a Governor gives rich people $1 billion in tax cuts and cuts education spending

[hfojvt]

and that Governor is Andrew Cuomo, supposedly a Democrat.

http://www.ctj.org/taxjusticedigest/archive/2011/03/new_york_governor_cuomo_near_t.php

"The focal point of this conflict is a proposed extension of the temporary income tax surcharge on individuals with taxable incomes over $200,000 (or $300,000 from joint filers), known as the ‘millionaires’ tax because most of it is paid by millionaires. If extended, the measure would raise $1 billion dollars over the next year.

There is no doubt that New York’s fiscal situation is dire. But the governor’s budget relies almost entirely on dramatic spending cuts, including cuts to K-12 education aid to the state’s poorest children."


What do you bet that Cuomo is a leading contender for the Democratic Presidential nomination in 2016?

For whatever it is worth, he can count on my opposition.

[xxqqqzme]

1. WTF? Did he change parties?

[aquart]

2. Nope, just lied his dino ass off.

But he's going to find out what Giuliani found out. He has made robocalls and run ads that differ not even slightly from Republican crap. Facebook needs a category other than Like, btw.

[aquart]

3. However, he is trying for high speed rail.

That seems to be how you tell a Republican governor from a Democratic one these days.

[ejpoeta]

4. yeah we are feeling that here since they cut so much from education.

property taxes are going up. they just push it down from fed to state, from state to local governments to have to deal with. I didn't want to vote for this assclown. but they appointed him the candidate for the dems. and who were we up against!! carl fucking paladino. uggh. at least republicans got to CHOOSE their candidate and that was only because paladino forced a primary. i give him that at least... we should have had a choice. that and that he is a 'cuomo'. i don't know much about what mario cuomo did as governor, but people seemed to like him, so I guess we could assume his son would be like him? I guess it could be worse. I look at states like michigan and wisconsin and others and am thankful it isn't worse.

[eilen]

5. He is putting a cap on property tax increase

Now children in a suburb close to me will be walking 1/2 mile to get the school bus. Which ordinarily I wouldn't be bothered about except there are no sidewalks and in winter, there is no shoulder.

Plus lots of teacher layoffs, reshuffling teachers in the schools, less TA's, but why not lay off some administrators?

His formula benefits wealthy districts more than the poorer districts as well.

He didn't lie during the campaign. He did say he would cut education and healthcare, take on the public employee unions. I voted Green.

[Armstead]

11. I don't like what else he is doing but that one actually makes sense

I live next door to New York State and property taxes there really are killing people. They are awful, and people have had to sell their homes -- or can't afford to buy -- because of the very high property taxes. They even move here to Taxachusetts becvause they are so crushing over there.

The problem with that is the wealthy people from New York City who buy second-homes here can afford to take the hit. But people of average or low incomes who own property can't -- which accelerates the process of gentrification.

[eilen]

13. My property and school taxes last year went up over $100

to $3,762.

59% of that is for the school system.

I live upstate NY. My house is under 1500 sq. ft., one car garage. I live in the suburbs. If I lived in the small city they would be a bit less but those go up too as only about 50% of the property in the city is taxable (the rest belonging to the city, the university, the churches, charities and Congel who got some kind of tax deal to build his concrete monstrosity (unfinished portion of the mall).

The planned community in the village west of me --taxes run about $1,000 a month for those McMansions-- plus HOA fees.

In addition to that we have an income tax which feels like it gets higher every year and 8% sales tax on non-food items as well as all manner of fees and surcharges for different things. (There's a 12% luxury tax for some things, toll roads, tire tax, increased fees for use of public parks, etc.

Albany just billed me another $700 for income taxes from 2007 that I couldn't afford an attorney to fight. Meanwhile, I'm not sure how I'll pay this years. My dh had unemployment ins this year which brings it up and NY likes to try and tax us for money he made out of state (when he has to travel South to find work).

We might scratch together more income than the "average American" but we don't get to keep much of it.

[hfojvt]

9. it seems worse in some ways

at least when the other party does it, then you know who the enemy is, and even Walker has not yet given a billion in tax breaks to the wealthy.

[mainer]

6. Cuomo was reacting to false analysis of fleeing millionaires

at least, that's what the link says here:

http://www.ctj.org/taxjusticedigest/archive/2011/02/millionaire_migration_claims_f.php

I had heard that claim as well, that number of millionaires in NY state had dropped by 9.4%, and some took that to mean millionaires were fleeing NY because of the tax surcharge. According to the link above, though, the number of millionaires has dropped across the nation, due to the recession. There are just fewer and fewer wealthy individuals to tax.

[ejpoeta]

7. i know golisano very publicly moved to florida where there are no state taxes i guess.

fucking asshole.

[hfojvt]

8. some people always react to Republican talking points

Oh no, taxing the rich will kill the economy.

Yeah, those rich people can always hire somebody to do a study to 'prove' that taxing them is bad for the state, or nation - or that smoking tobacco doesn't cause cancer, and then the media will run to tell everybody this newly discovered 'truth'.

In my opinion, it is even worse when Democrats at the top help them spread their message.

[JPZenger]

10. There are tons of New Yorkers who claim to be Florida residents

There are many New Yorkers who spend months in Florida. When they claim Florida residency, they can avoid most state income taxes. At one point, New York was checking credit card records to try to claim that people were spending most of the year in New York State and therefore were New York residents.

[hfojvt]

14. usually it does not matter

For one thing, if you make money in a state, you pay income taxes in that state, regardless of where you live. So claim Florida residence all you want, you still pay New York taxes on New York income. Often that is not true for retirement income which already gets tax breaks in many jurisdictions. However, this tax surcharge was for incomes over $300,000 and not many people have retirement income over $300,000.

[lonestarnot]

12. Brewer the death paneler on the same page in AZ.