Assembly's 'circuit breaker' is a better solution

By Ellen Kennedy and Sam Williams
Updated: 08/21/08 6:36 AM

Monday's article regarding the school funding cap quoted Thomas Suozzi, Nassau County executive, as saying, "It's ironic that people that are purported to represent working families here in New York State are trying to derail one of the most important efforts in our state right now to help working families."

It is precisely because we care about working families that Citizen Action of New York and the Working Families Party oppose the "tax cap."

The school-funding cap proposed by Gov. David A. Paterson would not decrease anyone's property taxes. It would only limit future increases to 4 percent, meaning homeowners already suffering an unaffordable tax burden would see no relief.

There is a better way. The Working Families Party and Citizen Action have proposed legislation that would provide a real property tax cut for middle class homeowners. Called the "circuit breaker," it would limit each family's property tax bill, based on its income and the size of its tax burden, delivering a targeted tax relief for those who need it most.

But property tax relief cannot come at the price of providing a quality education for our children. That means, given the looming budget gap in Albany, the responsible way to pay for circuit breaker tax relief is to modestly repeal tax giveaways for the wealthiest New Yorkers.

In New York today, the top income tax rate begins at just $42,000 a year, meaning millionaires pay taxes at the same rate as nurses or police officers. Over the last 25 years, the wealthiest 1 percent of New Yorkers have seen their tax rate cut in half, while families earning $50,000 per year now pay $1,000 more than they would have under the old tax rates.

It is past time to rectify this injustice. With a partial repeal of tax cuts on the richest New Yorkers, we can give working families real property tax relief, without threatening education.

On Tuesday, the Assembly passed a groundbreaking bill to do just that. The measure asks those annually earning more than $1 million, and those earning more than $5 million, to pay a little more. In exchange, homeowners whose property taxes rise above a fixed percentage of their family income would see a tax rebate from the state. It is a good start, and a road map for how to do property tax relief right.

The property tax crisis in New York is a complex problem. It begs a solution that gives relief where it is most needed, without undermining the gains we have made in public education. The school funding cap as proposed by Paterson and the Senate unfortunately does neither.

That is why the Working Families Party and Citizen Action worked to stop the tax cap scheme, and why we will keep fighting for real property tax relief for the middle class.

Ellen Kennedy is board president of Citizen Action of NY Buffalo. Sam Williams is co-chair of the Working Families Party in Lockport.

Your emails and phone calls to state legislators worked - Citizen Action's efforts, combined with our allies at the Alliance for Quality Education, Working Families Party, New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness and others, stopped the property tax cap for now, and helped win passage of circuit breaker property tax reductions in the Assembly.

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Tomorrow the State Senate will convene for a special session. One of the top issues on the agenda is a property tax cap. We can't let a political gimmick like a tax cap threaten the education of our children. Click here now to send a message to your State Senator: http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/1648/t/2524/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=2265

This Friday, the State Senate is returning to Albany to address Governor Paterson's property tax cap proposal, which, if passed, will seriously jeopardize education funding for our kids. We must let the Governor and our State Senators know that a property tax cap will not solve our State's problems - it will hurt education and won't lower taxes. Click here to send a message to the Governor and your State Senator to vote "no" on a property tax cap.

A property tax cap will:

• Limit school budgets
• Take away control from schools to make changes to their budgets for unexpected increases in costs (such as enrollment changes, increased fuel costs, collective bargaining agreements and other normal expenses needed provide a quality education for our kids)
• Take the school budget process out of the hands of voters
• Increase class size, eliminate after-school programs, and reduce essential school services

Instead, we need a property tax relief plan that will ensure our kids' schools get the funding they need, such as a "circuit breaker" system, where property taxes are limited based on a family's ability to pay, and the state makes up the difference to the schools. We must let our State Senators know that a property tax cap will threaten our kids' education.

Click here to send a message to the Governor and your State Senator now!

Our Southern Tier Chapter held a protest this week that connected the high price of gas to the endless, disastrous War in Iraq. Check out the news coverage:

News Channel 34 - Protest Against Gas Prices

WBNG 12 - Citizen Action Gas Protest

Fox 40 News - Protesters Blame War for Pain at the Pump

This is priceless. The "Campaign for an American Solution" - the insurance industry's joke of a grassroots campaign - listed an 800 number for people to call to talk about their health care stories as part of a "listening tour." But, when you call the number, the line goes straight to voicemail. Way to listen. Watch the video here.

This past Tuesday, July 22nd, our Syracuse Chapter held an action outside of a Mobil gas station in Syracuse. The demonstration connected the high price of gas with the endless, disastrous War in Iraq. Click here to see New 10 Now's coverage of the event.