Governor Paterson has really blind-sided New Yorkers with his latest tax proposal. State Legislators seem to be turning a blind eye to the troubled financial state of many tax payers. Opponents to Paterson's proposal believe he is blind to the consequences for New York businesses. Many business owners have been thrown into a blind rage.
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2008/12/16/2008-12-16_gov_david_paterson_unveils_dire_new_york.html
Gov. Paterson's proposed $121 billion budget hits New Yorkers in their iPods - and nickels-and-dimes them in lots of other places, too.
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Movie tickets, taxi rides, soda, beer, wine, cigars and massages would be taxed under Paterson's proposal. It also extends sales taxes to cable and satellite TV services and removes the tax exemption for clothes costing less than $110.
"The governor is nickel-and-diming working class families," said Ron Deutsch, executive director of New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness, an advocacy group.
State Conservative Party Chairman Michael Long warned that reinstating the sales tax on clothing and shoes will drive people to New Jersey, where they will also gas up their cars and pick up their wine, spirits and soda because the prices are less due to lower taxes. "You're sending notice to the people of New York that we really don't want you here," Long said. "The governor proposed flat spending, but why not actually cut the budget before raising taxes and fees?"
Paterson's 2009-10 budget proposal represents only a 1% increase in total spending from this year's budget - the smallest increase in a dozen years. It also calls for:
* A 3.3%, or $698 million, reduction in school aid.
* $3.5 billion in health care savings, including reductions in payments to hospitals and nursing homes.
* Video slot machines at Belmont Park, more multistate lottery games and expanded hours for the state's Quick Draw lottery game.
* Layoffs for 521 state workers and the elimination of seven state agencies.
High taxes are half the reason people like us move away from NY. Plus all the stupid laws.
I like the part about expanding the slot machines and lottery games, but what's up with taxing the rub and tugs? That's just wrong.
Yep.
ReplyDeleteFunny how its California and NY with budget crisis and Detroit with a failing auto-industry.
Let's see here... high taxes, unions, liberal politics...
And since when did higher taxes help a recession or budget deficit?
ReplyDeleteTaxes on spending (Movie tickets, ipods, taxi rides, soda, beer, wine) mean people will spend less.. and not just on the things taxed, but the things related to the taxed. Less money spent on movies means less money spent on restaurants. Less money spent on beer/wine means more people will go to NJ for ALL of the their shopping.
Where's Rudy?
This is true... A recession (so we're allowed to call it that now?) is not the time to raise taxes. The time to raise taxes is when the economy is strong (Mr. Staffeld taught us that, remember?). But even then conservatives find reasons to bitch about it.
ReplyDeleteWhere's Rudy?
Exploiting 9/11 somewhere, I'm sure.
>>Exploiting 9/11 somewhere, I'm sure.
ReplyDeleteI have to say, I was totally disappointed with Rudy this past year. I had high hopes for him.
I really thought he was going to do better as well. If any republican was going to perform strongly in '08, I figured it would be a (relatively) liberal northeastern republican with a penchant for cross-dressing.
ReplyDeleteRudy! Rudy! Rudy! Yup. I was ready to vote for Rudy. But he didn't even try to get the nomination.
ReplyDelete"Taxes on spending (Movie tickets, ipods, taxi rides, soda, beer, wine) mean people will spend less.." - And that results in LESS money for the state.
Heck, I might have voted for Rudy.
ReplyDeleteLet's see here... high taxes, unions, liberal politics...
ReplyDeleteWhenever Mike makes broad-brush claims like this attacking [insert conservative boogey man here], I can't help but do a little research.
Funny how Georgia was the second state in the union to enact a state sales tax (after WV) and has the exact same state sales tax rate as NY (4%). Also, the state income tax is nominally different, .75% at most, depending on the bracket. And Georgia charges 3% tax on groceries? That sucks.
Lets see here... marginally (at best) lower taxes in a soldly red state with (I assume) less of an organized labor presence. Oh, and their own budget crisis this year.
I don't mean to downplay New York's problems, which are many, but a disingenuous swipe at taxes/liberalism/unions will get you some guffaws from the Glenn Beck crowd and not much else.
Whoa smart guy!
ReplyDeleteSee most recent blog posts for the facts.
Facts are facts. Union towns are hurtin (Detroit) States with high taxes are hurtin (NY), Cities with high taxes are hurtin (NYC, SF, LA)