eliminated the STAR rebates. The Assembly version does not eliminate STAR, but it does raise taxes.
A bipartisan coalition of senators defeated a circuit-breaker amendment put forward by their Democratic colleagues because it would have eliminated STAR rebate checks for many homeowners. The Assembly bill doesn't touch STAR, instead raising the necessary $2.6 billion with more tax on people...Shifting the tax burden does not solve problems, it simply disguises them and reduces private sector capital available to be invested in New York for jobs. Funding government with a different revenue stream is not the answer to the economic woes the state faces.
Siena Poll results from their August poll clearly points out the public's opposition to raising taxes to pay for budget gaps.
“While voters are divided over what the Legislature and Governor should do this week, they are nearly unanimous in opposing tax increases to close the budget gap, with 80 percent wanting to see spending cut and only 10 percent saying raise taxes,” Greenberg said.
The possibility of very little happening today is real. The desire and will to make cuts is not the nature of the beast, even if it is just slowing their spending habits.
Here is a quote from Governor Paterson and directed at legislators like Senator Aubertine and others in the event very little is accomplished today.
"Let those who left Albany today explain to the public why we had to come back."
3 comments:
How many times are you going to blatantly lie about the Senate circuit breaker? STAR and enhanced STAR would have been untouched. The gimmick $200 Middle Class Star check, whose benefit will be surpassed by a circuit breaker in some of the worst taxed areas, will be eliminated.
We've got property owners paying $40+ per thousand (village, town, school) on their homes in some parts of this region. A cap on one part's levy isn't going to help. A circuit breaker will. Both would be ideal.
Aubertine has made another mistake embracing this Senate Democrat plan as his own. It was crafted by downstate leaders of his conference, and that's why it mostly benefits downstate homeowners. It's a bad deal for the North Country, especially when you realize that he pays for the plan by taking away our rebate checks.
Any anon 11:48, where in the post does the IV guy say that star and enhanced star are in danger?
How about this lifted and from the Danger Democrat blog to reflect the Assembly's bill.
Property 1
Has an assessment of just under 500,000. In 2007/08 this property paid taxes in the amount of $7,335.00. Under the provisions of the circuit breaker bill, this individual can have a “Household” adjusted income of up to $122,250 and still get some relief . Well above the median income stated by Danger Democrat.
For incomes above 90,000 dollars, and below 125,000 dollars, the ceiling is 6% of adjusted income in the assembly bill.
Property 2
Has an assessment of 50,000, In 2007/08 this property paid taxes in the amount of $435.00 . Under the provisions of the circuit breaker bill, this individual can have a “Household” adjusted income of up to only $8,700 . If this property owners adjusted income is above $8,700.00 he will receive no benefit from the Circuit Breaker. In the Democrat’s plan you also only receive a 25% credit for your “over payment” The Senate’s play would have given a 70% credit on any overpayment. For incomes less than 90,000 dollars the ceiling is 5% of adjusted income
Property 3
Has an assessment of just over $103,000, In 2007/08 this property paid taxes in the amount of $ 1285.00. Under the provisions of the circuit breaker bill, this individual can only have a “Household” adjusted income of up to $25,700 to receive a benefit which is well under the average income claimed by the Comptroller’s Office.
Supporters of a circuit breaker are blowing smoke up everyones butt. Look at the numbers, they don't lie.
Not one rebuttal from Danger Democrat on the calculations, and they are in his back yard.
Come on. We need LESS SPENDING. That will do more to lower our taxes than this BS. The Tax cap isn't perfect. What it will do is show all of us who are the good school administrators and who needs to find a new job!!
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