NYSUT Says Put Fork In Tax Cap
Richard Iannuzzi, president of the New York State United Teachers, all but declared a school-property-tax cap dead today, saying the Assembly’s decision to support a circuit breaker plan thwarts the tax-cap idea.
The union has vehemently fought a tax cap, running ads (like the one below) and withholding endorsements of senators who voted in favor of the cap.
“The reality is the cap isn’t going anyplace and therefore wisdom says they will look at some compromise that will succeed,” he said of the Legislature and Gov. Paterson. “And the Assembly has certainly given them a blueprint for that compromise.”
Assembly Democrats on Wednesday passed a measure that would link taxes to a portion of household income, called a circuit breaker, and would be funded through an increase in income taxes for millionaires.
It’s the plan unions support.
But others said a tax cap is what is needed first.
Sandy Parker, president of the Rochester Business Alliance, said a millionaires’ tax is the last thing the state needs.
“We’re worried about people leaving the state now and loss of jobs,” she said. “You put this tax in place, you’re going to have more people fleeing the state.”
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Look, NY lawmakers, lower taxes. JUST GET IT DONE!!!
There is no reason why a guy with a postage stamp house and property needs to pay $15k a year tax for this property.
CT only charges about $5k for the same property.
The unions don’t care about what anybody has to pay. They just want theirs, and to keep their stranglehold on the Albany losers. It’s one big bed, and they all are in it.
But, all this could break the unions’ chokehold if it is done right. The public has to wake up and demand it be fixed. The polls say “yes,” by a big margin, but it’s going to take calls, e-mails and letters too. Big pressure.
The state is close to going under. But the pols are so cynical they want to duck all of it till after the Nov. elections. Things will be just as bad or worse then, not better. But they will be back in office and still fouling up unless voters throw them out. That is what SHOULD happen. Throw them out. Throw all of them out.