The Joel for New York Petition
Sign Now
Sign on to this petition if you believe New York can wait no longer for a truly progressive direction-- under the leadership of four-term Dutchess County Legislator Joel Tyner for Governor!
[...and sign on if you at least want to make sure that progressive economic principles aren't given short shrift in this year's anointing of Mr. Cuomo (and for next four years of his reign as Governor); WAMC's Alan Chartock is right-- primaries are the tentpole of our democracy!...]
Statement here below from Joel:
"Because no other progressive NYS legislator or county legislator in NY has stepped forward, I have.
Just over the last few hours (writing this evening of May 24th) dozens of you out there (surprisingly!) have responded quite positively already to my floating a trial balloon (on Facebook) to see if there might be enough interest among my progressive friends for me to run a primary challenge to Cuomo for Governor.
[join us @ http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=124328517596388&ref=mf -- pass it on, folks!]
[and scroll down a bit below for brand-new twenty-point progressive agenda for NYS-- check it out]
Thanks tons to all these folks just now signed my new "Joel for New York" Facebook page for this purpose:
-- Mark Stern (well-respected Town of Stanford Democrat)
-- KT Tobin Flusser (New Paltz School Boardmember)
-- Guy Thomas Kempe (of the Hudson Valley Working Families Party)
-- Sam Kogon, Erin Hobson, and Robert Rubsam (three extremely talented local musicians)
-- Sheila Buff (of Milan) and Maribel Pregnall (of Poughkeepsie) (two well-respected environmentalists)
-- Alyssa Knapp (host of FoodforLyme.Blogspot.com)
-- Larry Fauntleroy (Poughkeepsie Guardian Angels Founder)
-- Libby Post (long-time noted LGBT activist; frequent commentator on WAMC)
[...as well as Lori Arkin, Sara Marie Meyer, Jean Flood, Robert Rubsam, Linda Wiley, Ryan Burger, Tom LaBarr, Kevin Barratt, Terry LeRoy, LeAnn Bradshaw-Mueller, Diana Alexander, Jon Behrends, Julie Burgo, David Callahan, Bruce and Ruth Detjen, Nora Edwards, Ken Harris, Shannon McKarten Kane, Kevin McCarten, Ryan Nichols, Sigrid Sarda, Alison Wilber, et. al.!...]
Join us tomorrow (Weds.) at 12:30 pm-- we'll be officially kicking off my progressive/insurgent campaign for truly common-sense Governor that will unapologetically stand up for us on Main Street instead of Wall Street-- at the main entrance to the FDR site on Rt. 9 in Hyde Park; numbers count; come out!
[and let us know asap if you can host a house party or help collect petition signatures soon, people]
[send $ to Joel for New York 324 Browns Pond Road 324 Browns Pond Road Staatsburg, NY 12580!]
"The first truth is that the liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than their democratic state itself. That, in its essence, is fascism ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt, "Message from the President of the United States Transmitting Recommendations Relative to the Strengthening and Enforcement of Anti-trust Laws"
[see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Definitions_of_fascism ]
So-- why am I doing this?...because we progressives shouldn't be taken for granted...and because...
[see today's papers?...they only reinforced image of Cuomo campaign that emerged over weekend]
Remember the state budgets from '95, '96, '97, '98, '99, '00, '01, '02, '03, '04, '05, '06, '07, '08, last year?
The God's honest truth is literally every year for the last fifteen years running I've battled massive budget cuts to education, health care, environmental protection, and the poor-- in my monthly columns for the Taconic Papers from 1995 until 2003 (remember them?)...and by organizing rallies, press conferences, flyer distribution, etc., etc., etc.-- for the first twelve years of that time battling Pataki's proposed budget cuts-- and for the last few years battling Spitzer's, and then Paterson's proposed budget cuts.
[many of you might also recall my energetic campaigns for state legislature in 1996, 1998, 2002, 2006]
And on that note-- frankly, one of the most disappointing and frustrating things about being a political activist over the last few years has been watching Spitzer and Paterson turn around and do almost exactly the same thing Pataki did from '95 thru '07-- huge budget cuts to education, health care, etc.
[...not to forget their shortfunding counties like Dutchess-- forcing legislators like myself to deal repeatedly with untenable choices of massive county budget cuts, property tax hikes, and/or sales tax hikes-- sometimes all three(!)...(as in this past winter-- anyone else remember this?)...again-- check out
http://www.petitiononline.com/stocktax -- county budget cuts; http://www.PetitionOnline.com/SaveDuCo ]
So I had hoped that perhaps-- maybe-- perhaps Cuomo might offer us something different in 2010...
[...and I'm glad he's for same-sex marriage, independent redistricting, and at least some ethics reform...]
But it is unconscionable, quite frankly, that Cuomo has almost completely capitulated to right-wing conservative ideology on tax/budget issues and the neoliberal punditocracy consensus that's built up over years for Cuomo's economic talking points that spell only more doom and gloom for New York's middle class-- "no new income taxes", "freezing state employee salaries", "capping state spending", and a "property tax cap"...
[re: property tax cap-- crucial facts here: http://www.fiscalpolicy.org/PropertyTaxCapPressRelease.pdf ]
Again, Cuomo's proposals confirm the suspicions many of us had that, similar to Spitzer, and counter to his taking on Wall Street as AG, Cuomo is, unfortunately, unwilling to take on the true special interests and real power structure in our state-- not organizations who represent working people (unions who are outspent ten-to-one in Albany re: lobbying/donations)-- but Wall Street, corporations...
[looks like Andrew will be enacting massive budget cuts like Mario did in late 80's (after which NYS still lost 500,000 jobs-- in wake of Mario's slashing income taxes for corporations and rich then)-- just as Pataki did same thing from 1995-2006-- just as Spitzer and Paterson have done...new boss = old boss]
Too bad-- looks like Cuomo will very much need us to remind him that unless middle class is brought back to life in Hudson Valley and across NYS, there's no way our state's economy can come back...
[not that GOP would be any better on any of this, of course-- but we shouldn't settle for anything but best]
Recall facts from http://www.fiscalpolicy.org/RevisedFPIBudgetBook_20100203.pdf (Fiscal Policy Inst.):
Fact: State spending now in New York as \% of GDP is now about 6.9\%; in 1994 it was higher-- 7.4\%.
Fact: NYS now spends about $12 billion on employee wages/salaries-- less than 20 years ago in 1990.
Fact: Consumer spending accounts for two-thirds of GDP (Wall Street Journal), but high unemployment and high consumer debt burdens will temper consumer spending and restrain the pace of recovery.
Fact: According to the NYC Independent Budget Office, 73\% of income growth in New York between 2002 and 2007 went to a small number of families at the top; the total income of the top 5 percent grew more than four times as fast as total income of the other 95 percent.
Fact: Millionaires now pay only 8.4\% of their income in state/local taxes we in middle class pay 11\%.
Fact: VT, CT, PA, NJ, MA all have higher monthly unemployment payments than NY; this hurts NY'ers.
Fact: To restore the state minimum wage to its July 1970 peak purchasing power, New York would have to increase its minimum wage to $9.46 by January 2013.
Fact: By 3-to-1 ratio NY'ers for stock transfer tax on Wall St.-- to stop local tax hikes, budget cuts.
[join 39 other local folks signed to http://www.petitiononline.com/stocktax ; http://www.FiscalPolicy.org ]
Fact: Wall Street made $61 billion in profits last year, besides $20 billion in cash bonuses (Crain's).
[see: http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20100328/FREE/303289966 ]
Fact: The richest 1\% of Americans own more than 95\% of us (according to Wall Street Journal).
[see http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/1206-01.htm ; http://www.EuropesPromise.org ]
Fact: 98\% of small business owners in the U.S. make less than $250,000/year (Wall Street Journal).
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2008/oct/16/barack-obama/most-small-businesses-wont-be-subject-to-obamas-ta/
Fact: Millionaires used to pay 15.5\% NY income tax rate in early 70's; they now pay less than 9\%.
[see: http://www.fiscalpolicy.org/taxhistory2.htm ; http://www.ABetterChoiceforNY.org ]
Fact: These members of the Better Choice Budget coalition all strongly support re-implementation of a stock transfer tax on Wall Street-- Dutchess Outreach, NYS Library Association, NYS Coalition Against Domestic Violence, NY Statewide Senior Action Council, NYS Alliance for Retired Americans, Interfaith Alliance of NYS, Interfaith Impact of NYS, Sierra Club, Environmental Advocates, Citizens Environmental Coalition, Citizen Action, NY Children's Action Network, NY Jobs with Justice, NYS AFL-CIO, CSEA, PEF, NYSUT, AFSCME, NYS Community Action Association, NYS Episcopal Public Policy Network, NYS Child Care Coordinating Council, New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness, Public Utility Law Project, Center for Working Families, Class Size Matters, Coalition for After-School Funding, Fiscal Policy Institute, Hunger Action Network of NYS, and many more-- see http://www.ABetterChoiceforNY.org/ .
[This is the traditional Democratic coalition that Cuomo is bent on ignoring and destroying-- without any care or concern to how badly underfunded our schools, hospitals, EPF, DEC, and other crucial state programs are now. For shame.]
Recall these two from front pages of May 23rd New York Times and Poughkeepsie Journal:
"Cuomo Opens Campaign for New York Governor" by Danny Hakim and Nicholas Confessore
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/23/nyregion/23cuomo.html
"Cuomo Says He'll Reform Albany As Governor" [Associated Press]
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20100523/NEWS12/100523010/Cuomo-says-he-ll-reform-Albany-as-governor
Wake up, progressives-- we need to raise ruckus NOW-- loudly against Cuomo's conservative and counterproductive plans that will hold NY back and prevent us from rebounding from its current funk...
