Post by dgriffin on Jan 5, 2011 23:34:20 GMT -5
Keep in mind this is a press release. The Consortium favors a tax circuit breaker rather than a cap for property taxes in NY. Tax caps would cut spending in schools and municipalities, thus cutting services and eliminating public employee jobs and therefore earning the ire of the big unions. A tax circuit breaker sets an income based limit on the amount of property taxes you would pay with the state making up the difference. You'd pay your local property taxes and the amount over the circuit breaker figure would be refunded in your income tax refund.
Neither plan addresses (very much) cuts in spending.
Press Release
Contact:
For immediate release:
Ron Deutsch, New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness (518)
469-6769
January 5, 2011
Gioia Shebar, Tax Nightmare.org (845) 256-0082
Susan Zimet, Ulster County Legislator, (845) 527-5309
John Whiteley, NYS Property Tax Reform Coalition, (518) 585-6837
Robert McKeon, Tax Reform Effort of Northern Dutchess (TREND) (845)
399-4582
Frank Mauro, Fiscal Policy Institute (518) 786-3156
Property Tax Reform Groups respond to SOS Governor Cuomo-Right on
Property Tax Wrong on Tax Cap
(Albany, NY) Property Tax Reform groups, affordable housing advocates
and fiscal watchdogs from across NYS called upon Governor Cuomo to
champion real property tax relief not “rhetorical solutions.” They
urged Governor Cuomo to abandon his plan for a “property tax cap”
that has failed in many other states and provides no relief to over-
burdened tax payers.
The Governor highlighted Geraldine Sullivan, an 81 year young
resident of Monroe County, retired and living on Social Security.
She has seen her home value go down and her property taxes go up. She
can’t afford to make ends meet so she went back to work as a lunch
monitor. Regrettably there are hundreds of thousands of Geraldine’s
in NYS. The problem with this example is the Governor’s solution
(tax levy cap) will only ensure that her taxes continue to rise. As
a result of the tax cap she may also lose access to her senior
center, meals on wheels and other services she may be relying on.
She is also likely to lose her job as lunch monitor under the cap.
The only way to help Geraldine is to pass a circuit breaker that will
limit her taxes to an affordable percentage of her income. That is
the only way to help Geraldine!
"We applaud Governor Cuomo's expression of concern over high property
taxes and his recognition that many families can no longer afford to
pay them," said John Whiteley of the NYS Property Tax Reform
Coalition. "However, we are disheartened that he appears to believe a
property tax cap will somehow make them more affordable for the
families he describes. The reality is that a tax cap will ensure
that taxes will continue to rise -- making them even LESS affordable
-- and since the tax cap does not actually cap one's tax bill, many
will find their individual increase substantially higher than the
nominal cap percentage. We hope the Governor will recognize that only
a middle class circuit breaker can cap, and actually reduce, the
property tax burden of those most at risk of being forced from their
homes, and that that is the measure most urgently needed at this time."
Gioia Shebar of Taxnightmare.org states, “I was surprised by the
State of the State address of our brand new governor elected to
dispel the miasma of failure that hangs like a fog over state
government. Instead of inspiring us with new ideas, he contrived to
hitch his star to a shopworn and discreditable concept of relieving
the burden of confiscatory property taxes from middle class families
by instituting a tax levy cap, which will only continue to raise
these already insupportable taxes. Even more unfathomably -as he
acknowledges the devastation of the middle class from property taxes
- he proposes to remedy the tax burden by removing (unsolicited) an
income tax surcharge from the super-rich who are not burdened in any
way, shape, or form by any kind of tax at all! There's still time to
start over. No shame in that. Everybody gets one Mulligan.”
“We need to fix our upside-down tax system. It is not enough to
simply say taxes are too high. Who are they too high for? The
Wealthy? Middle Class? We have an opportunity this year that we must
not squander.” said Ron Deutsch of New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness.
“Rather than letting the income tax surcharge on the wealthiest
expire - we should keep it in place and use that revenue to fund a
real property tax circuit breaker for struggling working/middle class
families in New York State. The Governor has clearly articulated the
problem - unfortunately he is proposing the wrong solution.”
“Maintaining the income tax surcharge on the wealthiest New Yorkers
would provide needed revenue, allowing Governor Cuomo to create a
more fair tax system and provide real property tax relief to working
New Yorkers through a circuit breaker,” states Rachel Estroff of
Westchester for Change
"If more than 4 out of every ten New Yorkers pay an overwhelming
amount of their income towards property tax, why would they welcome a
levy cap that does nothing to help them. Income and sales taxes have
percentage limitations - we need one for the property tax. It's
called a circuit breaker and it will solve so many of our issues all
at once," said Robert McKeon, Director of TREND NY. "After nearly 30
years of a levy cap, Massachusetts families average 3.2% (property
tax as a percent of income) instead of 3.5% - not a huge difference.
They have higher "fees", lower services and the same unfair,
unprogressive property tax system. Maine instead should be the role
model with their 5% (of income) circuit breaker that will protect all
of their citizens from excessive burdens."
Susan Zimet, Ulster County Legislator said, “Talking about the hollow
promise of a tax cap to solve the excruciatingly painful property tax
problem is the same rhetoric he speaks against. The Governor states
that we need to reform government and that it is going to take
political courage. He is right. But the courage comes in doing the
hard work to provide real solutions, not continuing the failed policy
of passing the problems down to the local elected officials. A tax
cap is passing the buck while pretending to have done something.
