Suozzi & Newsday are hoping no one knows - Tax Commision is Dead

[NY Sun]

Meyer, Suozzi, English & Kln partner, Basil Patterson pays huge dividend to the School Teachers Unions and Tom Suozzi & Newsday do not want you to know!

Plan To Cap Property Taxes Seen as Dead
By JACOB GERSHMAN, Staff Reporter of the Sun | April 29, 2008
The debate over a property tax cap in New York may be finished before it started.

Weeks before a special state commission headed by the Nassau County executive, Thomas Suozzi, is expected to recommend a plan for imposing a cap on local school property tax increases, state lawmakers are signaling that the proposal will be dead on arrival.

In a published interview, the Democratic speaker of the Assembly, Sheldon Silver, suggested that a property tax cap was not up for negotiation.

Democrats in his conference, meanwhile, are rallying around an alternative — and more costly — approach for lowering the tax burden of homeowners.

The idea, which organized labor groups are advancing, would increase the personal income tax on those earning more than $250,000 a year and then redistribute the money to lower-income individuals who face high property tax bills.

While facing a wall of opposition in the Assembly, Mr. Suozzi and other proponents of a property tax cap are faring little better in the other side of the Legislature and in the governor's office.

Senate Republicans have avoided discussing the issue — going only as far as supporting the idea of giving school districts the option of capping property tax increases, rather than mandating a cling.

Governor Paterson has sharply criticized a multibillion-dollar program that Albany has relied on for dealing with rising property taxes but has stopped short of endorsing a cap.

Mr. Silver, in an interview published by the newsletter of the New York State School Boards Association, took his strongest stance yet against a cap, saying he didn't believe it could be imposed without leading to damaging school budget cuts.

"The caps are not going to work," he reportedly said.

Assembly Democrats appear to be embracing another plan, one put forward by the Working Families Party, a labor-backed third party whose intensive ground operation and ability to deliver votes has made it a potent force in Albany.

The party is supporting what it describes as tax relief in the form of a "circuit breaker," which would give grants to homeowners when thr taxes consume a certain percentage of thr income. It would be graduated, setting a lower percentage for lower earners.

The cost of the program would be paid for through a marginal income tax increase on residents earning more than $250,000.

The tax increases would increase along with the income bng earned, with new rates ranging from .5 to 4 percentage points more than the current 6.85% rate.

"This thing is real because it's the right thing to do. This is power politics attached to a set of progressive principles," a Democratic assemblyman of Westchester, Richard Brodsky, said.

A spokesman for Senate Republicans, which opposed an earlier Assembly proposal to raise taxes on millionaires, said the conference would not support any rate hike and said the Working Families Party plan would just lead to increased spending.

"It's a wolf in sheep's clothing," the spokesman, John McArdle, said.

While more than a dozen states have some sort of cap on the annual growth of property tax collections, putting a limit on property taxes — also known in New York by the friendlier-sounding name of school taxes — has never gained much traction in Albany.

It recved a boost in January when the then-governor, Eliot Spitzer, promoted it in his State of the State speech and then tapped Mr. Suozzi to run a commission that would draft a policy proposal.

Mr. Suozzi, a popular leader in his county, has convened ght public hearings around the state on the issue and is expected to issue recommendations next month.

The resignation of Mr. Spitzer, however, was a major setback to his commission, which many lawmakers now dismiss as a vestige of a past administration.

At the same time, powerful public-sector unions, particularly New York State United Teachers, have come out with increasing force against the cap, giving pause to lawmakers who might be sympathetic to the policy.

"You have the overriding issue of the teachers union coming in there, which is obviously a major concern to our conference," a Republican senator, George Winner, said.

Mr. Suozzi, in an interview, said the problem of rising school taxes cannot be contained without Albany legislating a restriction on school tax growth. "We're not moving away from a cap," he said.

Outside of New York City, which raises revenue primarily by taxing income rather than property, property taxes have long been a burning issue.

To quell voter anger, Albany spends more than $5 billion each year on a program first started by Governor Pataki that is supposed to lower school taxes by providing districts with subsidies and homeowners with rebate checks.

Homeowners have seen thr bills climb despite the aid because school districts have increased thr tax levies by an average of 7% each year.

Advocates of a cap argue that homeowners won't see thr taxes decline without imposing restrictions on school spending. A cap, they say, would also force state and local governments to deal with escalating union contract and pension mandate costs that have contributed to the higher taxes.

Opponents, including Assembly Democrats and the state teachers union, say school budgets and tax increases should be decided by school district elections, which are heavily influenced by organized labor participation.