Shame on Cuomo for taking so long to (barely) weigh in on current state budget mess-- and now that he's done so, he's still barely saying anything-- no real solutions offered for this year-- only opposition to Ravitch current plan to borrow $6 billion over next three years to help balance state budget (with new financial review board)..."he declined to say much about current budget impasse bedeviling Albany"...
[recall massive coalition for sensible revenue alternatives @ http://www.ABetterChoiceforNY.org ; also see: http://www.fiscalpolicy.org/CWF_FPI_NewYorkHasTheWaysAndMeans.pdf (great FPI/CWF report)]
I'll give this to Cuomo, tho-- he's right about one thing-- that the possibility for real reform still is with US:
[quote here below from Cuomo is from Poughkeepsie Journal]
"You go to the people first and you get the people on your side. You get the people supporting a specific set of reforms," Cuomo said. "We can say to the Democrats and the Republicans in January, 'The people of the state have spoken.' Politicians tend to follow what the people in their districts want done."
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20100523/NEWS12/100523010/Cuomo-says-he-ll-reform-Albany-as-governor
So-- at least Cuomo recognizes power of us in the grass roots-- let's show him how grass roots feel!...
Fact: Cuomo's plans won't help local schools struggling-- as he refuses to lift a finger to push for a truly fair and progressive system of taxation (e.g. as Cahill has; see http://www.PetitionOnline.com/FAIRTAX ) ...and let's not forget about those school budgets that went down recently in Arlington, City of Poughkeepsie, and Pawling-- despite big cuts that had been made in all three of those districts-- and all of the budget cuts made by school boards locally already-- here in the Rhinebeck Central School District meaning cuts already made, eliminating $$$ for all field trips, intramural sports, after-school activity bus, Arts-in-Education, athletic supplies, and extracurricular clubs-- besides teachers...
Not trying to overly toot my own horn (but sometimes this is necessary; sorry!)-- I've been extremely effective in moving a progressive agenda forward over the last seven years I've served Rhinebeck and Clinton in our County Legislature (now starting a fourth term)-- whether in the minority or the majority...
It is also a fact as well that both Rhinebeck and Clinton were G.O.P. bastions for decades before I won election to our County Legislature in 2003-- and in 2005 and 2007 elections I got more votes than any other Democrat in County Legislature (also, frankly, other Dems won with smaller margin in '09 too)...
As a member of the minority in our County Legislature from 2004 through 2007, I got $100,000 added to our county budget to make sure homeless veterans no longer turned away from shelter, successfully led the fight to stop G.O.P. proposal to end county-run senior home care in the county, added tens of thousands of dollars to senior home care for the county budget, initiated a 30\% discount on defibrillators for county residents from GEPickering.com, initiated the Resource Recovery Agency taking back compact fluorescent light bulbs, initiated our county's Health Department outreach to restaurants re: trans fats in cooking oils, initiated increased purchase of hybrid vehicles for county fleet, initiated move for Family Justice Center for victims of domestic violence, led county research for past decade on groundwater contamination from MTBE, and author of annual reports since 1997 exposing millions of county tax dollars in legalized kickbacks (see http://www.RealMajorityProject.blogspot.com ; http://www.petitiononline.com/cleangov )...
In February I succeeded in getting strong bipartisan support in our County Legislature for a resolution to pass against Central Hudson's rate hike-- and just this month I got GOP Co. Leg.'s Horton, Traudt, Sadowski, Surman, and Thomes all to co-sign a letter I circulated about Lyme insurance issues (that I had gotten Goldberg, Kuffner, Jeter-Jackson, MacAvery, Doxsey, and White to sign on to as well)...
I've successfully worked with students of all ages and backgrounds now for literally the last twenty-three years-- now in the Hudson City School District-- before that for the Ridge School, Little Tikes Daycare, the Belmont School of Global Studies (P.S. 32) in the Bronx, the City of Poughkeepsie School District, Christ Episcopal Church Summer Camp, Community Family Development, Devereux Center, etc...
For the last twenty-three years I've hosted a show on WVKR 91.3 FM http://www.wvkr.org/ with guests like Pete Seeger, Bill McKibben, Scott Murphy, Kirsten Gillibrand, Maurice Hinchey, John Hall, Kevin Cahill, Greg Palast, et. al. (now on Fridays 5-6 pm)-- and for the last two years I've hosted a Saturday morning call-in talk show on WHVW 950 AM as well (from 8 to 10 am)...(and for most of the last decade I've also been interviewed repeatedly on WAMC Northeast Public Radio too; see www.petitiononline.com/statewar for Albany Times-Union article a few years ago documenting my efforts and research investigating our county's EDC/IDA programs)...
Note-- Andrew Cuomo is a good man, and I don't disagree with him on all of his proposals-- but on far too much of his tax/budget platform he has all but completely capitulated to the right wing-- and has made it clear in the newspapers here in late May that he is bent on getting the public and legislators behind his neoliberal agenda that will finish off our state's middle class (what's left of it). ...but to the point-- here's why I'm running... [and if you all support me and help me get enough petition signatures at least we'll send a message together to the increasingly Blue-Dog Dem power structure here in NYS that we progressives aren't going to roll over and play dead-- that we won't be taken for granted!]
Ball's in your court now, folks...(even if this campaign fails we can send a strong tax/budget message)...
Sorry-- I just couldn't stomach watching quietly from the sidelines as our state and party are killed...
Join us if you can tomorrow 12:30 pm for campaign kickoff at main entrance to FDR site in Hyde Park!...
[...and again-- $$$ needed-- at Joel for New York-- 324 Browns Pond Road Staatsburg, NY 12580...]
Pass it on!"
[si se puede-- yes we can]
Joel Tyner
(845) 444-0599/876-2488
[email protected]
DutchessDemocracy.blogspot.com
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Bring Back New York's Middle Class: A Twenty-Point Progressive Agenda for Main St. Not Wall St.:
[...how many more years should we have to wait for these?...none of these are really radical, are they...]
1. Re-implement stock transfer tax on Wall Street and make wealthy New Yorkers once again pay their fair share of taxes-- to fully fund our schools, hospitals, parks, libraries, towns, counties, cities, villages, EPF, DEC, etc.-- and slash property taxes-- while funding pensions, child care, university education for all as in Germany (where economy is thriving because middle class has been preserved!).
[see: http://www.ABetterChoiceforNY.org ; join dozens @ my http://www.petitiononline.com/stocktax ]
2. Enact state-level single-payer health care system in NY; save $20 billion/year (VT moving this way).
[see: http://www.SinglePayerNewYork.org ; http://www.HungerActionNYS.org ]
3. Enact ten-dollar-an-hour minimum wage to bolster middle class (to reflect real value it had in 1970).
[see: http://www.LetJusticeRoll.org ]
4. Co-determination/supervisory boards as in Germany-- at least half of all members of corporate boards of directors have to be directly elected by workers (this would incredibly bolster middle class).
[see: http://www.EuropesPromise.org ]
5. Initiate a state-owned bank as in North Dakota (as Michael Moore has recommended). http://motherjones.com/mojo/2009/03/how-nation\%E2\%80\%99s-only-state-owned-bank-became-envy-wall-street
6. Create green jobs get solar/energy-efficiency retrofit loans NOW to homeowners and businesses.
[join dozens signed to my http://www.PetitionOnline.com/SOLAR ; http://www.LIGreenHomes.com ]
7. Save tax dollars and create jobs with zero-waste approach to resource recovery (not burn/burying).
[join 70 signed to my http://www.petitiononline.com/zeroyes http://www.StopTrashingtheClimate.org ]
8. Enact an immediate moratorium on natural-gas drilling to protect drinking water in our watersheds.
[join 891 signed on to my http://www.PetitionOnline.com/NoDrill ]
9. Ban toxic chemicals from being allowed to be in household products-- especially items for children
[see: http://www.Clean-NY.org ; http://www.HealthyStuff.org ; http://www.EWG.org ]
10. Clean Money Clean Elections campaign finance reform to clean up Albany; free TV for candidates.
[see: http://citizenactionny.org/category/archive/reports/public-financing-reports ]
11. Keep accurate, transparent lever voting machines; HAVA does not mandate computerized voting.
[see: http://www.ETCNYS.org ; http://www.ElectionDefenseAlliance.org ]
12. Monthly mandatory Question Time for Governor w/state leg.'s (idea from Liz Krueger/Micah Kellner)
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2010/05/24/2010-05-24_2_pols_wanna_put_gov_on_spot.html
13. Instant runoff voting (ranked)-- allow voters to truly be able to vote their hopes instead of their fears
[sign on to my http://www.PetitionOnline.com/IRVnow ]
14. Initiative and referendum for NY-- as twenty-six states across the U.S. have now already
[join 12 signed: my http://www.petitiononline.com/initrefr http://www.newrules.org/governance/rules/ ]
15. Pass amendment to U.S. Constitution to make it 100\% perfectly clear: corporations aren't people.
[see: http://www.MoveToAmend.org ; Rep.'s Hinchey and Hall both agree!]
16. Make sure health insurance for Lyme disease in NY is more than a month of antibiotics (like CT/RI).
[join 330+ signed on to my http://www.PetitionOnline.com/StopLyme ; see http://www.ILADS.org ]
17. Reform criminal justice system to save money with re-entry, reducing recidivism.
[see: http://www.Vera.org ; sign my http://www.PetitionOnline.com/ATIs ]
18. Decriminalize marijuana; stop incarceration for nonviolent drug offenses; bring in new tax revenue.
[see: http://www.CSDP.org ; http://www.NORML.org ]
19. Photo ID cards for undocumented workers as in Trenton, Princeton, New Haven, San Francisco.
[see http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/23/opinion/23sun3.html http://www.petitiononline.com/newhaven ]
20. Bring back New York State's National Guard troops from Afghanistan and Iraq without delay.
[see: http://www.CitiesforPeace.org ; http://www.DutchessPeace.org ; http://www.PeaceAction.org ]
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From http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=920718 ...
