Property Tax Relief in New York State?
In a Sunday editorial, The Buffalo News takes on the idea of the state giving us rebate checks rather than cutting the base tax rates.
The state of New York has been relatively flush with cash in recent years, coffers fed by its progressive income tax and its sales tax. A use for that money that is both wise and politically popular has been to mitigate the pain of ever-higher property taxes for homeowners around the state, and doing it in a way that eases the individual tax burden without hurting the local school districts that are so dependent on that property tax revenue.
The editorial staff argues that these rebates are primarily intended to be reminders that our legislators are “on our side”, that they are looking to help out “the middle class folks.” After all, there was nothing that made me more ambivalent to be a New Yorker last year than receiving my tax rebate check.
Especially since it was printed twice at a cost of $3MM and came with names of my legislator, state senator, and governor plastered all over it. A subtle reminder to head off to the polls to vote for more manna from heaven, right? Especially when I received separate mailings from all three reminding me that they fought to get that check sent to me.
As a common sense, small government ideologue in North Buffalo; I am held hostage to the whims of high taxin’ liberal union lovers. Every year, the majority chooses to send Sam “Tax ‘em High” Hoyt back to the Assembly along with whatever lackey is filling the State Senate seat (currently Antoine “Vote Against My Own Bill” Thompson).
Nonetheless, it would have been useful for The Buffalo News to point out that we will again receive those bribes rebate checks (if we remember to apply separately) this year. Our lawmakers, in concert with Gov. Eliot “Day One” Spitzer crafted and passed a $120.9 billion budget that raised spending more than 7 percent, or more than twice the rate of inflation. So, natch, we need a rebate!
With that knowledge in mind, I think the $200 rebate check I’ll get in the mail just isn’t gonna be enough to satisfy me. How about comprehensive tax reforms that make this state a more hospitable place to live and do business? Anyone care to look into that one?
Pauldub Says:July 23rd, 2007 at 4:17 am
Gotta love rebates. Give me back some of my own money that you shouldn’t have taken in the first place. AND - act like you’re doing me a freaking favor in the process.
As for Thompson, I think he beat out NOTA by one or two votes.
R.E. Porter Says:July 23rd, 2007 at 6:48 am
If you don’t see something familiar here…then you’ve been dozing for seven years.
Remember the fiscal restraint that was supposed to be ushered in by President Bush? Right out the window…first budget.
Governor Spitzer?
Well…I don’t know if anyone truly considered him a fiscal conservative…but he’s taken a first step towards getting rid of that nasty surplus…but spending.
Lord knows there are good things to spend tax dollars on. There always will be. But what New York State…and my adopted home-town of Buffalo need most is job…lots of them.
And businesses won’t bring them in large enough quantity if State government doesn’t get of their backs.
And what’s killing the people who have stuck it out Upstate are the property taxes. The elected leadership HAS to find a different funding mechanism for public schools.
Other than that the three-headed monster of Spitzer-Silver-Bruno is/are doing just fine…if you want New York to keep losing jobs and population.
starbuck Says:July 23rd, 2007 at 2:56 pm
I agree with everything you wrote in your post above, except (always has to be an except!) …
Is being “held hostage” is really the right analogy for that?
I mean, if a minority including you (and me) voluntarily choose to live someplace where a solid majority of voters favor “high taxin’ liberal union lovin” policies, can we really blame them for voting according to their principles year-after-year?
Crazy as those principles are, we’re not hostages to them.
And Paul, don’t kid yourself about Thompson. He won a solid victory over the endorsed candidate (Copolla) which is very rare. As weird as it seems to you and me, he seems to be very popular in his district.
Pauldub Says:July 23rd, 2007 at 5:17 pm
Not saying he isn’t popular in parts of his district, but I live on Grand Island. I saw 2 signs during the election, I did not receive any literature in the mail from him, and the people I talked to didn’t know him from Coppola.
Of course this doesn’t say a whole lot about some of our registered voters either..
BuffaloGeek Says:July 23rd, 2007 at 6:00 pm
Well, I do actually feel as if I am held hostage to a majority of voters who repeatedly vote their interest. I wish to stay in Buffalo for personal reasons, yet in so doing, I live in an area populated by “high taxin’ liberal union lovers”.
Sure, I could move to Charlotte or Phoenix like a wide number of WNYers have done in recent years, but I choose to stay and fight.
starbuck Says:July 25th, 2007 at 9:51 am
I don’t question your sincerity or your decision to stay put, but the key word is “choose” in “choose to stay and fight”.
By definition, hostages don’t choose to stay.
You’re a dissenter, not a hostage. Hey, look at it this way - what I’m calling you is more honorable and empowered than “hostage”.
My casual observation is the majority around here aren’t just voting their interest (as is certainly the case for public employees), but many people around here truly believe in unionism and fiscal liberalism even if they work for the private sector. Hard to say why so many mindsets here are so much in favor of big govt and strong unions. And I know all this is even more prevalent downstate. I’ve learned NEVER to talk politics or economics at a party unless I’m in the mood to be ganged up on and often literally hollered at.