Dear Editor:
We all certainly can agree we are in tough fiscal times and being forced to make difficult choices. Still that’s no excuse to make bad decisions.
The MTA bailout plan, crafted in secret by the three New York City Democrats who control the state, implements a 34-cent tax for every $100 of payroll on businesses, not-for-profits, government agency and school district in the 12-county MTA region. It’s a devastating move that the taxpayers in Dutchess County will be forced to live with for an undetermined amount of time. This is on top of five taxes already imposed for mass transit while ridership is miniscule compared to that of the New York City boroughs.
This particular bill will damage our economic vitality, kill job growth and increase property taxes. This proposal runs counter to every effort being made to stimulate our economy, improve our business climate and create jobs. New York and the MTA are in this position because we spent more than we had and taxed more than we should. Continuing to do this will not deliver new results. I would have to agree with my colleague, Senator Steve Saland, when he stated that we in Dutchess County are “basically revenue hostages” to the MTA.
Taxpayers cannot afford to compensate the MTA for fiscal mismanagement. We all have the same goal, to improve New York’s mass transit system, make the MTA a more efficient agency and offer greater accountability and transparency. However, the legislation that passed the Assembly does irreparable harm our region. We cannot continue to tax and spend at the expense of the already overwhelmed taxpayers here in the Hudson Valley.
I would like to thank you for your support in opposing this particular issue during this process. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact my Albany office at (518) 455-5177 or my district office at (845) 758-9790.
Best Regards,
Marcus J. Molinaro
Member of Assembly
103rd District
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written by Jay Golub , May 08, 2009
"This is on top of five taxes already imposed for mass transit while ridership is miniscule compared to that of the New York City boroughs."
I agree with the sentiment expressed there. Why should the places that "use" MTA services have to be the only local payees into the public transportation system?
The state's tax coffers benefit so much from the functioning of NYC's and downstate's economy. Most of the tax revenues for the state come from downstate. Estimates are that the balance of payments deficit between downstate and the rest of the state is nearly $20 billion dollars.
So when downstate, the driver of the economy for the entire state, needs a billion or so in extra funding to keep NYC's economy working, why shouldn't the state just make ALL of NY State's residents to pay the bill?
Sure, I would prefer we cut expenditures and make the system work more efficiently so that we don't "need" any more resources to run the MTA, but if we can't or don't, the state must contribute in an equal portion to HOW IT BENEFITS from downstate largess.
This dutchess Republican has the right point, but he incorrectly blames "NYC politicians" for the unfair treatment of his constituents. In reality, this has been going on for years and years - expanded during the days of Pataki and Bruno rule. Upstate ripped off downstate and our elected Democrats just stood by and allowed it to happen.
This deal just proves that even though these so-called "NYC politicians" are now running the State, they still don't understand how to use their power to benefit downstate and places like Dutchess and will continue to pander to upstate voters rather than make the tax burden and spending ratio fair to downstate taxpayers.
The GOP needs to start to focus on this problem...
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written by Daniel Peterson , May 09, 2009
After doing a little reading at the late-Jack Kemp, I started to ask myself, "Why didn't this man run for governor in 1990 or 1994? If he won in 1990, he could've served two terms and by 1999, built up a campaign for President in 2000 with 8 years of executive experience.
I remember having dinner with my bro-in-law's parents and the father had this anti-NYC attitude when it came to government taxing and spending. He believed upstate was paying for downstate. My eyes lit up when I heard that and had to tell him that he has it backwards.
How can upstate pay downstate when there are no jobs upstate?
He felt that since property taxes and school taxes were so high upstate that it was redistributed to pay for the rest of the state. I had to let him know that his county budget and city budget alone cannot pay all it's expenses on the revenue brought in on the local level. Therefore, the state "borrows" from the city to help local municipalities cover their expenses (Doesn't borrow mean that it will eventually be returned?)
Pataki, Bruno and Silver exacerbated the current state crisis and last time I checked, 2 out of 3 had an (R) next to their names. This is why we have an Urban Elephants and many other right-leaning blogs and sites popping up throughout the state.
The party of Nixon, Eisenhower, Rockefeller, and Lindsey is the party Bruno & Pataki led under. That's the wrong Republican Party. The Party of Coolidge, Reagan, Gingrich & Kemp is the Party we must lead by.
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written by Jay Golub , May 09, 2009
"Therefore, the state "borrows" from the city to help local municipalities cover their expenses."
It's not even close to "borrowing," Danny. They are stealing from us with via income and sales taxes, and fees. We pay all the bills, they decide where all the money is spent.
That is why when we want to spend more money on the schools here in NYC, it's amazing we have to sue the State to get them to comply with our wishes - even though I don't think we need more money for our schools...
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written by Quickjustice , May 11, 2009
All these grand and vague condemnations of "mismanagement" of MTA from Republicans with nothing concrete. What else is new? We're the party bereft of any ideas except "cutting taxes". How to cut and where to cut, no one can say. How about privatizing MTA, and ending all the union contracts? At this point, we're better off starting from scratch!
The GOP has no ideas for improving management, reducing fares, or cutting costs. Even Bloomberg says automation of the system is the only solution. Until that happens, looks for these pronouncements to be treated with the derision they deserve.
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