Look to Wall Street for help
By FRANK MAURO AND RON DEUTSCH
First published in print in the Albany Times-Union: Monday, April 12, 2010
With New York, like other states, still reeling from a devastating national recession, Gov. David Paterson and the Legislature are proposing budget plans that rely overwhelmingly on cuts to essential public services. This, they imply, would hurt the economy less than a more balanced approach that includes some economically sensible revenue choices. Nothing could be further from economic reality.
The painful irony of the current crisis is that people's needs are rising while the resources available to the states to meet those needs are shrinking. Reacting to this situation by offering even less help to struggling families not only hurts people trying to get back on their feet, but it's also bad for the state's economy.
Several years ago, during a previous national recession, Nobel Prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz and Peter Orszag, now director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, wrote a paper explaining why. They took into account the fact that most tax dollars that states collect go for salaries and purchases that are spent quickly and close to home -- the essence of economic stimulus.
Stiglitz and Orszag found that reducing this type of spending, especially when the economy already suffers from a faltering private sector, is actually more damaging in the short run than tax increases focused on the portions of higher income households' incomes that are the least likely to be spent in the local economy.
The budget cuts being proposed by the governor and Legislature would go in the other direction. These cuts would pull the rug from under many New York families. And just in the areas of education and health care alone, they would add 30,000 more New Yorkers to the unemployment rolls and threaten this fragile recovery.
Under a balanced approach to the state budget, revenues should be raised in ways that would hurt the economy the least; and should be used to reduce the extent of the spending cuts and to provide meaningful property tax relief.
While most families and businesses are struggling economically, Wall Street is enjoying record profits -- an estimated $61 billion last year. That's triple the previous record set in 2006 and it adds up to very generous salaries and bonuses, all on the heels of the recent trillion dollar, taxpayer-funded bailout. Wall Street bounced back quickly, but Main Street remains mired in the aftermath of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression -- a crisis, by the way, caused in large part by finance sector excesses.
Wall Street could not have recovered so quickly without Main Street's helping hand.
Now it's time for Wall Street to return the favor and help Main Street.
There are several ways in which Wall Street could help prevent the most disastrous cuts to essential state and local public services that are now being considered by the Legislature.
For example, temporarily lowering from 100 percent to 80 percent the portion of the state's Stock Transfer Tax that is rebated would produce about $3.2 billion a year. In effect, this change would impose a tax of only one cent per share on shares selling for more than $20 each, and as little as a quarter of a cent per share for shares selling for less than $5 per share.
Another approach would involve a temporary moratorium on the ability of businesses to offset current profits with prior years' losses. This would ensure that profitable firms contribute on an "ability to pay" basis during the current downturn.
In a crisis like this, it's easy to forget about the future. Just getting through each day is tough enough. But New York can't afford to be so short-sighted. Education, affordable health care and housing, vital state services, a strong safety net and a sound transportation system are all essential for a prosperous economy. Cutting too deeply in those areas today will hurt the state. But a balanced approach that includes economically sensible revenue increases would be a sound investment that New York can't afford not to make.
Frank Mauro is executive director of the Fiscal Policy Institute. Ron Deutsch is executive director of New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness.
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From http://www.fiscalpolicy.org/CWF_FPI_NewYorkHasTheWaysAndMeans.pdf ...
"April 2010: New York Has the Ways and Means: How and Why Wall Street Should Give Back"
This report was researched and written by Sunshine Ludder, a Senior Policy Organizer at the Center for
Working Families and James Parrott, FPI's Chief Economist and Deputy Director. Special thanks to Emmaia Gelman, Policy Director at CWF; David Palmer, Executive Director of CWF; Frank Mauro, Executive Director of FPI; David Dyssegaard Kallick, Senior Fellow at FPI; and Jo Brill,
Director of Communications at FPI.
The Solution: A four-part action plan
To address the current recessions challenges while moving New York toward a sensible long-term
balance between spending and revenues, a four-part action plan of temporary and permanent measures is needed.
IEnact temporary tax measures that recapture some of Wall Streets profit windfall to spur Main
Streets recovery.
Given Wall Streets extraordinary 2009 profits underwritten in full by a taxpayer bailout, New Yorks
financial industry is well-positioned to help bring fiscal stability to the state, and tax relief and basic
fairness to working New Yorkers. Some mix of the following four options should be considered, with a
goal of raising $6 billion per year for two years.
? Temporary bonus recapture tax. A modified version of the U.K. bonus tax, the New York
plan will levy a payroll tax on bonuses worth at least $50,000 and paid to employees
receiving total annual compensation of $250,000 or more. The tax should start at 25 percent
of eligible bonuses, and reach 50 percent when total compensation passes $500,000. The tax
is structured as a temporary tax on all bonus compensation, including deferred bonuses
whether paid as cash, stock, or stock options.
? Temporary reduction of Stock Transfer Tax rebates. New York has had a stock transfer
tax on the books since 1905, but the state has returned it through an automatic 100 percent
rebate since 1981. Last year, the value of stock transfer rebates was $14.5 billion. Retaining
just 20 percent of the rebate would have generated revenue of $2.9 billion. A temporary
reduction of the rebate will not trigger an exodus of financial firmsand it will provide a
major source of revenue.
? Suspension of the carry-forward provision for 2007 and 2008 net operating losses for
financial firms. This measure will suspend the ability of large firms to reduce their New
York corporate income tax liability on profits in 2009 or future years based on losses in 2007
or 2008. Those losses have been more than made up by 2009s record profits, thanks to the
taxpayer bailouts and low Federal Reserve interest rates.
? Windfall profits tax. Wall Streets largest banks posted record profits in 2009entirely as a
result of government economic policies and taxpayer resources. At the same time, Main
Street New York businesses are starved for capital, and still mired in the Great Recession.
A one-time windfall tax should be levied on financial firms whose profits exceed a certain
threshold for 2009 and 2010.
IIClose loopholes and reform New Yorks tax system to make it fairer and more effective.
State tax loopholes and credits to big businesses, and financial firms in particular, siphon away hundreds of millions of dollars yearly, with very little return for taxpayers. New York should right the balance by reclaiming a fair share of taxes from business and reducing the tax burden on households. Under New Yorks state and local tax system, low- and middle-income families contribute greater shares of family income to support government services than wealthier taxpayers. Reforms to property taxes, personal income taxes and corporate taxes can make the system fairer and more productive.
? The states taxation of financial firms should be updated to respond to several changes in the
industrys structure and practices, and enact reforms that will generate ongoing annual revenues
of more than $300 million. The state should also seriously consider placing a temporary cap on
corporate tax credits, which have grown in recent years to a cost of $4.5 billion.
? New York State should reform its personal income tax structure to increase the progressivity of
that tax on a permanent basis while providing the revenue necessary to reduce the pressure that is
currently placed on local property and sales tax bases, and to meet New York's pressing budget
needs on a recurring and sustainable basis.
IIISupport federal action to counter the recession and modernize state corporate income taxation.
New York government, labor, business and civic leaders should work with their counterparts in other states and at the national level to secure a much-needed extension of state fiscal relief; fund a robust job creation package; and repeal the federal law that prohibits states from drawing income tax from corporations whose profits are based on New York sales but who do not have property or employees in New York.
IVGive Main Street the help it needs.
The short-term revenues raised by the above recommendations should be used to help close the states recession-driven budget gaps and to begin the phase-in of a meaningful and well-targeted property tax circuit breaker.
The revenues from the permanent tax reforms and cost savings measures should be used to restore the states budget to structural balance while meeting the states important service commitments and funding a property tax circuit breaker on an ongoing basis.
New York States budget gaps should be closed in ways that foster fairness, sustained recovery and
broadly shared prosperity. In helping Main Street, it is essential that New York State keep the following objectives at the top of its priority list in both the short run and the long run:
? Restoring state aid to localities to reduce local tax burdens.
? Funding essential services and programs in the state budget.
? Investing in the states physical infrastructure, including mass transportation, to create jobs and
put New York workers back to work while maintaining the foundation for a prosperous New
York.
Three important facts about the bonus recapture tax:
#1: New Yorks financial firms wont move out of state.
The one-time bonus recapture tax will be collected as a payroll tax from the firms and banks paying out the big bonuses. Large New York City firms and banks wont want to leave Manhattan or the infrastructure they rely on hereand pay all the costs of moving their firmsjust to avoid a one or two year tax. As a payroll tax, the tax is collected from the firm regardless of where an employee lives.
#2: The UK taxes big bonuses, and Londons financial industry is thriving.
The UK passed a one-time bonus payroll tax last December, aimed at Londons financial center. Financial firms made a lot of noise, but none of them has left London. The Conservative Party candidate for prime minister recently proposed a permanent bank tax to fund a permanent tax break for married couples. The Financial Times quoted a Conservative official, Nobody has claimed that [the already enacted bonus tax] has undermined the Citys competitiveness.
Early reports suggest that bonuses have not been reduced in proportion to the UK bonus tax. The UK tax was initially expected to raise 550m, but estimates are now over 3 billion. The revenue outcome looks very strong, but as for the British governments stated goal of reducing the practice of high-flying bonus payments, it does not seem to have worked.
The UKs tax on bonus compensation is much steeper than whats proposed for New York: The UK tax reaches all bonuses over 25,000 ($40,000) with a flat 50 percent. Early reports are that most UK firms continued to pay bonuses heavily in cash even after the imposition of the taxwhich should not be too surprising, since the tax also reaches bonuses given as stock and other forms of deferred awards.