[Know before you go]

Meyer, Suozzi, English & Kln partner, Basil Patterson pays huge dividend to the School Teachers Unions and Tom Suozzi & Newsday do not want you to know!

Plan To Cap Property Taxes Seen as Dead
By JACOB GERSHMAN, Staff Reporter of the Sun | April 29, 2008
The debate over a property tax cap in New York may be finished before it started.

Weeks before a special state commission headed by the Nassau County executive, Thomas Suozzi, is expected to recommend a plan for imposing a cap on local school property tax increases, state lawmakers are signaling that the proposal will be dead on arrival.

In a published interview, the Democratic speaker of the Assembly, Sheldon Silver, suggested that a property tax cap was not up for negotiation.

Democrats in his conference, meanwhile, are rallying around an alternative — and more costly — approach for lowering the tax burden of homeowners.

The idea, which organized labor groups are advancing, would increase the personal income tax on those earning more than $250,000 a year and then redistribute the money to lower-income individuals who face high property tax bills.

While facing a wall of opposition in the Assembly, Mr. Suozzi and other proponents of a property tax cap are faring little better in the other side of the Legislature and in the governor's office.

Senate Republicans have avoided discussing the issue — going only as far as supporting the idea of giving school districts the option of capping property tax increases, rather than mandating a cling.

Governor Paterson has sharply criticized a multibillion-dollar program that Albany has relied on for dealing with rising property taxes but has stopped short of endorsing a cap.

Mr. Silver, in an interview published by the newsletter of the New York State School Boards Association, took his strongest stance yet against a cap, saying he didn't believe it could be imposed without leading to damaging school budget cuts.

"The caps are not going to work," he reportedly said.

Assembly Democrats appear to be embracing another plan, one put forward by the Working Families Party, a labor-backed third party whose intensive ground operation and ability to deliver votes has made it a potent force in Albany.

The party is supporting what it describes as tax relief in the form of a "circuit breaker," which would give grants to homeowners when thr taxes consume a certain percentage of thr income. It would be graduated, setting a lower percentage for lower earners.

The cost of the program would be paid for through a marginal income tax increase on residents earning more than $250,000.

The tax increases would increase along with the income bng earned, with new rates ranging from .5 to 4 percentage points more than the current 6.85% rate.

"This thing is real because it's the right thing to do. This is power politics attached to a set of progressive principles," a Democratic assemblyman of Westchester, Richard Brodsky, said.

A spokesman for Senate Republicans, which opposed an earlier Assembly proposal to raise taxes on millionaires, said the conference would not support any rate hike and said the Working Families Party plan would just lead to increased spending.

"It's a wolf in sheep's clothing," the spokesman, John McArdle, said.

While more than a dozen states have some sort of cap on the annual growth of property tax collections, putting a limit on property taxes — also known in New York by the friendlier-sounding name of school taxes — has never gained much traction in Albany.

It recved a boost in January when the then-governor, Eliot Spitzer, promoted it in his State of the State speech and then tapped Mr. Suozzi to run a commission that would draft a policy proposal.

Mr. Suozzi, a popular leader in his county, has convened ght public hearings around the state on the issue and is expected to issue recommendations next month.

The resignation of Mr. Spitzer, however, was a major setback to his commission, which many lawmakers now dismiss as a vestige of a past administration.

At the same time, powerful public-sector unions, particularly New York State United Teachers, have come out with increasing force against the cap, giving pause to lawmakers who might be sympathetic to the policy.

"You have the overriding issue of the teachers union coming in there, which is obviously a major concern to our conference," a Republican senator, George Winner, said.

Mr. Suozzi, in an interview, said the problem of rising school taxes cannot be contained without Albany legislating a restriction on school tax growth. "We're not moving away from a cap," he said.

Outside of New York City, which raises revenue primarily by taxing income rather than property, property taxes have long been a burning issue.

To quell voter anger, Albany spends more than $5 billion each year on a program first started by Governor Pataki that is supposed to lower school taxes by providing districts with subsidies and homeowners with rebate checks.

Homeowners have seen thr bills climb despite the aid because school districts have increased thr tax levies by an average of 7% each year.

Advocates of a cap argue that homeowners won't see thr taxes decline without imposing restrictions on school spending. A cap, they say, would also force state and local governments to deal with escalating union contract and pension mandate costs that have contributed to the higher taxes.

Opponents, including Assembly Democrats and the state teachers union, say school budgets and tax increases should be decided by school district elections, which are heavily influenced by organized labor participation.

