Property Tax Cap.
Dec 17, 2008
After a year of research and traveling the state, the New York State Commission on Property Tax Relief (Led by Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi) released its long-awaited report (PDF here) this month. Among its key points are placing a cap on the growth of property taxes at four percent (4%) a year, consolidating school districts with less than 2,000 students, and negotiating salaries for new teachers at a regional level rather than a local level. The commission also calls on School districts to rein in the costs of salaries, pensions and health care benefits, along with general operating and capital expenses.
One thing no New Yorker can deny is that we are overtaxed. We pay the highest local and state taxes of any state in the nation (second only to the residents of the District of Columbia) and one reason for this is because New York spends more per student, $18,768, than any state in the nation. Now, if we had the best rated education system in the country also, that would be one thing, but ours is mediocre, according to standardized test scores.
Teachers unions are generally against any sort of property tax cap, because they believe it cuts into educational spending. This isn't necessarily true. Public school teachers in this state get exceptionally good benefits; perhaps some of those can be revised. The report does call for reform of the Taylor Law's Triborough provision, which deprives school districts of negotiating leverage by letting teachers receive incremental pay hikes even after a union contract has expired.
Even our Democratic Gov. David Paterson, long known as a friend of teachers unions, endorses the findings of the report. A tax cap may be unlikely in the near future, but at least it's being discussed.
Comments
by Daniel , Dec 19, 2008
Here's hoping the NY GOP champions this initiative. Sadly, the Republicans lost control of the Senate. If they had held on, they could vote in favor of the Tax Cap and leave it to the Assembly to vote against it or not for any bill at all.
We will need a platform for 2010 and regardless of whether this commission was led by a Democrat, it is for fiscal responsibility, something our party must return to on the State Level.
by Katie , Dec 23, 2008
Agreed on the necessity of fiscal responsibility in the platform. Any other ideas out there to add to those in the Suozzi report?
For those who are interested, the following is a link to the release of an Oct. 2007 report on the Taylor Law from the Empire Center, which also recommends amending the Triborough provision: http://www.empirecenter.org/AboutUS/news_releases/2007/10/TaylorMadeNewsRelease.cfm
You is going to stand up to the Unions when republicans in NY take money from them? In NY most Republicans are hard to tell part from the Democrats. We do have all these high taxes and ridiculous labor benefits packages but why did the NY GOP let us get to this point. I have zero faith in the NY GOP because when it comes down to it, they take labors money too, just like the Democrats. This is one of the only states in the union where Republicans receive donations from the labor unions. We had a Republican Mayor in Giuliani and Governor in Pataki yet we still have some of the most liberal labor laws and highest taxes in the nation. How is this possible. Why is the NY GOP not held accountable for this? And why did the Republican party push for Bloomberg to be mayor when they knew he was really a Democrat? The New York GOP doesn't really care about Republican values, they only care about self preservation in politics. If they cared about their Republican values they wouldn't take campaign donations from labor unions.
by daniel , Jan 10, 2009
Poster #3, We are an organization that consists of young professionals who grew up Republican, because of the values and policies of Ronald Reagan, Newt Gingrich and George Bush. As President, when I direct my new members to look at the Republican Party on the local level (as we are a local club), they are surprised at the behavior and decisions of the NY GOP the past couple decades and aren't surprised at the steep decline in voter faith.
This year, our club has seen increased interest with young Republicans looking to define our values on a city and state level and let it be known to the general public.
Now, with an active Public Policy committee, the New York Young Republican Club will take positions on important issues regularly and we will encourage our elected officials and our bold candidates to stand with the positions we take.
Post a comment