#3: A Bonus Recapture Tax will amount to less than 10 percent of Wall Streets 2009
profits.
A one-time tax on big bonuses will not jeopardize Wall Street firms, but it will provide critical revenue for whats really in jeopardyNew Yorks working families. The added $4.76.9 billion revenue from taxing super-bonuses will mean urgently needed property tax relief for New Yorks working families and urgently needed revenues to help close New Yorks deficit and get the state back on track to fiscal stability.
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[see quotes below from Dutchess' own Ed McCormick and Robert McKeon of http://www.TrendNY.org ; go to http://www.FiscalPolicy.org & http://www.ABetterChoiceforNY.org for more on this; too bad Cuomo capitulating to mainstream media consensus that teacher unions are "special interests"-- instead of demonstrating true courage and really going after Wall Street: http://www.petitiononline.com/stocktax ...
and perhaps more important than anything-- see real solution: http://www.OmnibusTaxSolution.org !]
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From http://www.fiscalpolicy.org/PropertyTaxCapPressRelease.pdf ...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Ron Deutsch
New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness
Office: (518) 452-2130
Cell: (518) 469-6769
BROAD-BASED COALITION UNITES TO OPPOSE ARBITRARY PROPERTY TAX CAP
ALBANY, N.Y. June 10, 2008 A broad-based coalition representing more than one
million New Yorkers today criticized legislation that would allow Albany -- under a proposed
property tax cap to take away the voice of voters; impose artificial limits on local school
spending; and abandon its promise to ensure equity in the education funding formula.
The coalition acknowledged the need for property tax relief, but said an artificial cap like
the one endorsed by Gov. David Paterson would harm education programs while dooming
efforts to close the achievement gap. It said similar caps have failed in Massachusetts and other
states because they do not address rising costs beyond the control of school districts, inevitably
leading to cuts to education programs that serve children and other public services.
The coalition is led by New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness and the Educational Conference
Board and includes such groups as the New York State Parent Teachers Association; the
Working Families Party; Fiscal Policy Institute; New York State Council of Superintendents; New
York State United Teachers; Civil Service Employees Association; BALCONY; Citizens Action of
NY; TREND; Center on Budget and Policy Priorities; New York Association of School Business
Officials; School Administrators Association of NYS; Campaign for Fiscal Equity and the Alliance
for Quality Education.
"I am troubled by the fact that Governor Paterson is taking this preliminary report from the
Commission on Property Tax Relief and immediately asking the Legislature to act on one facet
of it, said Ron Deutsch, executive director of New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness. There are so
many potential problems with his proposed tax cap that to try and rush it through now without
careful consideration would be careless and a disservice to the taxpayers of New York State.
The proposed tax cap merely perpetuates an unequal system that already puts too much
of a burden on the average working person, added ECB Chair Edward McCormick. Its
simplistic, arbitrary and unfair.
Coalition members also said the proposed cap would not address rising costs beyond the
control of school districts, but would exacerbate inequities by requiring a super-majority vote to
override Albanys arbitrary limits on school spending something more easily accomplished by
more affluent communities.
A tax cap, as evidenced in any state that has attempted one, clearly limits a community's
choice to invest in quality education, leaving no option but to cut programs and services, said
Maria L. DeWald, president of the New York State PTA. In addition, an intrinsic inequity is
inherent in a community's ability to override the cap and creates a greater gap between rich and
poor. Why, when the goal of foundation aid is to close that gap, would we revert to a regressive
measure? Who will speak for the next generation if not a citizenry dedicated to providing equal
access to a quality education?
Billy Easton, executive director of the Alliance for Quality Education, said New York State
has just started to close the educational achievement gap. A tax cap threatens to directly
undermine the long overdue effort to improve educational quality for every child.
A tax cap is a great election year sound bite, but it does nothing to address the
fundamental property tax issue, which is that the state does not pay its full share of the cost of
educating children and a tax cap does nothing to address the fundamental educational issue,
which is that too many children are still in classrooms with too few resources, Easton said.
After 15 years of Campaign for Fiscal Equity litigation and legislation, New York State
has finally begun to put more resources in schools to close the achievement gap and ensure the
constitutional right to a sound basic education, added Geri D. Palast, executive director of the
Campaign for Fiscal Equity. A tax cap undermines this seedling effort. Across the nation, tax
caps have resulted in cuts to essential services reducing teachers and programs leading
to reduced academic performance. We must not give with one hand and take with the other at
the expense of our kids futures.
Coalition members noted that, just last month, voters approved nearly 93 percent of local
school budgets, sending a clear message that it even when facing higher property tax bills
investing in public education is a high priority. In fact, in the 336 school districts that put up
school budgets with tax increases higher than the proposed cap recommended by the
Commission, voters approved 88.4 percent of those budgets. Nearly 70 percent of school
budgets carrying tax increases of 6 percent or higher won support from voters.
Parents and community members want to decide how their property tax dollars are spent
and dont want their voice usurped by a one-size-fits-all cap imposed by Albany, said NYSUT
Executive Vice President Alan B. Lubin. New Yorkers support their schools and, while property
tax relief is needed, a cap is too arbitrary and too destructive to education. Its clearly the wrong
approach.
Bob Lowry, deputy director for advocacy, research & communications for the New York
State Council of School Superintendents, pointed out that perhaps the greatest single
accomplishment of the last two legislative sessions has been to improve equity in school
funding. A cap on school property taxes would undermine that accomplishment. Caps tend to
hurt poor school districts most, especially when the state is unable to keep its end of the funding
bargain.
Lowry noted that, over the last two years, Strong state aid has helped school districts
hold down proposed tax increases. Average proposed increases this year were down by almost
half from two years ago (i.e., 3.3 percent vs. 5.9 percent in 2006-07). That's before state
rebates are taken into account. This year, rebates more than offset local tax increases in about
40 percent of districts.
Instead of a cap, coalition members said state leaders should target tax relief to senior
citizens and middle-class homeowners who need it the most, through a circuit-breaker which
would limit property taxes as a percentage of household income. Thirty-five states already have
adopted circuit-breakers to provide help to homeowners.
Karen Scharff, executive director of Citizen Action of NY, said: The proposed tax cap is
the wrong way to restrain property tax growth it will negatively impact the quality of education
in struggling school districts. In contrast, a dramatically expanded circuit breaker, combined
with full implementation of the state's commitment to increased school aid, would provide real
and immediate relief for New Yorkers struggling with high property taxes without harming the
quality of education.
Dan Cantor, executive director of the Working Families Party, added: The way to give
working families and seniors a real property tax cut is to use a targeted circuit breaker to give
tax relief directly to those who need it most. We can pay for it, and protect our childrens
education, by rolling back a fraction of the tax giveaways to the ultra-rich. Its the only way to
address the real problems of high property taxes and protect critical investments in New York
state.
Tax caps have failed in other states. In California, Proposition 13 has destroyed the
quality of public education and led to disastrous cuts in programs and harmful increases in class
size. Massachusetts tax cap, while not directly comparable to the one proposed for New York,
still has led to dramatic cuts to schools and public services, coalition members said.
The fundamental problem with property tax caps is that they dont make public services
any less expensive. They cant change the growth in the cost of health insurance for teachers
or fuel to heat buildings and run school buses, said Iris J. Lav, director of the Center on Budget
and Policy Priorities, which recently released a study of the Massachusetts experience. Unless
the capped property taxes are replaced by an adequate, reliable, and well-targeted stream of
state aid, a cap will lead to cuts in expenditures that are needed to provide quality education.
She added, If New Yorkers are looking to Massachusetts as evidence that a cap is
beneficial, they are reading the evidence incorrectly. Massachusetts after it passed its cap had
advantages New York would likely not have, such as a booming economy from the
Massachusetts Miracle, a sharply declining school enrollment, a willingness to replace lost
property tax revenues with a very large infusion of state aid and a commitment to improving
education quality by increasing school aid by a strong 8.6 percent per year for many years and
targeting that aid to equalize expenditures among the lowest and highest income school
districts. Massachusetts is doing well despite its property tax cap, not because of it.
Frank Mauro, executive director of the Fiscal Policy Institute, noted Massachusetts
experience is not comparable because many more children in New York attend schools with
high concentrations of needy pupils than is the case in Massachusetts, and Massachusetts
spends more per pupil in high-needs districts that in low-needs districts while the New York
experience is the exact opposite.
Mauro also emphasized that, "The Massachusetts experience can not be used to predict
the impact of the proposed cap on educational quality in New York since the Massachusetts cap
did not apply directly to school districts and it can be overridden with a majority vote." He said
Commissioner Chair Thomas Suozzi, on the other hand, is proposing to apply a cap directly on
school districts and he is proposing a cap that could only be overridden by a supermajority of
either 55 percent or 60 percent in other cases. Both of these requirements would make it even
harder for New York voters to protect the quality of education than it has been
for Massachusetts voters, Mauro said.
Added Robert McKeon, director of TREND (Tax Reform Efforts of Northern Dutchess),
The only kind of cap that New Yorkers are telling us they want is on the amount of taxes that
they are asked to pay. That's a circuit-breaker, another Commission recommendation,
which legislators should instead immediately focus on.
McKeon said: Other states that have enacted caps resorted to shifting from taxes to
fees -- more smoke and mirrors. What a traditional cap is, at the core, is yet another unfunded
mandate -- the state regulating the local levy without committing itself in the future. Isn't that
extraordinarily convenient for state lawmakers who haven't solved these issues?
[...and sign on if you at least want to make sure that progressive economic principles aren't given short shrift in this year's anointing of Mr. Cuomo (and for next four years of his reign as Governor); WAMC's Alan Chartock is right-- primaries are the tentpole of our democracy!...]
