New York State Senate

Comments (5)

1. 

   whiteley

   Only the circuit breaker will actually REDUCE anyone's taxes. The Krueger/Omnibus circuit breaker (S4239) is the only fiscally responsible option in the current fiscal climate because it phases in the cost over four years and is a "stand-alone" measure unencumbered by other provisions which would either add more cost or are too complex or controversial to gain passage anytime soon. Homeowners desperate for the relief this bill would provide should not be held hostage to an elusive consensus on such comprehensive solutions which end up, at best, as one house bills. Taxpayers have learned about such gimmicks and are sick and tired of them. THEY WANT REAL PROPERTY TAX RELIEF NOW -- and STAR rebate checks won't do it.

   4 years ago

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2. 

   keithbmcnab

   How does the Senate plan on funding this initiative???????????

   4 years ago

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3. 

   pcbrothe

   I recently learned from a neighbor of mine whose primary residence is in another part of the state that he is disgusted with the STAR rebate being eliminated and he told me this represented $4,000 in his pocket. This individual makes over $500,000 per year. His primary residence is in a wealthier neighborhood in NYS than we are. I told him in our neighborhood we got a STAR rebate check for about $150 while we still pay over $10,000 on an annual basis in combined property taxes. Do any of you who are against the circuit breaker see the disparity??? There is a definate lack of fairness with regard to property taxes and the system has to change. Personally, I am very glad the STAR rebate has been eliminated because it will save the state a large sum of money. The Krueger bill (S4239) would help a lot of people in the middle and lower class. At the same time, the cost to the state with the elimination of STAR would be insignificant considering the size of current state budgets. If the state can afford to pay close to $1 billion to bring in a chip fab company via corporate welfare/NYS Empire Zone/NYS Empire State Economic Development Corporation, they certainly have the money to help honest, ethical, hard working, middle and lower class property owners. Of all the special interests that lobby government for favors, there is no group that is more neglected and abused than the residential property owner in their PRIMARY residence. For those who say the state doesn't have the money, I agree we are in a crisis. I have begged state elected leaders all over the state to cut spending and make the governments which impose unfunded mandates pay for those mandates such as No Child Left Behind and Medicaid. It hasn't worked!!! Give those who are paying a disproportionate share of their income toward taxes and we can use our resources to help implement a system which is more fair and equitable for all taxpayers. Cutting spending and eliminating unfunded mandates would be a significant part of the plan.

   4 years ago

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4. 

   y

   The Omnibus bill is just a way for taxes to be increased on the middle class to support teacher salary hikes. The "middle class" is any household making $50,000 a year or more. Do not be fooled by the propoganda around the bill, read it yourself.

   The Omnibus bill would be fine if it came with a teacher salary freeze. Long Island teachers make more money than school teachers anywhere in the world.

   4 years ago

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5. 

   wgposwego

   In addition to lowering property taxes for those least able to pay we must have a way to get school costs under control. The current system is badly, badly broken.

   Local control of schools, the way it is done now, simply does not work. The ordinary voter does not bother to vote because re-vote / contingency budget nonsense will always raise taxes anyway. Most people who do vote have more to gain than to lose. (Wouldn't we all like to pay a few hundred more in taxes to get a salary increase of thousands?)

   The teacher unions are in favor of the circuit breaker. But I do not think they really care that much about whether or not anyone is taxed out of their homes. They are in favor of it because they see it as the only proposal that allows the cycle of increasing school budgets to continue. The cycle will continue because the schools will still be funded by the property tax. The only difference will be that the state will kick in money for those who can't afford to pay it all themselves.

   It's just STAR version 3, with no curbs on spending. We need the circuit breaker, just out of decency to people who will be taxed out of their homes. But, even more, we need serious spending CUTS. Not just a slow down in increases as the caps will provide but real CUTS.

   I think a requirement that a school district spend no more PER STUDENT each year than they did the year before might be a good start.

   4 years ago

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