Paterson: Maybe STAR should be cut
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- April
- 21
     The state should consider changing or ending the STAR property-tax-rebate plan next year in an effort to reduce spending, Gov. David Paterson said today.
    “How effective has the STAR program been?’’ Paterson said in an interview on TALK-1300 in Albany this morning. “Maybe we have to take a look at it.’‘
   Paterson has pledged to work to cut state spending by as much as 10 percent next year in the wake of an expected sharp decline in tax receipts. He said he and the Legislature should get to work on finding spending reductions right away.
  The $5 billion STAR program provides rebates – sometimes in the thousands of dollars – to residential school property-tax payers.
  Paterson, who started a week of radio interviews today, also said he plans to run for re-election in 2010. He also wouldn’t say why he donated only $150 to charities last year, saying he had already disclosed enough personal information.
This entry was posted
on Monday, April 21st, 2008 at 11:29 am by Joseph Spector.
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Paterson didn’t want to talk about his $150 to charity because he’s embarrassed he was caught by surprise. He didn’t know he was going to be governor, and he thought his tax filings would be confidential.
Paterson spent more on motel bills for his affairs than he gave to charity. He only gave old clothes to the Salvation Army and claimed they were worth $150. He must have learned that one from the Clintons, who once or more did the same thing.
Can we assume Paterson knows he can’t just end the STAR program without making other changes so the homeowners don’t get royally shafted?
Good article in today’s NY Post. Fred Dicker reports Cuomo is zeroing in on Pataki and Spitzer buddy Daniel Wiese, ex-state cop big shot, and a big contract from the Power Authority for “background investigations.” The idea is that Weise, who became IG of the Power Authority, might have abused this contract for dirty tricks’ work on behalf of both Spitzer and Pataki.
This guy is obviously disingenuous as well as batty. Eliminating STAR is not reducing spending; it is raising taxes. He had his chance to veto profligate spending, perks and pork and he declined. Aged, ailing senior citizens are the very last people one would chose to rob unless one were a drug-addled sociopathic mugger. Keep your dirty underwear; the Salvation Army doesn’t need it. Govern the state for two years and get out. This guy’s next good idea will be his first.
eliminating a tax refund is in fact a tax increase…
star benefits property owners…clearly the governor
wants to benefit those who don’t..that should really
help during the mortgage crisis….kind of like
adding oil to the fire
In this climate of high school/property taxes, even considering the possibility of ending the STAR program will likely lose Paterson my vote. I’m not even a homeowner, but I know many people, particularly seniors who have been in their homes for decades who can no longer afford the annual tax payments.
Bozo Paterson has just now issued a hiring freeze and ordered restrictions on spending. He should have done that before letting the budget be approved.
Maybe Paterson does not want to be a long term governor. Unless the New York State Elected Officials can come up with an alternate to funding for schools, ending the STAR program would be suicide for Paterson in NY State.
People’s tax bills would take such a jump….homeowners would vacate home ownership fast. Is Paterson nuts or what.
People do vote with their suitcases. There has been an ongoing loss of middle-class homeowners in NY. They have been getting out because Albany and other politicians have been running the state into the ground.
Parts of upstate look like a DMZ with all the lost jobs as corporations also moved out because of the taxes. That will spread downstate soon unless big fixes are made, fast.
Is Paterson seriuos? Does he know that NY already has the 3rd largest taxes in the country? And that’s with STAR!!
Compare CT to NY. In CT you pay about $3200 a year in property tax. In Westchester, that same property is a least $10K a year. WHY????