Statement here below from Joel:
"Because no other progressive NYS legislator or county legislator in NY has stepped forward, I have.
Just over the last few hours (writing this evening of May 24th) dozens of you out there (surprisingly!) have responded quite positively already to my floating a trial balloon (on Facebook) to see if there might be enough interest among my progressive friends for me to run a primary challenge to Cuomo for Governor.
[join us @ http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=124328517596388&ref=mf -- pass it on, folks!]
[and scroll down a bit below for brand-new twenty-point progressive agenda for NYS-- check it out]
Thanks tons to all these folks just now signed my new "Joel for New York" Facebook page for this purpose:
-- Mark Stern (well-respected Town of Stanford Democrat)
-- KT Tobin Flusser (New Paltz School Boardmember)
-- Guy Thomas Kempe (of the Hudson Valley Working Families Party)
-- Sam Kogon, Erin Hobson, and Robert Rubsam (three extremely talented local musicians)
-- Sheila Buff (of Milan) and Maribel Pregnall (of Poughkeepsie) (two well-respected environmentalists)
-- Alyssa Knapp (host of FoodforLyme.Blogspot.com)
-- Larry Fauntleroy (Poughkeepsie Guardian Angels Founder)
-- Libby Post (long-time noted LGBT activist; frequent commentator on WAMC)
[...as well as Lori Arkin, Sara Marie Meyer, Jean Flood, Robert Rubsam, Linda Wiley, Ryan Burger, Tom LaBarr, Kevin Barratt, Terry LeRoy, LeAnn Bradshaw-Mueller, Diana Alexander, Jon Behrends, Julie Burgo, David Callahan, Bruce and Ruth Detjen, Nora Edwards, Ken Harris, Shannon McKarten Kane, Kevin McCarten, Ryan Nichols, Sigrid Sarda, Alison Wilber, et. al.!...]
Join us tomorrow (Weds.) at 12:30 pm-- we'll be officially kicking off my progressive/insurgent campaign for truly common-sense Governor that will unapologetically stand up for us on Main Street instead of Wall Street-- at the main entrance to the FDR site on Rt. 9 in Hyde Park; numbers count; come out!
[and let us know asap if you can host a house party or help collect petition signatures soon, people]
[send $ to Joel for New York 324 Browns Pond Road 324 Browns Pond Road Staatsburg, NY 12580!]
"The first truth is that the liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than their democratic state itself. That, in its essence, is fascism ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt, "Message from the President of the United States Transmitting Recommendations Relative to the Strengthening and Enforcement of Anti-trust Laws"
[see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Definitions_of_fascism ]
So-- why am I doing this?...because we progressives shouldn't be taken for granted...and because...
[see today's papers?...they only reinforced image of Cuomo campaign that emerged over weekend]
Remember the state budgets from '95, '96, '97, '98, '99, '00, '01, '02, '03, '04, '05, '06, '07, '08, last year?
The God's honest truth is literally every year for the last fifteen years running I've battled massive budget cuts to education, health care, environmental protection, and the poor-- in my monthly columns for the Taconic Papers from 1995 until 2003 (remember them?)...and by organizing rallies, press conferences, flyer distribution, etc., etc., etc.-- for the first twelve years of that time battling Pataki's proposed budget cuts-- and for the last few years battling Spitzer's, and then Paterson's proposed budget cuts.
[many of you might also recall my energetic campaigns for state legislature in 1996, 1998, 2002, 2006]
And on that note-- frankly, one of the most disappointing and frustrating things about being a political activist over the last few years has been watching Spitzer and Paterson turn around and do almost exactly the same thing Pataki did from '95 thru '07-- huge budget cuts to education, health care, etc.
[...not to forget their shortfunding counties like Dutchess-- forcing legislators like myself to deal repeatedly with untenable choices of massive county budget cuts, property tax hikes, and/or sales tax hikes-- sometimes all three(!)...(as in this past winter-- anyone else remember this?)...again-- check out
http://www.petitiononline.com/stocktax -- county budget cuts; http://www.PetitionOnline.com/SaveDuCo ]
So I had hoped that perhaps-- maybe-- perhaps Cuomo might offer us something different in 2010...
[...and I'm glad he's for same-sex marriage, independent redistricting, and at least some ethics reform...]
But it is unconscionable, quite frankly, that Cuomo has almost completely capitulated to right-wing conservative ideology on tax/budget issues and the neoliberal punditocracy consensus that's built up over years for Cuomo's economic talking points that spell only more doom and gloom for New York's middle class-- "no new income taxes", "freezing state employee salaries", "capping state spending", and a "property tax cap"...
[re: property tax cap-- crucial facts here: http://www.fiscalpolicy.org/PropertyTaxCapPressRelease.pdf ]
Again, Cuomo's proposals confirm the suspicions many of us had that, similar to Spitzer, and counter to his taking on Wall Street as AG, Cuomo is, unfortunately, unwilling to take on the true special interests and real power structure in our state-- not organizations who represent working people (unions who are outspent ten-to-one in Albany re: lobbying/donations)-- but Wall Street, corporations...
[looks like Andrew will be enacting massive budget cuts like Mario did in late 80's (after which NYS still lost 500,000 jobs-- in wake of Mario's slashing income taxes for corporations and rich then)-- just as Pataki did same thing from 1995-2006-- just as Spitzer and Paterson have done...new boss = old boss]
Too bad-- looks like Cuomo will very much need us to remind him that unless middle class is brought back to life in Hudson Valley and across NYS, there's no way our state's economy can come back...
[not that GOP would be any better on any of this, of course-- but we shouldn't settle for anything but best]
Recall facts from http://www.fiscalpolicy.org/RevisedFPIBudgetBook_20100203.pdf (Fiscal Policy Inst.):
Fact: State spending now in New York as \% of GDP is now about 6.9\%; in 1994 it was higher-- 7.4\%.
Fact: NYS now spends about $12 billion on employee wages/salaries-- less than 20 years ago in 1990.
Fact: Consumer spending accounts for two-thirds of GDP (Wall Street Journal), but high unemployment and high consumer debt burdens will temper consumer spending and restrain the pace of recovery.
Fact: According to the NYC Independent Budget Office, 73\% of income growth in New York between 2002 and 2007 went to a small number of families at the top; the total income of the top 5 percent grew more than four times as fast as total income of the other 95 percent.
Fact: Millionaires now pay only 8.4\% of their income in state/local taxes we in middle class pay 11\%.
Fact: VT, CT, PA, NJ, MA all have higher monthly unemployment payments than NY; this hurts NY'ers.
Fact: To restore the state minimum wage to its July 1970 peak purchasing power, New York would have to increase its minimum wage to $9.46 by January 2013.
Fact: By 3-to-1 ratio NY'ers for stock transfer tax on Wall St.-- to stop local tax hikes, budget cuts.
[join 39 other local folks signed to http://www.petitiononline.com/stocktax ; http://www.FiscalPolicy.org ]
Fact: Wall Street made $61 billion in profits last year, besides $20 billion in cash bonuses (Crain's).
[see: http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20100328/FREE/303289966 ]
Fact: The richest 1\% of Americans own more than 95\% of us (according to Wall Street Journal).
[see http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/1206-01.htm ; http://www.EuropesPromise.org ]
Fact: 98\% of small business owners in the U.S. make less than $250,000/year (Wall Street Journal).
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2008/oct/16/barack-obama/most-small-businesses-wont-be-subject-to-obamas-ta/
Fact: Millionaires used to pay 15.5\% NY income tax rate in early 70's; they now pay less than 9\%.
[see: http://www.fiscalpolicy.org/taxhistory2.htm ; http://www.ABetterChoiceforNY.org ]
Fact: These members of the Better Choice Budget coalition all strongly support re-implementation of a stock transfer tax on Wall Street-- Dutchess Outreach, NYS Library Association, NYS Coalition Against Domestic Violence, NY Statewide Senior Action Council, NYS Alliance for Retired Americans, Interfaith Alliance of NYS, Interfaith Impact of NYS, Sierra Club, Environmental Advocates, Citizens Environmental Coalition, Citizen Action, NY Children's Action Network, NY Jobs with Justice, NYS AFL-CIO, CSEA, PEF, NYSUT, AFSCME, NYS Community Action Association, NYS Episcopal Public Policy Network, NYS Child Care Coordinating Council, New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness, Public Utility Law Project, Center for Working Families, Class Size Matters, Coalition for After-School Funding, Fiscal Policy Institute, Hunger Action Network of NYS, and many more-- see http://www.ABetterChoiceforNY.org/ .
[This is the traditional Democratic coalition that Cuomo is bent on ignoring and destroying-- without any care or concern to how badly underfunded our schools, hospitals, EPF, DEC, and other crucial state programs are now. For shame.]
Recall these two from front pages of May 23rd New York Times and Poughkeepsie Journal:
"Cuomo Opens Campaign for New York Governor" by Danny Hakim and Nicholas Confessore
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/23/nyregion/23cuomo.html
"Cuomo Says He'll Reform Albany As Governor" [Associated Press]
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20100523/NEWS12/100523010/Cuomo-says-he-ll-reform-Albany-as-governor
Wake up, progressives-- we need to raise ruckus NOW-- loudly against Cuomo's conservative and counterproductive plans that will hold NY back and prevent us from rebounding from its current funk...
Shame on Cuomo for taking so long to (barely) weigh in on current state budget mess-- and now that he's done so, he's still barely saying anything-- no real solutions offered for this year-- only opposition to Ravitch current plan to borrow $6 billion over next three years to help balance state budget (with new financial review board)..."he declined to say much about current budget impasse bedeviling Albany"...
