Conservatives Call on Albany's Elected Officials to Reduce All Taxes Especially Property Taxes

FORT HAMILTON STATION, NY (01/28/2008)(readMedia)-- At the New York State Conservative Party’s 41st annual Political Action Conference, State Chairman Michael R. Long called for Albany's elected officials to reduce all taxes, especially property taxes, to cut spending and reject a traffic congestion tax.

Mr. Long’s comments follow:

“We began last year with an anticipated hope that New Yorker’s would no longer be known as the Empire State of Taxes. This year's grandiose ideas for our budget is a direct assault on taxpayers, those who voted to change the way New York does business. If these proposals are adopted as is, the only change New Yorkers will have is a new address in a less taxed state and the evidence of that occurring is already taking place. A looming downturn in the Stock Market will only exacerbate the problem. Now more than ever it is time to turn off the spigot of money, unnecessary spending must stop before no one left to pay.

The legislature must listen to the voters and adopt a budget within the means of those who pay it and after years of unnecessary spending there is precious little left to spend with inflation creeping up and gasoline prices soaring. We call on the Governor and Members to foster the growth of private business by adopting the following:

• holding state spending growth at the inflation rate or preferably below the rate of inflation;
• reduce the corporate income tax on all businesses;
• reduce all real property taxes;
• end unfunded mandates;
• reduce the cost of Medicaid;
• cap the growth of all future state spending
• reject a traffic congestion tax plan.

The time has come for government to understand that the economy will expand and grow when government lets its people spend their own money on the things that they need or want. Government must find ways to cut spending to reduce the need for increased taxes; it is the only way New York will prosper.

We are here to tell legislators that, Spending is the Problem. Last year New Yorkers elected a Governor believing his campaign promise that he would not increase taxes, yet his budget again does precious little to limit spending. Spending continues at an unsustainable rate and there is no end in sight. It is time our elected officials deal with the real problems of today. Instead of spending money that is not theirs to spend, they should be protecting our citizens from violent predators, creating a new tier for public employees, adopt initiative, referendum and recall, protect unborn victims of violence instead of looking at ways to liberalize abortion in New York and reaffirm that marriage is reserved for one man and one woman as well as enacting term limits for all elected officials.

In concluding, Mr. Long stated: “The Conservative Party is still "fighting the good fight" and will continue to do so until we change politics as usual in New York. Our legislative program offers a clear, concise, common sense, approach to government and outlines what must be done to bring New York back to its Empire State status and not the Empire State of taxes."

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