Funny how I didn't see this reported on News 12 ther.

Doesn't Newsday and News 12 still have a News sharing agreement?

Together, Newsday & Cablevision wield more power. I guess you could really say about the DEAD Property TAX Commission " it's a story you will not see anywhere else" Not in Long Island where Public Relations trump actual News.

[Mineola Observer]

[QUOTE=Know before you go;200997]Funny how I didn't see this reported on News 12 ther.

Doesn't Newsday and News 12 still have a News sharing agreement?

Together, Newsday & Cablevision wield more power. I guess you could really say about the DEAD Property TAX Commission " it's a story you will not see anywhere else" Not in Long Island where Public Relations trump actual News.[/QUOTE)

Suozzi bitched slapped by Speaker Silver!

You sound so surprised that Newsday and News 12 didn't cover this?
While respected sources of political news such as the New York Sun can publish accurate news reports that Suozzi's Tax Commission is dead for all intense purposes, Newsday's Murphy and Cassese write syrupy story alleging that Presiding Officer Yatauro is looking to stand up to Suozzi on an important social issue. What Crap!

Roger Bogstead should hear it from every Conservative in Nassau County. Suozzi is a complete fraud. Suozzi promised funding to support women who would accept counseling not to have an abortion. Now, through this bullshit political construct Suozzi can blame Yatauro for holding up the funding of this project.

The other ass in this farce is Bishop William Murphy and the many other Democrat Catholics who think Suozzi is the best thing since sliced bread. What crap - Suozzi promises something to both Abortion supporters and Pro-Life supporters while only actually delivering to the Abortion supporters.

Yeah and Newsday wants to make a story out of Rudy Guiliani and his support for Abortion. As you examine Suozzi's actions, doesn't County Executive Suozzi qualify for the same review as Guiliani?

[Mineola Observer]

Newsday.com
Nassau lawmaker, Suozzi in funding stalemate
BY WILLIAM MURPHY

william.murphy@newsday.com

April 30, 2008

The presiding officer of the Nassau County Legislature is holding up funding for a pet project of County Executive Thomas Suozzi until Suozzi explains why he is not spending $950,000 the legislature allocated for youth services and other programs.

Legis. Diane Yatauro (D-Glen Cove), who was handpicked by Suozzi to run for the legislature in 2003, said yesterday she will not consider funds for seven social service agencies to counsel women against unwanted pregnancies and against having abortions.

"Until the youth board money is solid, we will not be addressing these items," Yatauro said.

Legis. Peter Schmitt of Massapequa, leader of the nine-member Republican minority, noted that the money involved was about the same for both the Suozzi programs and the legislators' programs. However, Yatauro denied she was pitting agencies against each other to force Suozzi's hand.

A spokeswoman for Suozzi said the county was working on the problem.

"We understand the legislators' frustration. We fully intend to spend the funding on youth services," said Deputy County Executive Mary Curtis. "We are waiting for final approval from the state for the matching funds that will get us to the budgeted amount."

Suozzi announced his program, called "Common Sense for the Common Good," in 2005 as he was getting ready to run for governor, and first funded it with a total of $909,000 in state and county funds in last year's budget. He proposed $807,000 this year.

Yatauro has been struggling to hold together her one-vote advantage in the 19-member legislature, and members of both parties are angry that Suozzi has simply ignored the wishes of the legislators on the youth and social service programs.

The most persistent advocate for the youth programs has been Pat Boyle, who operates Gateway Youth Outreach, which provides services to about 1,600 youngsters in the Elmont area.

"We don't want to put ourselves against any other programs out there," Boyle said. "Our programs stand on thr merits. We don't need to say, 'Don't fund them.' What we are saying is to fund us."

The legislators traditionally make only minor changes in the budget proposed by the county executive, and the legislature added about $2 million in spending to Suozzi's $2.5-billon budget for this year.

The money that has not been spent includes $400,000 to be spread among 41 youth agencies for local programs, $300,000 for countywide youth programs, and $250,000 for drug, alcohol and mental health services.

Copyright © 2008, Newsday Inc.

[Dan Knee McCloy]

I will donate 1/2 my sad $133k salary to help the prego's of NAssau and Texas. Amen.

[Unregistered98]

Meyer, Suozzi, English & Kln partner, Basil Patterson pays huge dividend to the School Teachers Unions and Tom Suozzi & Newsday do not want you to know!

Plan To Cap Property Taxes Seen as Dead
By JACOB GERSHMAN, Staff Reporter of the Sun | April 29, 2008
The debate over a property tax cap in New York may be finished before it started.