[recall massive coalition for sensible revenue alternatives @ http://www.ABetterChoiceforNY.org ; also see: http://www.fiscalpolicy.org/CWF_FPI_NewYorkHasTheWaysAndMeans.pdf (great FPI/CWF report)]
I'll give this to Cuomo, tho-- he's right about one thing-- that the possibility for real reform still is with US:
[quote here below from Cuomo is from Poughkeepsie Journal]
"You go to the people first and you get the people on your side. You get the people supporting a specific set of reforms," Cuomo said. "We can say to the Democrats and the Republicans in January, 'The people of the state have spoken.' Politicians tend to follow what the people in their districts want done."
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20100523/NEWS12/100523010/Cuomo-says-he-ll-reform-Albany-as-governor
So-- at least Cuomo recognizes power of us in the grass roots-- let's show him how grass roots feel!...
Fact: Cuomo's plans won't help local schools struggling-- as he refuses to lift a finger to push for a truly fair and progressive system of taxation (e.g. as Cahill has; see http://www.PetitionOnline.com/FAIRTAX ) ...and let's not forget about those school budgets that went down recently in Arlington, City of Poughkeepsie, and Pawling-- despite big cuts that had been made in all three of those districts-- and all of the budget cuts made by school boards locally already-- here in the Rhinebeck Central School District meaning cuts already made, eliminating $$$ for all field trips, intramural sports, after-school activity bus, Arts-in-Education, athletic supplies, and extracurricular clubs-- besides teachers...
Not trying to overly toot my own horn (but sometimes this is necessary; sorry!)-- I've been extremely effective in moving a progressive agenda forward over the last seven years I've served Rhinebeck and Clinton in our County Legislature (now starting a fourth term)-- whether in the minority or the majority...
It is also a fact as well that both Rhinebeck and Clinton were G.O.P. bastions for decades before I won election to our County Legislature in 2003-- and in 2005 and 2007 elections I got more votes than any other Democrat in County Legislature (also, frankly, other Dems won with smaller margin in '09 too)...
As a member of the minority in our County Legislature from 2004 through 2007, I got $100,000 added to our county budget to make sure homeless veterans no longer turned away from shelter, successfully led the fight to stop G.O.P. proposal to end county-run senior home care in the county, added tens of thousands of dollars to senior home care for the county budget, initiated a 30\% discount on defibrillators for county residents from GEPickering.com, initiated the Resource Recovery Agency taking back compact fluorescent light bulbs, initiated our county's Health Department outreach to restaurants re: trans fats in cooking oils, initiated increased purchase of hybrid vehicles for county fleet, initiated move for Family Justice Center for victims of domestic violence, led county research for past decade on groundwater contamination from MTBE, and author of annual reports since 1997 exposing millions of county tax dollars in legalized kickbacks (see http://www.RealMajorityProject.blogspot.com ; http://www.petitiononline.com/cleangov )...
In February I succeeded in getting strong bipartisan support in our County Legislature for a resolution to pass against Central Hudson's rate hike-- and just this month I got GOP Co. Leg.'s Horton, Traudt, Sadowski, Surman, and Thomes all to co-sign a letter I circulated about Lyme insurance issues (that I had gotten Goldberg, Kuffner, Jeter-Jackson, MacAvery, Doxsey, and White to sign on to as well)...
I've successfully worked with students of all ages and backgrounds now for literally the last twenty-three years-- now in the Hudson City School District-- before that for the Ridge School, Little Tikes Daycare, the Belmont School of Global Studies (P.S. 32) in the Bronx, the City of Poughkeepsie School District, Christ Episcopal Church Summer Camp, Community Family Development, Devereux Center, etc...
For the last twenty-three years I've hosted a show on WVKR 91.3 FM http://www.wvkr.org/ with guests like Pete Seeger, Bill McKibben, Scott Murphy, Kirsten Gillibrand, Maurice Hinchey, John Hall, Kevin Cahill, Greg Palast, et. al. (now on Fridays 5-6 pm)-- and for the last two years I've hosted a Saturday morning call-in talk show on WHVW 950 AM as well (from 8 to 10 am)...(and for most of the last decade I've also been interviewed repeatedly on WAMC Northeast Public Radio too; see www.petitiononline.com/statewar for Albany Times-Union article a few years ago documenting my efforts and research investigating our county's EDC/IDA programs)...
Note-- Andrew Cuomo is a good man, and I don't disagree with him on all of his proposals-- but on far too much of his tax/budget platform he has all but completely capitulated to the right wing-- and has made it clear in the newspapers here in late May that he is bent on getting the public and legislators behind his neoliberal agenda that will finish off our state's middle class (what's left of it). ...but to the point-- here's why I'm running... [and if you all support me and help me get enough petition signatures at least we'll send a message together to the increasingly Blue-Dog Dem power structure here in NYS that we progressives aren't going to roll over and play dead-- that we won't be taken for granted!]
Ball's in your court now, folks...(even if this campaign fails we can send a strong tax/budget message)...
Sorry-- I just couldn't stomach watching quietly from the sidelines as our state and party are killed...
Join us if you can tomorrow 12:30 pm for campaign kickoff at main entrance to FDR site in Hyde Park!...
[...and again-- $$$ needed-- at Joel for New York-- 324 Browns Pond Road Staatsburg, NY 12580...]
Pass it on!"
[si se puede-- yes we can]
Joel Tyner
(845) 444-0599/876-2488
[email protected]
DutchessDemocracy.blogspot.com
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Bring Back New York's Middle Class: A Twenty-Point Progressive Agenda for Main St. Not Wall St.:
[...how many more years should we have to wait for these?...none of these are really radical, are they...]
1. Re-implement stock transfer tax on Wall Street and make wealthy New Yorkers once again pay their fair share of taxes-- to fully fund our schools, hospitals, parks, libraries, towns, counties, cities, villages, EPF, DEC, etc.-- and slash property taxes-- while funding pensions, child care, university education for all as in Germany (where economy is thriving because middle class has been preserved!).
[see: http://www.ABetterChoiceforNY.org ; join dozens @ my http://www.petitiononline.com/stocktax ]
2. Enact state-level single-payer health care system in NY; save $20 billion/year (VT moving this way).
[see: http://www.SinglePayerNewYork.org ; http://www.HungerActionNYS.org ]
3. Enact ten-dollar-an-hour minimum wage to bolster middle class (to reflect real value it had in 1970).
[see: http://www.LetJusticeRoll.org ]
4. Co-determination/supervisory boards as in Germany-- at least half of all members of corporate boards of directors have to be directly elected by workers (this would incredibly bolster middle class).
[see: http://www.EuropesPromise.org ]
5. Initiate a state-owned bank as in North Dakota (as Michael Moore has recommended). http://motherjones.com/mojo/2009/03/how-nation\%E2\%80\%99s-only-state-owned-bank-became-envy-wall-street
6. Create green jobs get solar/energy-efficiency retrofit loans NOW to homeowners and businesses.
[join dozens signed to my http://www.PetitionOnline.com/SOLAR ; http://www.LIGreenHomes.com ]
7. Save tax dollars and create jobs with zero-waste approach to resource recovery (not burn/burying).
[join 70 signed to my http://www.petitiononline.com/zeroyes http://www.StopTrashingtheClimate.org ]
8. Enact an immediate moratorium on natural-gas drilling to protect drinking water in our watersheds.
[join 891 signed on to my http://www.PetitionOnline.com/NoDrill ]
9. Ban toxic chemicals from being allowed to be in household products-- especially items for children
[see: http://www.Clean-NY.org ; http://www.HealthyStuff.org ; http://www.EWG.org ]
10. Clean Money Clean Elections campaign finance reform to clean up Albany; free TV for candidates.
[see: http://citizenactionny.org/category/archive/reports/public-financing-reports ]
11. Keep accurate, transparent lever voting machines; HAVA does not mandate computerized voting.
[see: http://www.ETCNYS.org ; http://www.ElectionDefenseAlliance.org ]
12. Monthly mandatory Question Time for Governor w/state leg.'s (idea from Liz Krueger/Micah Kellner)
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2010/05/24/2010-05-24_2_pols_wanna_put_gov_on_spot.html
13. Instant runoff voting (ranked)-- allow voters to truly be able to vote their hopes instead of their fears
[sign on to my http://www.PetitionOnline.com/IRVnow ]
14. Initiative and referendum for NY-- as twenty-six states across the U.S. have now already
[join 12 signed: my http://www.petitiononline.com/initrefr http://www.newrules.org/governance/rules/ ]
15. Pass amendment to U.S. Constitution to make it 100\% perfectly clear: corporations aren't people.
[see: http://www.MoveToAmend.org ; Rep.'s Hinchey and Hall both agree!]
16. Make sure health insurance for Lyme disease in NY is more than a month of antibiotics (like CT/RI).
[join 330+ signed on to my http://www.PetitionOnline.com/StopLyme ; see http://www.ILADS.org ]
17. Reform criminal justice system to save money with re-entry, reducing recidivism.
[see: http://www.Vera.org ; sign my http://www.PetitionOnline.com/ATIs ]
18. Decriminalize marijuana; stop incarceration for nonviolent drug offenses; bring in new tax revenue.
[see: http://www.CSDP.org ; http://www.NORML.org ]
19. Photo ID cards for undocumented workers as in Trenton, Princeton, New Haven, San Francisco.
[see http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/23/opinion/23sun3.html http://www.petitiononline.com/newhaven ]
20. Bring back New York State's National Guard troops from Afghanistan and Iraq without delay.
[see: http://www.CitiesforPeace.org ; http://www.DutchessPeace.org ; http://www.PeaceAction.org ]
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From http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=920718 ...
