Siena Poll: Three-quarters of New Yorkers say property taxes too high; Support property tax cap
By Mike Connery on 05/28/2010 @ 09:54 AM
New Yorkers continue to see higher property taxes and homeowners are demanding relief from Albany.
A new Siena poll released earlier this week shows just how frustrated New Yorkers have become - 75% of homeowners say what they pay for property taxes is too high and 79% say that paying their property taxes is taking a bigger piece of their budget each year.
They are right - for the past 30 years, with the State Senate under Republican control, New York has been home to the highest state and local taxes in the country.
Concern over property taxes was greatest among suburbanites in the poll, 89% of whom feel they are paying too much. And who can blame them? Under the leadership of Joe Bruno and the Republicans, property taxes rose by 550% in Suffolk County between 1980 and 2009, and by 320% in Nassau County between 1985 and 2009.
Over 75% of respondents who were homeowners expressed their support for a property tax cap that would limit the rate at which property taxes can increase. Senate Democrats passed such a bill in the Senate last year and Conference Leader John Sampson has consistently argued for billions in property tax savings for New Yorkers in the current budget negotiations. Most recently, gubernatorial candidate Andrew Cuomo proposed a 2% property tax cap as a central part of his economic plan for New York.
Democrats have shown that we hear New Yorkers loud and clear, and we'll continue to fight for the property tax relief that homeowners across the state need and deserve.
Video: Darrel Aubertine on the Budget, Power for Jobs, and Property Tax Relief
By Mike Connery on 04/29/2010 @ 12:26 PM
Here's Darrel Aubertine explaining the importance of the Power for Jobs program, the state of budget negotiations, and why Democrats' call for property tax relief makes sense in the overall scheme of the state's finances. (hat tip to Oswego Democrat)
Quick Hits from the Trail: Bonacic and Griffo Gain Challengers
By Mike Connery on 04/28/2010 @ 11:01 AM
The latest news from the Democratic conference, candidates and campaigns:
- An editorial in the Auburn Citizen explains why the GOP "tax cap proposal" was nothing more than a political ruse.
- Oneida County Democrat and small business-owner Maria Pavelock will challenge incumbent Republican Joe Griffo in the 47th District.
- Republican John Bonacic may get a challenge from two county legislators.
- A new Marist poll indicates that New Yorkers are down on Wall Street.
- Finally, it looks like Thomas Duane's HIV/AIDS Housing bill is finally set to pass.
Senate Democrats Are Fighting for Seniors and Home Owners
By Mike Connery on 04/26/2010 @ 11:12 AM
As the Senate prepares to pass another round of budget extenders, this morning's news is dominated by stories describing the Senate Democrats "hard line in the sand" around property tax relief for New Yorkers - particularly our seniors.
Very few of those stories provide context as to why we believe that property tax relief is so important, and why the Senate Democrats are standing firm in this fight. Here's some hard data that should illuminate things.
According to The Tax Foundation, a non partisan group based in Washington D.C., for over 30 years tax rates in New York have been well above the national average. In all but 4 years between 1977 and 2008, New York ranked #1 in the nation as the state with the highest state and local tax burden.
Data from the Tax Foundation also shows that Westchester, Rockland, and Nassau counties have the dubious distinction of being ranked among the top ten counties in the nation with the highest property taxes , with Westchester and Nassau ranked numbers one and three, respectively.
While downstate counties and those on Long Island face the highest property tax rates in the nation, upstate and Western New Yorkers account for 8 of the top 10 counties in median real estate taxes as a percentage of median home value:
These taxes are killing middle class families and seniors who are struggling to make it through the economic downturn. Right now, Senate Democrats are the only elected officials representing the concerns of these New Yorkers in the budget negotiations.
Depsite 44 years in power, Republicans failed to rein in property taxes and provide real relief for New Yorkers. As of today, Republicans have yet to submit any ideas on how to fix the budget. Instead, they prefer sitting on the sidelines, rooting for Democrats to fail so they can make political hay in the Fall. All of this should be noted in any story reporting on the current budget negotiations. Anything less fails to provide readers with a full picture of the current budget debate.
Property Taxes and Upstate Republican Dissatisfaction
By Mike Connery on 04/19/2010 @ 04:09 PM
One more thought on the Siena Poll released this morning. As I noted earlier, the poll showed that upstate Republican voters are significantly more frustrated with their incumbent Senators than are downstate Democratic voters.
If one had to venture a reason for this, they could do worse than to look at this piece from yesterday's Democrat & Chronicle: Upstate Shoulders Lion's Share in Taxes.
Live in Westchester County and you pay the highest property taxes in the nation, with a median of $8,404 a year.
Live in upstate New York, and you also have an unenviable distinction.
Sixteen upstate counties — including Monroe, Orleans, Erie and Cortland — pay the highest property taxes compared to home values in the country, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
In all, New York's local taxes are 79 percent higher than the national average, a 2008 state report found.
Property-tax levies grew 60 percent between 1995 and 2005, more than twice the inflation rate, the state Comptroller's Office said.
Let's give that a second to really sink in. During just 10 years of Republicans' 44 year rein in the State Senate, property taxes increased by 60 percent.
Given that Republicans just unanimously rejected a Democratic budget resolution that would have provided $500 million property tax relief, I'd say upstate Republican voters have a lot to be angry about.
Calcaterra Hits LaValle on Taxes
By Mike Connery on 04/07/2010 @ 04:30 PM
Behind the paywall at Newsday, Regina Calcaterra is hitting incumbent Ken LaValle over property taxes in Suffolk County:
State Sen. Ken LaValle is again running from his record, complaining about a lack of tax relief provided by lawmakers in Albany after voting against $291 million in property tax rebates for seniors.
LaValle today sent out a mass email that accused Senate leaders of doing nothing to pass a state budget. Little more than a week ago, LaValle voted against a proposal that would have provided the much-needed relief for seniors.
"After more than 30 years of voting for late budgets filled with gimmicks, one-shots, more spending and higher taxes and fees, Sen. LaValle is a couple of decades too late with his complaints," said Regina Calcaterra, D-New Suffolk, a candidate for state Senate from the First Senatorial District.
"Sen. Lavalle's Senate record during that time includes voting more than 500 times to increase taxes, fees or borrowing," Calcaterra said. "In fact, during Sen. LaValle's tenure, property taxes in Suffolk County have increased by more than 550 percent.
"For him to accuse others of blocking tax relief would be comical, were his budget votes in Albany for more than 30 years not so detrimental to residents of Eastern Suffolk County and all of New York," Calcaterra said.
"While acknowledging budget proposals so far are not perfect, Calcaterra said these problems are the result of decades of failed legislative leadership on budget issues. She is proposing significant reforms in financial reporting by state agencies and authorities, cuts in wasteful spending and greater efforts to restore fair share to Long Island taxpayers."
Republicans have presided over 44 years of corrupt deals, deficits and dysfunction. New Yorkers face one of the highest state and local tax rates in the nation, but Long Island residents in particular have suffered a heavy burden. Republicans like LaValle won't be able to run from that record this year.
Tough Budget Choices: Sampson Spars with Skelos
By Mike Connery on 04/02/2010 @ 02:26 PM
Watch John Sampson spar with Dean Skelos over the 2010 - 2011 budget. Democrats made tough but fair choices on the budget, preventing over $1 billion in tax increases and providing $500 million in property tax relief.
