I enjoyed the Feb. 8 political cartoon, showing a ballot where a voter had checked a box opposing a “small” tax increase. Maybe I’m wrong, but it seemed the artist was insinuating that New Yorkers were too cheap to support a tax increase to save important government services. How about we put this little bit of artwork into perspective? New Yorkers are more than happy to pay their fair share in taxes to provide police and emergency services, and we are willing to support our schools. However, the working class in New York are currently paying far more than their fair share of the tax burden — in fact, we are at least the second highesttaxed state in the United States. Where is all that money going? Our state government, thanks to our incompetent Legislature, is almost defunct, despite the fact that we keep shoveling more and more tax dollars into the furnaces of their wastefulness. Our painfully oversized and inefficient government, formerly flush with money from Wall Street, now finds itself in a pickle and either can’t or won’t stop living beyond its fiscal means. Refusing to trim the “fat” (discretionary spending, gifts to unions, and an overpaid Legislature pandering for perks), they instead hold their hands out to working-class taxpayers, who often live paycheck to paycheck. And if we don’t pony up the cash, we are suddenly cheap? I find the suggestion insulting, and I hope other New Yorkers do as well. Perhaps if the state would stop wasting our tax dollars on perks, payouts and pension promises, they might be able to afford the state services we need. Or, maybe the Legislature should just tax the outrageous bonuses of the greedy Wall Street geniuses who helped get us here — I’m certain they can afford a “small” tax increase. But wait! Workingclass American taxpayers were recently bled to pay for those very bonuses!
Tuesday, July 20, 2010, 3:08pm EDT Report: NY ‘an unquestioned leader in high taxes, spending’ The Business Review (Albany)
A new study by the Public Policy Institute of New York State Inc.’s latest report, “Unique New York,” identifies where New York is top—or near the top—of the heap.
In most cases, New Yorkers would prefer to forgo the distinction.
Local property tax levied in New York in 2009 was $45.9 billion, or $2,353 per person.
That puts New York in the top three in the nation, according to the report, citing state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.
New York also has ranks No. 1 for state and local personal income tax per capita, $2,200; No. 1 for Medicaid spending per capita, $2,298; and No. 1 for K-12 education spending per student, $15,981.
The state ranks No. 2 in the following categories:
• State and local taxes as a percentage of state income, 11.7 percent;
• State and local corporate income tax per capita;
In all, “Unique New York” tracks 21 standard indicators of economic performance.
“Unfortunately, in most metrics New York state’s performance is dismal,” said Kenneth Adams, president and CEO of The Business Council of New York State. The Public Policy Institute is a research affiliate of the council....................>>>>...............>>>>................http://albany.bizjournals.com/albany/stories/2010/07/19/daily17.html?surround=lfn
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