Schenectady County Legislature - (Proposed) Sales Tax Energy Exemption Act of 2008. Please click below:
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Salvatore
July 2, 2008, 12:16pm
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how come the other republicans dont have anything to say about this? Where are they? Farley Suhrada Buhrmaster? Are these guys gonna back Ang up? They better!
The proposal already states that Farley, Suhrada and Buhrmaster are the co-sponsors. So obviously they are backing 'Ang' up! Good luck against the dems!! If the dems support it, they will say it was their idea. Betcha!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
If the public wants this legislation to be enacted, we will all need to express our positions. Letters should be written to Mr. Santabarbara. Letters to the Editor should be written and submitted to the Albany Times Union and to the Daily Gazette. Be forewarned that the Gazette editorial staff will likely edit your letters as they have done to those that I submitted in the past. Call the radio station talk shows.
I contacted Mr. Farley ( bobFarley.com) and he explained a few facts to me today about this. He is a nice guy. Basically in the nutshell he said that this is not the new issue that we thought in that over the past 4 years or so, He, Jim B., Joe S. and Caroline Lazzari have put this same thing here up for a vote at the budget time, and that it was VOTED DOWN BY THE DEMOCRATS on at least 3 occasions or 4. Now that Ang is in and is a fresh face and has had some success with the press and public, Bob F and Joe S wanted Ang to sponsor this because his feeling was that people will more likely come around and support it if Joe S and Bob Farley aren't the main sponsors. Ang is the guy with the clean slate and has a new record of bipartisanship or whichever. And I think that it is a nice thing the other republicans are settling back, then they can't say it is just 'political' or whatever. So thank you Mr. Farley and thank you for a good website. All the republicans ought to get websites too.
Thanks you to all the rest who are having Ang sponsor this because he has the fresh perspective and it is gonna be harder for them the Savage him apart.
So we DARE YOU DEMOCRATS NOW TO GO AHEAD AND MAKE OUR DAY. Veto THIS! Like Reagan said! hahaaaaa
I just recently sent an e-mail to 'Ang' and 'Joe' regarding how the Dems passed the gas tax cap back a few years ago when we hit $2 and asked if there was any plan for them to put something out there now that we were up to $4. Now, the real big question is that if Schenectady County is bringing in twice as much sales tax now on gasoline as they were back at the time gas was at $2, where is all the extra money going, considering we're at such a defecit in the county? You would think between the extra gas taxes and the Metroplex, this county would be in the green in a major way.
Oh Kevin, you silly man....you are dealing with a socialistic dictatorship here! Who are deaf to their constituents AND are having the time of their lives creating jobs for their family and friends and giving out business loans to 'bankruptcy lawyers' and creating even more government programs...and it's all being done with our tax dollar!! They will NEVER rescind that gas tax. Are you kidding? It's more monopoly money for them!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
I wrote and submitted a Letter to the Editor of the Albany Times Union this morning regarding this topic. I have decided that I will no longer submit my opinions to the Daily Gazette as my most recent letters have been edited to eliminate the substantive arguments presented and the statements that may have been interpreted as being critical of our current county government
I have emailed many people who reside in the county regarding Legislator Santabarbara's proposed resolution and the need for relief from the escalating cost of energy. I have received correspondences back from some who have already written letters. If you have a chance today, please take the time to express your positions (whatever they may be). What better way to commemorate and celebrate Independence Day ?!?
Posting below the letter that I submitted to the Albany Times Union last Friday. I have not received a call or email from them stating that they will publish. I will forward the letter to both The Spotlight and to the SchenectadyToday.com web site.
Quoted Text
End Sales Tax Collection on Heating Fuels in Schenectady County
In the face of rampant increases in energy prices, residents are becoming increasingly concerned about how they will afford to heat their homes next winter.
On June 30th, Schenectady County Legislator Angelo Santabarbara submitted to the Ways and Means Committee a resolution “to exempt all energy products, such as electricity, gasoline, diesel fuel, natural gas, and propane gas from sales taxes collected and imposed by Schenectady County”. The resolution further directs that the loss of revenue be offset by an across the board reduction in county expenditures (and not by a corresponding increase in property taxes). The Sales Tax Energy Exemption Act of 2008, is co-sponsored by the other members (Farley, Buhrmaster, Suhrada) of the Republican minority of the Schenectady County Legislature.
