Some thoughts on property tax reform In New York and taxes in general; one person’s opinion.
We in Putnam and elsewhere around New York are receiving our county and town taxes at this time and it is another bi-annual reminder to me how our taxes (and “fees”) target those least able to afford them while those most able are not asked or required to contribute a fair share by our representatives in power.
Some in the Property Tax Reform movement leadership have, for yet another year, shown themselves to be irrelevant, weak, ineffectual and gullible; quislings for the Albany status quo. They have betrayed all the NY taxpayers who will lose their homes this year, suffer hardship or be forced to sell out in a down market no less than the makers and sustainers of the inequity, our Albany servants of the rich. Some of the PTR leadership advocate caps and the Galef-Little circuit-breaker, and failed to push for…..or even mention most times…….the real reform of a switch to a state-wide income based system, like the Cahill/LaValle bills.
They asked us to thank and support the purveyors of phony reform, like Tom Suozzi and his stacked commission (it would be a travesty for him to even be considered for senator, as some have mentioned, after his dismal failure!), and Sandy Galef, who touts her own proposals, manipulates deceptive polls, airs video in support of Suozzi that do not show the publics vocal criticism; she has done little of substance to really help the suffering. We all can see what our PTR leaders got for their timidity and capitulation…..nothing, zip, bubkus, nada, zilch, niente. The leadership still goes crawling, hat in hand, to Albany asking; “thank you sir, may I have another”? The Albany legislature worked them with empty promises of change and delivered nothing as they have done for years….the Albany “two-step”…..and the PTR leadership bent over for them…..yet again. Candidates who advocated tax reform forgot their promises once they were elected, were bought off or sweet-talked; or they were so consumed by ego and a desire to push their own proposals that they supported nothing else. Governor Paterson so far has been one disappointment after another; so much for visionary leadership. I still have high regard for the man and hope he will soon wake up and realize that he represents ALL New Yorkers and not just the rich and powerful. He should take decisive action for 95% of New Yorkers and push for real reform and a return to tax fairness and increases on the rich who have evaded their responsibilities to our society for far too long. Gov Paterson should re-institute an updated progressive income tax as was in force prior to 1972. The budget the Governor rolled out does nothing to bring tax fairness to our state or ask those most able to pay their fair share. His cuts will increase our local property taxes even more. The perception of fairness is an important part in asking the rest of us to bear an increased monetary burden, and loss of services.
It is infuriating to me that many more homeowners will be victimized by the timidity and myopic actions of those who supposedly are working for change. We heard that “it is really difficult” and “Cahill cannot be passed anytime soon” and “one step at a time”….all crap! If we don’t work for and DEMAND real comprehensive change and a switch to a state-wide income-based system and forget the empty promises of Albany and their stooges we are fools and deserve to fail. It astonished me that even while advocating for the half-a-loaf approach that many take, that they don’t demand at the same time a Cahill model as the final goal; but only pushed for the Suozzi charade, and the unacceptably complicated and shallow Galef-Little CB.
Until we as a movement end our fragmented stance and coalesce into a forceful demand for an income-based system we are doomed to failure, more business as usual from Albany, and more hardship for NY homeowners. We must work for “Home Security” for all New Yorkers. A system that forces people out of their homes due to inability to pay sky-high property taxes is not acceptable any longer and must be changed. This concept will benefit all New Yorkers; those who may have lost jobs, or will, who suffer a catastrophic illness in the family, who choose a different life-style, low income career or pursuit, inherit a family property “above their means”, or any other cause. Will we assure home security for all, continue to cater only to the rich at the expense of the rest of us or support the reform of income-based school funding and the elimination of the school portion of property taxes?
The current economic downturn, ie recession/depression as well as the reduced revenues of Albany and NYC, will further hurt many homeowners, especially those on the lower and middle income levels. This is being used by Albany as the current excuse de jour for doing nothing except locking in already bloated out of control and unfair property taxes via the Caps proposal. Instead of allowing the status-quo to use this economic collapse and tax shortfall as a further excuse to do nothing, we must pressure them to see that change to an income based state-wide system is the only equitable way forward especially because of this “downturn”.