Weeks before a special state commission headed by the Nassau County executive, Thomas Suozzi, is expected to recommend a plan for imposing a cap on local school property tax increases, state lawmakers are signaling that the proposal will be dead on arrival.

In a published interview, the Democratic speaker of the Assembly, Sheldon Silver, suggested that a property tax cap was not up for negotiation.

Democrats in his conference, meanwhile, are rallying around an alternative — and more costly — approach for lowering the tax burden of homeowners.

The idea, which organized labor groups are advancing, would increase the personal income tax on those earning more than $250,000 a year and then redistribute the money to lower-income individuals who face high property tax bills.

While facing a wall of opposition in the Assembly, Mr. Suozzi and other proponents of a property tax cap are faring little better in the other side of the Legislature and in the governor's office.

Senate Republicans have avoided discussing the issue — going only as far as supporting the idea of giving school districts the option of capping property tax increases, rather than mandating a cling.

Governor Paterson has sharply criticized a multibillion-dollar program that Albany has relied on for dealing with rising property taxes but has stopped short of endorsing a cap.

Mr. Silver, in an interview published by the newsletter of the New York State School Boards Association, took his strongest stance yet against a cap, saying he didn't believe it could be imposed without leading to damaging school budget cuts.

"The caps are not going to work," he reportedly said.

Assembly Democrats appear to be embracing another plan, one put forward by the Working Families Party, a labor-backed third party whose intensive ground operation and ability to deliver votes has made it a potent force in Albany.

The party is supporting what it describes as tax relief in the form of a "circuit breaker," which would give grants to homeowners when thr taxes consume a certain percentage of thr income. It would be graduated, setting a lower percentage for lower earners.

The cost of the program would be paid for through a marginal income tax increase on residents earning more than $250,000.

The tax increases would increase along with the income bng earned, with new rates ranging from .5 to 4 percentage points more than the current 6.85% rate.

"This thing is real because it's the right thing to do. This is power politics attached to a set of progressive principles," a Democratic assemblyman of Westchester, Richard Brodsky, said.

A spokesman for Senate Republicans, which opposed an earlier Assembly proposal to raise taxes on millionaires, said the conference would not support any rate hike and said the Working Families Party plan would just lead to increased spending.

"It's a wolf in sheep's clothing," the spokesman, John McArdle, said.

While more than a dozen states have some sort of cap on the annual growth of property tax collections, putting a limit on property taxes — also known in New York by the friendlier-sounding name of school taxes — has never gained much traction in Albany.

It recved a boost in January when the then-governor, Eliot Spitzer, promoted it in his State of the State speech and then tapped Mr. Suozzi to run a commission that would draft a policy proposal.

Mr. Suozzi, a popular leader in his county, has convened ght public hearings around the state on the issue and is expected to issue recommendations next month.

The resignation of Mr. Spitzer, however, was a major setback to his commission, which many lawmakers now dismiss as a vestige of a past administration.

At the same time, powerful public-sector unions, particularly New York State United Teachers, have come out with increasing force against the cap, giving pause to lawmakers who might be sympathetic to the policy.

"You have the overriding issue of the teachers union coming in there, which is obviously a major concern to our conference," a Republican senator, George Winner, said.

Mr. Suozzi, in an interview, said the problem of rising school taxes cannot be contained without Albany legislating a restriction on school tax growth. "We're not moving away from a cap," he said.

Outside of New York City, which raises revenue primarily by taxing income rather than property, property taxes have long been a burning issue.

To quell voter anger, Albany spends more than $5 billion each year on a program first started by Governor Pataki that is supposed to lower school taxes by providing districts with subsidies and homeowners with rebate checks.

Homeowners have seen thr bills climb despite the aid because school districts have increased thr tax levies by an average of 7% each year.

Advocates of a cap argue that homeowners won't see thr taxes decline without imposing restrictions on school spending. A cap, they say, would also force state and local governments to deal with escalating union contract and pension mandate costs that have contributed to the higher taxes.

Opponents, including Assembly Democrats and the state teachers union, say school budgets and tax increases should be decided by school district elections, which are heavily influenced by organized labor participation.

SUOZZI -- WHAT A CROCK
TODAY'S NEWSDAY

Suozzi's revised budget to local legislators.
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/ny-ponass0506,0,4767859.story

"It would cost homeowners $225 to file a property tax challenge on a printed form instead of electronically, or if they have an attorney or other representative file it on thr behalf"

Doesn't look like he's worried about the homeowners taxes now does it! He wants to charge them $225 if they grieve thr taxes.