Look to Wall Street for help
By FRANK MAURO AND RON DEUTSCH
First published in print in the Albany Times-Union: Monday, April 12, 2010
With New York, like other states, still reeling from a devastating national recession, Gov. David Paterson and the Legislature are proposing budget plans that rely overwhelmingly on cuts to essential public services. This, they imply, would hurt the economy less than a more balanced approach that includes some economically sensible revenue choices. Nothing could be further from economic reality.
The painful irony of the current crisis is that people's needs are rising while the resources available to the states to meet those needs are shrinking. Reacting to this situation by offering even less help to struggling families not only hurts people trying to get back on their feet, but it's also bad for the state's economy.
Several years ago, during a previous national recession, Nobel Prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz and Peter Orszag, now director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, wrote a paper explaining why. They took into account the fact that most tax dollars that states collect go for salaries and purchases that are spent quickly and close to home -- the essence of economic stimulus.
Stiglitz and Orszag found that reducing this type of spending, especially when the economy already suffers from a faltering private sector, is actually more damaging in the short run than tax increases focused on the portions of higher income households' incomes that are the least likely to be spent in the local economy.
The budget cuts being proposed by the governor and Legislature would go in the other direction. These cuts would pull the rug from under many New York families. And just in the areas of education and health care alone, they would add 30,000 more New Yorkers to the unemployment rolls and threaten this fragile recovery.
Under a balanced approach to the state budget, revenues should be raised in ways that would hurt the economy the least; and should be used to reduce the extent of the spending cuts and to provide meaningful property tax relief.
While most families and businesses are struggling economically, Wall Street is enjoying record profits -- an estimated $61 billion last year. That's triple the previous record set in 2006 and it adds up to very generous salaries and bonuses, all on the heels of the recent trillion dollar, taxpayer-funded bailout. Wall Street bounced back quickly, but Main Street remains mired in the aftermath of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression -- a crisis, by the way, caused in large part by finance sector excesses.
Wall Street could not have recovered so quickly without Main Street's helping hand.
Now it's time for Wall Street to return the favor and help Main Street.
There are several ways in which Wall Street could help prevent the most disastrous cuts to essential state and local public services that are now being considered by the Legislature.
For example, temporarily lowering from 100 percent to 80 percent the portion of the state's Stock Transfer Tax that is rebated would produce about $3.2 billion a year. In effect, this change would impose a tax of only one cent per share on shares selling for more than $20 each, and as little as a quarter of a cent per share for shares selling for less than $5 per share.
Another approach would involve a temporary moratorium on the ability of businesses to offset current profits with prior years' losses. This would ensure that profitable firms contribute on an "ability to pay" basis during the current downturn.
In a crisis like this, it's easy to forget about the future. Just getting through each day is tough enough. But New York can't afford to be so short-sighted. Education, affordable health care and housing, vital state services, a strong safety net and a sound transportation system are all essential for a prosperous economy. Cutting too deeply in those areas today will hurt the state. But a balanced approach that includes economically sensible revenue increases would be a sound investment that New York can't afford not to make.
Frank Mauro is executive director of the Fiscal Policy Institute. Ron Deutsch is executive director of New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness.
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From http://www.fiscalpolicy.org/CWF_FPI_NewYorkHasTheWaysAndMeans.pdf ...
"April 2010: New York Has the Ways and Means: How and Why Wall Street Should Give Back"
This report was researched and written by Sunshine Ludder, a Senior Policy Organizer at the Center for
Working Families and James Parrott, FPI's Chief Economist and Deputy Director. Special thanks to Emmaia Gelman, Policy Director at CWF; David Palmer, Executive Director of CWF; Frank Mauro, Executive Director of FPI; David Dyssegaard Kallick, Senior Fellow at FPI; and Jo Brill,
Director of Communications at FPI.
The Solution: A four-part action plan
To address the current recessions challenges while moving New York toward a sensible long-term
balance between spending and revenues, a four-part action plan of temporary and permanent measures is needed.
IEnact temporary tax measures that recapture some of Wall Streets profit windfall to spur Main
Streets recovery.
Given Wall Streets extraordinary 2009 profits underwritten in full by a taxpayer bailout, New Yorks
financial industry is well-positioned to help bring fiscal stability to the state, and tax relief and basic
fairness to working New Yorkers. Some mix of the following four options should be considered, with a
goal of raising $6 billion per year for two years.
? Temporary bonus recapture tax. A modified version of the U.K. bonus tax, the New York
plan will levy a payroll tax on bonuses worth at least $50,000 and paid to employees
receiving total annual compensation of $250,000 or more. The tax should start at 25 percent
of eligible bonuses, and reach 50 percent when total compensation passes $500,000. The tax
is structured as a temporary tax on all bonus compensation, including deferred bonuses
whether paid as cash, stock, or stock options.
? Temporary reduction of Stock Transfer Tax rebates. New York has had a stock transfer
tax on the books since 1905, but the state has returned it through an automatic 100 percent
rebate since 1981. Last year, the value of stock transfer rebates was $14.5 billion. Retaining
just 20 percent of the rebate would have generated revenue of $2.9 billion. A temporary
reduction of the rebate will not trigger an exodus of financial firmsand it will provide a
major source of revenue.
? Suspension of the carry-forward provision for 2007 and 2008 net operating losses for
financial firms. This measure will suspend the ability of large firms to reduce their New
York corporate income tax liability on profits in 2009 or future years based on losses in 2007
or 2008. Those losses have been more than made up by 2009s record profits, thanks to the
taxpayer bailouts and low Federal Reserve interest rates.
? Windfall profits tax. Wall Streets largest banks posted record profits in 2009entirely as a
result of government economic policies and taxpayer resources. At the same time, Main
Street New York businesses are starved for capital, and still mired in the Great Recession.
A one-time windfall tax should be levied on financial firms whose profits exceed a certain
threshold for 2009 and 2010.
IIClose loopholes and reform New Yorks tax system to make it fairer and more effective.
State tax loopholes and credits to big businesses, and financial firms in particular, siphon away hundreds of millions of dollars yearly, with very little return for taxpayers. New York should right the balance by reclaiming a fair share of taxes from business and reducing the tax burden on households. Under New Yorks state and local tax system, low- and middle-income families contribute greater shares of family income to support government services than wealthier taxpayers. Reforms to property taxes, personal income taxes and corporate taxes can make the system fairer and more productive.
? The states taxation of financial firms should be updated to respond to several changes in the
industrys structure and practices, and enact reforms that will generate ongoing annual revenues
of more than $300 million. The state should also seriously consider placing a temporary cap on
corporate tax credits, which have grown in recent years to a cost of $4.5 billion.
? New York State should reform its personal income tax structure to increase the progressivity of
that tax on a permanent basis while providing the revenue necessary to reduce the pressure that is
currently placed on local property and sales tax bases, and to meet New York's pressing budget
needs on a recurring and sustainable basis.
IIISupport federal action to counter the recession and modernize state corporate income taxation.
New York government, labor, business and civic leaders should work with their counterparts in other states and at the national level to secure a much-needed extension of state fiscal relief; fund a robust job creation package; and repeal the federal law that prohibits states from drawing income tax from corporations whose profits are based on New York sales but who do not have property or employees in New York.
IVGive Main Street the help it needs.
The short-term revenues raised by the above recommendations should be used to help close the states recession-driven budget gaps and to begin the phase-in of a meaningful and well-targeted property tax circuit breaker.
The revenues from the permanent tax reforms and cost savings measures should be used to restore the states budget to structural balance while meeting the states important service commitments and funding a property tax circuit breaker on an ongoing basis.
New York States budget gaps should be closed in ways that foster fairness, sustained recovery and
broadly shared prosperity. In helping Main Street, it is essential that New York State keep the following objectives at the top of its priority list in both the short run and the long run:
? Restoring state aid to localities to reduce local tax burdens.
? Funding essential services and programs in the state budget.
? Investing in the states physical infrastructure, including mass transportation, to create jobs and
put New York workers back to work while maintaining the foundation for a prosperous New
York.
Three important facts about the bonus recapture tax:
#1: New Yorks financial firms wont move out of state.
The one-time bonus recapture tax will be collected as a payroll tax from the firms and banks paying out the big bonuses. Large New York City firms and banks wont want to leave Manhattan or the infrastructure they rely on hereand pay all the costs of moving their firmsjust to avoid a one or two year tax. As a payroll tax, the tax is collected from the firm regardless of where an employee lives.
#2: The UK taxes big bonuses, and Londons financial industry is thriving.
The UK passed a one-time bonus payroll tax last December, aimed at Londons financial center. Financial firms made a lot of noise, but none of them has left London. The Conservative Party candidate for prime minister recently proposed a permanent bank tax to fund a permanent tax break for married couples. The Financial Times quoted a Conservative official, Nobody has claimed that [the already enacted bonus tax] has undermined the Citys competitiveness.
Early reports suggest that bonuses have not been reduced in proportion to the UK bonus tax. The UK tax was initially expected to raise 550m, but estimates are now over 3 billion. The revenue outcome looks very strong, but as for the British governments stated goal of reducing the practice of high-flying bonus payments, it does not seem to have worked.
The UKs tax on bonus compensation is much steeper than whats proposed for New York: The UK tax reaches all bonuses over 25,000 ($40,000) with a flat 50 percent. Early reports are that most UK firms continued to pay bonuses heavily in cash even after the imposition of the taxwhich should not be too surprising, since the tax also reaches bonuses given as stock and other forms of deferred awards.
#3: A Bonus Recapture Tax will amount to less than 10 percent of Wall Streets 2009
profits.
A one-time tax on big bonuses will not jeopardize Wall Street firms, but it will provide critical revenue for whats really in jeopardyNew Yorks working families. The added $4.76.9 billion revenue from taxing super-bonuses will mean urgently needed property tax relief for New Yorks working families and urgently needed revenues to help close New Yorks deficit and get the state back on track to fiscal stability.