Schenectady County is one of only several statewide that collects taxes on heating fuel purchases. ( http://www.tax.state.ny.us/pdf/publications/sales/pub718r_1107.pdf ) The taxation of this basic necessity has been employed by Schenectady County for many years as a source of revenues to support excessive government spending.
Elected representatives of all political parties must immediately act in the interests of their constituents who will encounter hardship this heating season because of considerable increases in fuel costs. While government sponsored programs like the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) and the (Schenectady) County Home Energy Fuel Tax Rebate Program for seniors provide limited assistance to targeted groups, the program administrative costs decrease the benefits realized. Further, if all levels of government would reduce or eliminate the sales taxes charged on heating fuels, there would be no need for government administered rebates, incentives, allowances, etc.
The lack of action by our elected leaders to provide some relief from the high cost of heating fuel would signal their disregard for the public and could have catastrophic consequences.
SCHENECTADY COUNTY Sales tax proposal draws flak Critic: Exemption would mean $12M revenue shortfall BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter
Angelo Santabarbara sees the decisions residents are making to help meet energy costs and he's asking the county Legislature to follow suit. The Republican legislator from District 4 plans to introduce a bill this summer to end sales tax on all energy products purchased in the county. These items include gasoline, home heating oil, natural gas, diesel fuel, propane and electricity. To compensate for the cut in revenue, Santabarbara is proposing that the county reduce spending across the board. He said the measure could save residents about 40 cents on every $5 they spend on fuel. "Because of skyrocketing fuel prices, everyone has made adjustments in their daily lives," he said Monday. "[The county] is also going to have to make an adjustment just like everyone else." Santabarbara said residents are already expressing concern about how they will make ends meet once they start heating their homes this fall. "We cannot sit by idly while people don't have money to heat their homes," he said. "This is strictly a result of what people have been asking me for." The sales tax exemption law is being co-sponsored by Republican legislators Robert Farley, Joseph Suhrada and James Buhrmaster. Also, the towns of Rotterdam, Duanesburg and Princetown are expected to consider resolutions supporting the bill later this month. But Philip Fields, a Democrat and the Ways and Means chairman, doubted whether Santabarbara's legislation would help residents realize savings. And he said the roughly $12 million shortfall it would impose on county finances would result in devastating budget cuts as the county is already facing fiscal difficulties. Fields said there would be few ways to reduce spending throughout the budget because the lion's share is in state and federal mandated programs. Most likely, he said the cuts would be made to funding for senior services, the library and the county's nursing home. "These are some very hard cuts you'd need to consider for immediately taking $12 million off the books," he said after reading the legislation Monday. Overall, Schenectady County projected about $83.87 million in sales tax revenues in the 2008 budget. This was roughly $1 million less than the previous year. Santabarbara's legislation comes nearly two years after the county rescinded a partial sales tax waiver on gasoline. Schenectady was among 14 counties across the state to pass such a cap, which collected taxes on only the first $2 of the pergallon price of gasoline. The cap was passed while gas prices flirted with $3 per gallon. Fields said there was no evidence that consumers realized savings. "What happened to the gas prices after we did the cut?" he said. "They went up, so there were no savings passed on to the consumer." Fields said he would like to entertain a discussion about Santabarbara's legislation during the committee's meeting next month. But he said the proposed law in its present form would not be feasible. "It would require much planning," he said. "This is not something that should be hastily placed on the table." Santabarbara disagreed. He said the county should be forced to make the same difficult budgetary decisions now being made by residents. "Everybody has to give a little," he said. "The county has got to do the same." Reach Gazette reporter Justin Mason at 395-3113 or jmason@dailygazette.net.
Maybe the county could cut their spending on their pet projects and therefore wouldn't need the 12 million from the tax on energy products. It seems as though once the County Council gets tax money from we the people they are not very inclined to give any of the money back to us.
Fields said there would be few ways to reduce spending throughout the budget because the lion's share is in state and federal mandated programs. Most likely, he said the cuts would be made to funding for senior services, the library and the county's nursing home.
There you have it. There are other ways to cut spending, but you gotta know that the dems will say how the poor seniors and the iliterate and the old sick folks will suffer. Let's see how far this legislation goes.
Sorry folks but I still have not seen the reps, conserves or any other political group even come close to the dems machine. As much as I disagree with the entire democratic machine...I have yet to see any other opposing party giving them a good run. I don't even think I know the names of any reps anymore. I think that most are still in hibernation, licking their tire track wounds left by the democratic dictatorship machine.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
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