Post by dave on Jan 14, 2014 22:52:05 GMT -5
I continue to get emails from the Property Tax Reform Coalition of New York State even though I am long gone. The last three emails sent this week kept up the pressure to send the Governor a letter pleading with him for property tax relief. We were encouraged to tell the Governor how bad off we were trying to make our tax payments. And can't he see that we're drowning in taxes and surely he will come to our rescue with meaningful tax reform. I would judge that Andrew Cuomo is as likely to sponsor meaningful tax reform as he would give all his money to the poor. Annoyed, I just sent the following to the head of the tax reform group:
Carole,
Your emails have finally spurred me to action. I am putting the following letter in the mail tomorrow morning. You have my permission to share it with anyone.
Dear Governor Cuomo,
I never believed you would do anything meaningful about property tax reform in New York State. Your efforts so far have been little more than tokens you have tried to spin into meaningful sounding changes. Your so-called Tax Cap was no more than a scam and was so described by NY's tax advocates. People are not stupid. The media may be, but people are not. Much too much politics is involved and you're right in the middle of all of it as governor.
I am happy to say I left New York in 2011. I am not coming back. My total property taxes in South Carolina are less than 1/20th of what they were in Ulster County. My utilities and living expenses are a third less. The weather is much better here and I don't often think of even traveling north.
I love the culture here. I can say Merry Christmas without some idiot "correcting" me with a "Happy Holidays" in return. I can hold my head up as a gun owner. I am a professional, a retired employee of IBM with a Master's degree. If I do want to return to work, there are companies relocating here every month as they flee states such as yours.
I am happily contributing my time and talents to a variety of organizations in this state instead of your state. Care of our brothers and sisters here is a combined effort of government and private individuals instead of huge payrolls of town, county and state employees tripping over each other, all duplicating each other's efforts while they build up pensions that will eventually drown you. The teachers I know here are very professional, but do not believe they should be among the top earners in the state nor the most highly compensated retirees.
You probably don't care, but there are millions more educated and vital NY State residents and workers who will be leaving NY in the future, thus decimating your talent pool, your tax revenue stream and the heart and spirit of New York State.
We'll try to make room for them down here.
David Griffin
Murrells Inlet, South Carolina
Carole,
Your emails have finally spurred me to action. I am putting the following letter in the mail tomorrow morning. You have my permission to share it with anyone.
Dear Governor Cuomo,
I never believed you would do anything meaningful about property tax reform in New York State. Your efforts so far have been little more than tokens you have tried to spin into meaningful sounding changes. Your so-called Tax Cap was no more than a scam and was so described by NY's tax advocates. People are not stupid. The media may be, but people are not. Much too much politics is involved and you're right in the middle of all of it as governor.
I am happy to say I left New York in 2011. I am not coming back. My total property taxes in South Carolina are less than 1/20th of what they were in Ulster County. My utilities and living expenses are a third less. The weather is much better here and I don't often think of even traveling north.
I love the culture here. I can say Merry Christmas without some idiot "correcting" me with a "Happy Holidays" in return. I can hold my head up as a gun owner. I am a professional, a retired employee of IBM with a Master's degree. If I do want to return to work, there are companies relocating here every month as they flee states such as yours.
I am happily contributing my time and talents to a variety of organizations in this state instead of your state. Care of our brothers and sisters here is a combined effort of government and private individuals instead of huge payrolls of town, county and state employees tripping over each other, all duplicating each other's efforts while they build up pensions that will eventually drown you. The teachers I know here are very professional, but do not believe they should be among the top earners in the state nor the most highly compensated retirees.
You probably don't care, but there are millions more educated and vital NY State residents and workers who will be leaving NY in the future, thus decimating your talent pool, your tax revenue stream and the heart and spirit of New York State.
We'll try to make room for them down here.
David Griffin
Murrells Inlet, South Carolina