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[see quotes below from Dutchess' own Ed McCormick and Robert McKeon of http://www.TrendNY.org ; go to http://www.FiscalPolicy.org & http://www.ABetterChoiceforNY.org for more on this; too bad Cuomo capitulating to mainstream media consensus that teacher unions are "special interests"-- instead of demonstrating true courage and really going after Wall Street: http://www.petitiononline.com/stocktax ...
and perhaps more important than anything-- see real solution: http://www.OmnibusTaxSolution.org !]
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From http://www.fiscalpolicy.org/PropertyTaxCapPressRelease.pdf ...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Ron Deutsch
New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness
Office: (518) 452-2130
Cell: (518) 469-6769
BROAD-BASED COALITION UNITES TO OPPOSE ARBITRARY PROPERTY TAX CAP
ALBANY, N.Y. June 10, 2008 A broad-based coalition representing more than one
million New Yorkers today criticized legislation that would allow Albany -- under a proposed
property tax cap to take away the voice of voters; impose artificial limits on local school
spending; and abandon its promise to ensure equity in the education funding formula.
The coalition acknowledged the need for property tax relief, but said an artificial cap like
the one endorsed by Gov. David Paterson would harm education programs while dooming
efforts to close the achievement gap. It said similar caps have failed in Massachusetts and other
states because they do not address rising costs beyond the control of school districts, inevitably
leading to cuts to education programs that serve children and other public services.
The coalition is led by New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness and the Educational Conference
Board and includes such groups as the New York State Parent Teachers Association; the
Working Families Party; Fiscal Policy Institute; New York State Council of Superintendents; New
York State United Teachers; Civil Service Employees Association; BALCONY; Citizens Action of
NY; TREND; Center on Budget and Policy Priorities; New York Association of School Business
Officials; School Administrators Association of NYS; Campaign for Fiscal Equity and the Alliance
for Quality Education.
"I am troubled by the fact that Governor Paterson is taking this preliminary report from the
Commission on Property Tax Relief and immediately asking the Legislature to act on one facet
of it, said Ron Deutsch, executive director of New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness. There are so
many potential problems with his proposed tax cap that to try and rush it through now without
careful consideration would be careless and a disservice to the taxpayers of New York State.
The proposed tax cap merely perpetuates an unequal system that already puts too much
of a burden on the average working person, added ECB Chair Edward McCormick. Its
simplistic, arbitrary and unfair.
Coalition members also said the proposed cap would not address rising costs beyond the
control of school districts, but would exacerbate inequities by requiring a super-majority vote to
override Albanys arbitrary limits on school spending something more easily accomplished by
more affluent communities.
A tax cap, as evidenced in any state that has attempted one, clearly limits a community's
choice to invest in quality education, leaving no option but to cut programs and services, said
Maria L. DeWald, president of the New York State PTA. In addition, an intrinsic inequity is
inherent in a community's ability to override the cap and creates a greater gap between rich and
poor. Why, when the goal of foundation aid is to close that gap, would we revert to a regressive
measure? Who will speak for the next generation if not a citizenry dedicated to providing equal
access to a quality education?
Billy Easton, executive director of the Alliance for Quality Education, said New York State
has just started to close the educational achievement gap. A tax cap threatens to directly
undermine the long overdue effort to improve educational quality for every child.
A tax cap is a great election year sound bite, but it does nothing to address the
fundamental property tax issue, which is that the state does not pay its full share of the cost of
educating children and a tax cap does nothing to address the fundamental educational issue,
which is that too many children are still in classrooms with too few resources, Easton said.
After 15 years of Campaign for Fiscal Equity litigation and legislation, New York State
has finally begun to put more resources in schools to close the achievement gap and ensure the
constitutional right to a sound basic education, added Geri D. Palast, executive director of the
Campaign for Fiscal Equity. A tax cap undermines this seedling effort. Across the nation, tax
caps have resulted in cuts to essential services reducing teachers and programs leading
to reduced academic performance. We must not give with one hand and take with the other at
the expense of our kids futures.
Coalition members noted that, just last month, voters approved nearly 93 percent of local
school budgets, sending a clear message that it even when facing higher property tax bills
investing in public education is a high priority. In fact, in the 336 school districts that put up
school budgets with tax increases higher than the proposed cap recommended by the
Commission, voters approved 88.4 percent of those budgets. Nearly 70 percent of school
budgets carrying tax increases of 6 percent or higher won support from voters.
Parents and community members want to decide how their property tax dollars are spent
and dont want their voice usurped by a one-size-fits-all cap imposed by Albany, said NYSUT
Executive Vice President Alan B. Lubin. New Yorkers support their schools and, while property
tax relief is needed, a cap is too arbitrary and too destructive to education. Its clearly the wrong
approach.
Bob Lowry, deputy director for advocacy, research & communications for the New York
State Council of School Superintendents, pointed out that perhaps the greatest single
accomplishment of the last two legislative sessions has been to improve equity in school
funding. A cap on school property taxes would undermine that accomplishment. Caps tend to
hurt poor school districts most, especially when the state is unable to keep its end of the funding
bargain.
Lowry noted that, over the last two years, Strong state aid has helped school districts
hold down proposed tax increases. Average proposed increases this year were down by almost
half from two years ago (i.e., 3.3 percent vs. 5.9 percent in 2006-07). That's before state
rebates are taken into account. This year, rebates more than offset local tax increases in about
40 percent of districts.
Instead of a cap, coalition members said state leaders should target tax relief to senior
citizens and middle-class homeowners who need it the most, through a circuit-breaker which
would limit property taxes as a percentage of household income. Thirty-five states already have
adopted circuit-breakers to provide help to homeowners.
Karen Scharff, executive director of Citizen Action of NY, said: The proposed tax cap is
the wrong way to restrain property tax growth it will negatively impact the quality of education
in struggling school districts. In contrast, a dramatically expanded circuit breaker, combined
with full implementation of the state's commitment to increased school aid, would provide real
and immediate relief for New Yorkers struggling with high property taxes without harming the
quality of education.
Dan Cantor, executive director of the Working Families Party, added: The way to give
working families and seniors a real property tax cut is to use a targeted circuit breaker to give
tax relief directly to those who need it most. We can pay for it, and protect our childrens
education, by rolling back a fraction of the tax giveaways to the ultra-rich. Its the only way to
address the real problems of high property taxes and protect critical investments in New York
state.
Tax caps have failed in other states. In California, Proposition 13 has destroyed the
quality of public education and led to disastrous cuts in programs and harmful increases in class
size. Massachusetts tax cap, while not directly comparable to the one proposed for New York,
still has led to dramatic cuts to schools and public services, coalition members said.
The fundamental problem with property tax caps is that they dont make public services
any less expensive. They cant change the growth in the cost of health insurance for teachers
or fuel to heat buildings and run school buses, said Iris J. Lav, director of the Center on Budget
and Policy Priorities, which recently released a study of the Massachusetts experience. Unless
the capped property taxes are replaced by an adequate, reliable, and well-targeted stream of
state aid, a cap will lead to cuts in expenditures that are needed to provide quality education.
She added, If New Yorkers are looking to Massachusetts as evidence that a cap is
beneficial, they are reading the evidence incorrectly. Massachusetts after it passed its cap had
advantages New York would likely not have, such as a booming economy from the
Massachusetts Miracle, a sharply declining school enrollment, a willingness to replace lost
property tax revenues with a very large infusion of state aid and a commitment to improving
education quality by increasing school aid by a strong 8.6 percent per year for many years and
targeting that aid to equalize expenditures among the lowest and highest income school
districts. Massachusetts is doing well despite its property tax cap, not because of it.
Frank Mauro, executive director of the Fiscal Policy Institute, noted Massachusetts
experience is not comparable because many more children in New York attend schools with
high concentrations of needy pupils than is the case in Massachusetts, and Massachusetts
spends more per pupil in high-needs districts that in low-needs districts while the New York
experience is the exact opposite.
Mauro also emphasized that, "The Massachusetts experience can not be used to predict
the impact of the proposed cap on educational quality in New York since the Massachusetts cap
did not apply directly to school districts and it can be overridden with a majority vote." He said
Commissioner Chair Thomas Suozzi, on the other hand, is proposing to apply a cap directly on
school districts and he is proposing a cap that could only be overridden by a supermajority of
either 55 percent or 60 percent in other cases. Both of these requirements would make it even
harder for New York voters to protect the quality of education than it has been
for Massachusetts voters, Mauro said.
Added Robert McKeon, director of TREND (Tax Reform Efforts of Northern Dutchess),
The only kind of cap that New Yorkers are telling us they want is on the amount of taxes that
they are asked to pay. That's a circuit-breaker, another Commission recommendation,
which legislators should instead immediately focus on.
McKeon said: Other states that have enacted caps resorted to shifting from taxes to
fees -- more smoke and mirrors. What a traditional cap is, at the core, is yet another unfunded
mandate -- the state regulating the local levy without committing itself in the future. Isn't that
extraordinarily convenient for state lawmakers who haven't solved these issues?
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It's about time to clean up the State of New York, which has been labeled the most corrupt state out of all the other states.
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Adam B
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Joel is the most dedicated public servant ive ever met
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thanks Joel for always standing up for what you believe is the best for the middle class of NY
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Joel is a truely dedicated progressive,and always gives his all to creating a better world.
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Finally Joel offers a thoughtful and compassionate change from the tired business-as-usual crowd
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A noble challenger with the right ideas
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Joel is truly dedicated, trustworthy,and always gives his all to creating a better place for us New Yorkers.
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Budget cuts to education and health care wont fly with a new Democratic Governor. It's time we start taxing Wall Street!
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Joel has the agenda and the energy; now he needs our support!
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