The Tax Cap Express, take two
  The “Tax Cap Express,” carrying Assemblyman Greg Ball, R-Patterson, and Republican Assembly candidates from the Hudson Valley, arrived in Albany about 10:20 a.m. today. About two dozen people got off the bus and began to walk into the Capitol’s East Park. A few minutes later, many of them walked back and boarded the bus again. It turns out that News 12 staffers had been sitting in their van and hadn’t gotten the primo shot of everyone disembarking. The extra exercise delayed the news conference.
  
Rob Biagi, a New Rochelle Republican who is challenging Assemblyman George Latimer, D-Rye, led the group along with Ball, a first-term assemblyman. They urged the Assembly Democratic Majority to approve a tax cap on school spending of 4 percent a year, which Democratic Gov. David Paterson proposed and the Senate recently met to approve. Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan, has not warmed up to the concept and there are no plans for Democrats to vote on the issue in today’s special session.
  A limit on spending would stop so many people from leaving New York, Ball and others said. Most people in the state want it, they said.
  “A tax cap is the instrument that will actually get the spending in line over time to deliver serious, comprehensive relief,” Ball said.
  Ball said he would vote yes on circuit-breaker legislation, which limits property taxes based on income, that Assembly Democrats are proposing if a tax cap is not approved. The Senate has no plans to introduce a circuit-breaker bill.Â
              
 Justin Kaufmann, 12,  of Cold Spring, rode the Tax Cap bus.
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It is always about the show with Ball, no substance, just the show. The show is more importanat to ball then getting things done. With Ball, “The show must always go on”. Greg Ball and his traveling show should be in the circus.
Ball and Biagi are right. It’s inexcusable if the Assembly does not pass a tax cap.
The tax cap is BS. In my town for example the cap is higher than the actual budget increase was. Not only that the cap eliminates certain type of spending and my ability to vote on it. Everybody likes to hear “tax cap” and that’s why Ball is behind it. Think it through… there is nothing there.
TAX CAP – ANYONE RUNNING FOR ALBANY ASSEMBLY OR SENATE LOVES TO USE IT FOR THEIR CAMAPIGN.
Even if a district only needed 3 1/2 percent, we know they will build it up to the max of 4% and we do not vote on that.
Add all the excluded expenses and taxes will go up 6 or 7 percent. This is a savings???????
This group made their bus entrance a media event for voters….what a sham.
We need a cap plus some sort of off-set for income. There must be a way as other states do not have taxes like NY.
To give schools the ability to spend 4% with out voter approval is nuts.
Ball and crew are phonies…they’re looking to make political hay out of people’s anger and frustration – but they only offer partisan conflict, not real solutions.
All of the challengers who hopped on board for The Magical Mystery Tour are spouting ideology, not practicality.
The TAX CUT in the circuit breaker helps the average Joe and Jane. The TAX Cap does nothing. So hop back on the bus, and get back out for show—- just like the whole trip was for show.
Tax cap is nonsense. And where does the lost tax revenue get made up from? What? Ball hasn’t figured that one out yet?
NY is the number 1 taxed state in the country. I guess all you anti tax cap people believe you will beable to change that with a circuit breaker
what do you think they suggest? same old crap. replace the funding with a graduated income tax. of course this helps all the off the books people that deliver the votes to the anti tax crap crowd.
brodsky wants to tax the rich….thats great anyone earning
more than a million..what a great way to ingratiate yourself
to the average wage earner…nothing to lose..how many
people make more than a million a year..and do you think
they will stay in new york and invest and create jobs
brodsky is a brooklyn socialist plain and simple..its
in he genetic makeup
A tax cap would not be for special education or transportation, from what I read. These items are one of the biggest financial burdens on a school budget. Tax cap is just smoke and mirrors.
SPECIAL EDUCATION is needed in schools and is VERY EXPENSIVE. NEWS STORIES ON THE CAP SAY IT IS EXCLUDED FROM THE CAP MAX. So add that on and we will have typical school budget increases and no vote??????????? The Tax Cap Gap needs to be worked before it is put into play. All school spending should be included and the state needs to work with the Federal govt. on funding for no child left behind.
Our Albany elected staff want a raise too????? They need to figure out how to make school funding work for EVERYONE before they earn a raise.
Nice of the Journal News to take a shot at News 12 on behalf of their sister company RNN, but I’ll stick to News 12 just for that “primo” coverage!