One of the main budget battles now appears to be the fight over whether to restore STAR property-tax rebate checks to seniors in the budget.
The idea has been knocked by Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Gov. David Paterson, but Senate Democrats continue to seek $500 million in property-tax relief in this year’s budget.
Sen. Andrea-Stewart Cousins, D-Yonkers, said “restoring the senior STAR rebate program, which I believe is a critical component that must be included in the final budget agreement.”
Her Senate Democratic colleagues also called for property-tax relief in the budget, which is carrying a $9.2 billion deficit.
Senate Democratic Leader John Sampson, D-Brooklyn, pointed out how Westchester County has the highest property taxes in the country and how upstate counties have the highest taxes as a percentage of home value.
“Enough is enough. New Yorkers are being priced out of their homes, and the Senate Majority is committed to providing New Yorkers with meaningful relief. The costs of inaction are simply too high,” Sampson said in a statement.
Updated: Senate Republicans offered this response.
“Andrea Stewart Cousins cannot hide from the fact that she was the deciding vote to take away $47 million in STAR property tax rebate checks from seniors and every homeowner in her district,” said Mark Hansen, spokesman for the Senate Republican conference.
6 Comments
Senate Democrats, out of nowhere, drag- out and hoist the flag of property-tax relief, and will garner widespread support on the issue. State Senate Republicans are so stupid, they simply continue to excrete (their few remaining) brain cells into the urinal of incompetence.
WHp took it away in the first place it was the Democrats if I am not mistaken.
Now they are fighting for there political life and want to return it to seniors,
Give me a break
Before there was the “Oracle at Delphi” there was Count Vampire J. Machiavelli
VJ Machiavelli
http://www.vjmachiavelli.blogspot.com
No More Schumer, Pelosi, Rangel,Engel, and Arthur Finkelstein & Co
“After Four Years of Scandals it is time for Levy/Faso/Callaghan/Garcia”
Good News, I hope the Yonkers City council takes note, they always think that raising property taxes is part of the answer
The council should focus on the unpleasant but necessary cuts, real cuts that actually reduce the budget expenditures not only on the city side but the education budget where there hidden savings to be had
since when are the senate democrats interested in
cutting property taxes…they are totally afraid of
the message that the public is sending..its why astorino
beat spano…its why suozzi lost in nassau…its why
scott brown won in mass…stewart cousins suzi oppenheimer
and their democratic incumbant gang have something to
fear..and its not “fear itself” its the wrath of the
taxpayers who are truly disgusted with them
The answer is to reduce senior taxes at the local level so they pay less. To have the seniors pay and then the state sends the money back is a monumental waste of time let alone state resources to send the money back. How about the seniors just don’t pay it at tax time?
This is very nice !!