Governor Cuomo is promising change. Here is his chance to change his
mind and stop pushing a proven policy that has failed so many states
and the taxpayers directly.”
Neither plan addresses (very much) cuts in spending.
Press Release
Contact:
For immediate release:
Ron Deutsch, New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness (518)
469-6769
January 5, 2011
Gioia Shebar, Tax Nightmare.org (845) 256-0082
Susan Zimet, Ulster County Legislator, (845) 527-5309
John Whiteley, NYS Property Tax Reform Coalition, (518) 585-6837
Robert McKeon, Tax Reform Effort of Northern Dutchess (TREND) (845)
399-4582
Frank Mauro, Fiscal Policy Institute (518) 786-3156
Property Tax Reform Groups respond to SOS Governor Cuomo-Right on
Property Tax Wrong on Tax Cap
(Albany, NY) Property Tax Reform groups, affordable housing advocates
and fiscal watchdogs from across NYS called upon Governor Cuomo to
champion real property tax relief not “rhetorical solutions.” They
urged Governor Cuomo to abandon his plan for a “property tax cap”
that has failed in many other states and provides no relief to over-
burdened tax payers.
The Governor highlighted Geraldine Sullivan, an 81 year young
resident of Monroe County, retired and living on Social Security.
She has seen her home value go down and her property taxes go up. She
can’t afford to make ends meet so she went back to work as a lunch
monitor. Regrettably there are hundreds of thousands of Geraldine’s
in NYS. The problem with this example is the Governor’s solution
(tax levy cap) will only ensure that her taxes continue to rise. As
a result of the tax cap she may also lose access to her senior
center, meals on wheels and other services she may be relying on.
She is also likely to lose her job as lunch monitor under the cap.
The only way to help Geraldine is to pass a circuit breaker that will
limit her taxes to an affordable percentage of her income. That is
the only way to help Geraldine!
"We applaud Governor Cuomo's expression of concern over high property
taxes and his recognition that many families can no longer afford to
pay them," said John Whiteley of the NYS Property Tax Reform
Coalition. "However, we are disheartened that he appears to believe a
property tax cap will somehow make them more affordable for the
families he describes. The reality is that a tax cap will ensure
that taxes will continue to rise -- making them even LESS affordable
-- and since the tax cap does not actually cap one's tax bill, many
will find their individual increase substantially higher than the
nominal cap percentage. We hope the Governor will recognize that only
a middle class circuit breaker can cap, and actually reduce, the
property tax burden of those most at risk of being forced from their
homes, and that that is the measure most urgently needed at this time."
Gioia Shebar of Taxnightmare.org states, “I was surprised by the
State of the State address of our brand new governor elected to
dispel the miasma of failure that hangs like a fog over state
government. Instead of inspiring us with new ideas, he contrived to
hitch his star to a shopworn and discreditable concept of relieving
the burden of confiscatory property taxes from middle class families
by instituting a tax levy cap, which will only continue to raise
these already insupportable taxes. Even more unfathomably -as he
acknowledges the devastation of the middle class from property taxes
- he proposes to remedy the tax burden by removing (unsolicited) an
income tax surcharge from the super-rich who are not burdened in any
way, shape, or form by any kind of tax at all! There's still time to
start over. No shame in that. Everybody gets one Mulligan.”
“We need to fix our upside-down tax system. It is not enough to
simply say taxes are too high. Who are they too high for? The
Wealthy? Middle Class? We have an opportunity this year that we must
not squander.” said Ron Deutsch of New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness.
“Rather than letting the income tax surcharge on the wealthiest
expire - we should keep it in place and use that revenue to fund a
real property tax circuit breaker for struggling working/middle class
families in New York State. The Governor has clearly articulated the
problem - unfortunately he is proposing the wrong solution.”
“Maintaining the income tax surcharge on the wealthiest New Yorkers
would provide needed revenue, allowing Governor Cuomo to create a
more fair tax system and provide real property tax relief to working
New Yorkers through a circuit breaker,” states Rachel Estroff of
Westchester for Change
"If more than 4 out of every ten New Yorkers pay an overwhelming
amount of their income towards property tax, why would they welcome a
levy cap that does nothing to help them. Income and sales taxes have
percentage limitations - we need one for the property tax. It's
called a circuit breaker and it will solve so many of our issues all
at once," said Robert McKeon, Director of TREND NY. "After nearly 30
years of a levy cap, Massachusetts families average 3.2% (property
tax as a percent of income) instead of 3.5% - not a huge difference.
They have higher "fees", lower services and the same unfair,
unprogressive property tax system. Maine instead should be the role
model with their 5% (of income) circuit breaker that will protect all
of their citizens from excessive burdens."
Susan Zimet, Ulster County Legislator said, “Talking about the hollow
promise of a tax cap to solve the excruciatingly painful property tax
problem is the same rhetoric he speaks against. The Governor states
that we need to reform government and that it is going to take
political courage. He is right. But the courage comes in doing the
hard work to provide real solutions, not continuing the failed policy
of passing the problems down to the local elected officials. A tax
cap is passing the buck while pretending to have done something.
Governor Cuomo is promising change. Here is his chance to change his
mind and stop pushing a proven policy that has failed so many states
and the taxpayers directly.”
It would totally blow the image that I have of you and you would have to trade the strawberry in on something much more sinister. ROFL.