Taxes and Spending

In order for New York State to keep residents from moving to states with lesser taxes and more economic growth, New York must reconsider its financial structure to lower its debt, provide mandate relief, reconsider regulations that strangle businesses, end the wasteful spending on programs that are doomed to fail and cut spending across the board.

 

The NY State Legislative Members must adopt the following recommendations to lower/eliminate the oppressive taxes forced on the families residing in New York State:

 

• Rejection of extending the millionaire’s tax.
• Rejection of a “congestion pricing plan.”
• Adopt a “flat tax” where every household in New York State pays the same percentage of their income thereby making it possible to eliminate nuisance taxes.
• Opposition to the levy of state and local sales taxes on out-of-state internet purchases.
• Requirement of a 2/3 majority vote for any tax increase.
• End and repeal unfunded mandates.
• We support legislation to enact permanent the 2% property tax cap legislation and include New York City.
• Continue to hold total state spending growth at/or (preferably) below the inflation rate.
• Further reduction in the personal income tax on all New Yorkers.
• Opposition to adoption of a New York State Payroll Tax.
• Further reduction in the corporate income tax on all businesses in New York, to stimulate more investment and job creation.
• Amend the school property tax and real property tax cap to allow district wide vote by residents to override the budget with a two-thirds majority vote.
• No adoption of a “circuit-breaker” property tax program.
• End the practice of increasing fees or “hidden” taxes.
• End allowing Indian Reservations sales to non-residents of tax-free cigarettes and gasoline.
• Full repeal of the MTA tax and no reinstatement of the “Commuter Tax”.
• Elimination of state income tax on dividend earnings.
• Local government entities, such as Fire Districts, Libraries, School Districts, should have voter approval of budgets, prior to contracts becoming effective.
• Local governments should be required to consolidate services and where possible, to eliminate duplication of services.
• Eliminate the New York State estate tax.
• Adoption of a constitutional amendment limiting any increase of state spending to the rate of inflation.
• Prohibit public authorities from issuing new debt except for capital improvements backed by a stable revenue stream paid directly by the project’s beneficiaries – for example: bridge tolls.
• Pension Reform. While it is understood that the New York State Constitution does not allow pension benefits to be “diminished or impaired,” the current defined-benefit pension entitlement must be changed to a defined-contribution retirement savings plan when new government employees are hired. Tier VI, did not include “defined-contribution,” which is necessary to curb the future costs to taxpayers.
• Opposition to the New York Health Act.
• While the cap on Medicaid spending was a good beginning, Medicaid must be reformed to decrease spending. Among some of the reforms Medicaid should adopt is the elimination of programs that are not covered by private insurance carriers, for example, transportation to and from doctor’s appointments.
• Every effort has to be made to eliminate Medicaid fraud and to recover the monies paid on fraudulent claims.
• Adoption of a constitutional amendment to ban “appropriation-backed” debt that does not have voter approval.
• Adoption of a constitutional amendment that lists the total debt expected from a bond act.
• Adopt a constitutional amendment to end all “back door” borrowing and to allow the voters of New York to have more than one bond issue on the ballot.
• Continue job creation through tax reduction by elimination of the Gross Receipts Tax.
• New York State needs to address the out-of-control costs of health care for employees and retirees of public employment agencies.
• Adoption of a constitutional amendment that requires the NYS Budget be strictly limited to budget items and not programs that should stand alone for a legislative vote.
• Common retirement funds must use free-market principles and not be mandated by government fiat to invest in risky “do good” ideals