We hear that “we can’t increase taxes on the rich because they will move to another state”; that is a canard and supposition that fails to impress. Many New Yorkers are ALREADY leaving the state…being forced from their homes due to the inability of paying more than their fair share of school funding. Admittedly school spending is also out of control, fragmented, inefficient and top-heavy, and needs comprehensive reform. When so many are losing their jobs and people of modest means are required to pay essentially the SAME taxes, both property (for similar properties) and income (as a percentage of income) as the super-rich, it is an obscenity that we do not reform the entire system NOW! While the rich….those MOST able to pay, continue to evade their arguable responsibilities to our society, the middle-class and poor are burdened by a disproportionate levy in school and local/county taxes that have also become an unacceptable burden. For every dollar the rich and corporations evade, either in property taxes or state income tax, it is made up by a higher tax (or new and increased fees) on the rest of us, and Albany dutifully represents the greed of the rich at the expense of 95% of New Yorkers. I wonder how much of the $60 billion stolen by the swindler Madoff went to support our schools. Albany should be focused on restoring the progressive tax structure (updated) in force prior to 1972, and less on what the rich MIGHT do if finally forced to pay their fair share again; let them move if that’s what they see as right! When many people are already being forced from their homes due to the outrageous and regressive property taxes, I have little sympathy for those well off who threaten to move out, or those who deceitfully do their bidding in Albany. The truth is, I believe, that few will chose to move rather than pay a little more.
NYC and their entrenched representatives are also a big part of the problem and care little or nothing about upstate. It is about time we in upstate refuse NYC, and their agents in Albany, anything they want until we get some goddamn respect and leadership representation! The NY Yankees just got a plum deal from the city, with funding guarantees and the gift of land for their new stadium, but they will pay NO property taxes and NO rent on the land while making huge profits and signing numerous multi-million dollar players; try that if you are just folks!. Mayor Bloomberg just announced that he will raise city property taxes 7%, and we in upstate can expect an increase also due to slashed education funding from Albany, all while the Wall St thieves walked away with billions. The obscenity of the very wealthy being either bailed out for their incompetence, failure or greed (with no strings or accountability), or getting sweet deals to “keep them here” is not acceptable and I believe increases the tax burden on all the rest of us! If “we” are being asked to make sacrifices in this downturn, the appearance (and reality) of fairness is essential, and that means that the rich and powerful must pay back to our society in balance with their wealth.
http://www.sports-venue.info/Construction/New_Yankees_Stadium.html
We must stand firm for real comprehensive reform and stop being so damn weak and silent! Since when has trying to curry favor with the powers that rule ever worked? Those who do just use up our valuable time and energies and allow the current system to make victims out of more thousands of our neighbors! Are candidates, those elected, and many in the PTR leadership real advocates for change or merely ineffectual quislings for the status quo?
Mad? You bet I am, and I fail to see why some who waste our time and energies to drag out real reform for yet another year should have anymore air time or respect. Are their efforts for ego and self-aggrandizement only?…….do they really believe in change or just the spotlight? Do they want to truly reform our primitive, regressive and unequal/unfair tax system to fund public schools and local government and find a way to actually succeed and help the most vulnerable among, us or will they continue being de facto agents of the greedy-rich and powerful?
I, like Howard Beale, want everyone who believes in true comprehensive reform to stand up and shout “I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore”! We all need to lobby for real comprehensive reform, especially in this time of hardship. We need to make our voices heard and call, write, fax and email our representatives both local and in Albany. Please forward this appeal for action to your networks if you feel it is worthwhile.
I am truly saddened and infuriated at the same time at the prospect of yet another year going bye while the rich continue to avoid paying their fair share back to our society that makes their success possible while our home-owners suffer oppressive property taxes and the PTR leadership chalks up yet another year of failure built on timidity.
Victor Tiship
Kent Cliffs
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