Diverse Groups Urge State Leaders to Put Brakes on New Tax Cap Plan

Tax Caps Will Not Provide Any Relief, Will Take Away Local Control and Hurt Local Services - Property Tax groups Plan to "Elevate" the Issue – Will Ride Capital Elevators to Deliver Message

ALBANY, NY (05/31/2011)(readMedia)-- After the many announcements last week, it would appear that a three way deal has been reached on tax cap legislation. The Governor has been spearheading the effort to get a deal with legislative leaders and it would appear he has been successful. Many organizations across the state have objected or raised concerns about a tax cap for numerous reasons. We are not the "forces of darkness" the Governor would have the public believe. Good government groups, property tax reform groups, labor unions, PTA's, County Officials, Assembly Members and others have voiced their concerns around the tax cap and its potential devestating impacts. We stand together to do so again!

WHO:

Assemblymembers Englebright, Jaffee, Latimer, Schimel

Martha Robertson, Chair, Tompkins County Legislature

Susan Zimet, Ulster County Legislator and Director, Zimet Group

Bill Samuels, New Roosevelt Initiative

Billy Easton, Alliance for Quality Education

Lou Gordon, Business and Labor Coalition of NY (BALCONY)

Gioia Shebar, TaxNightmare.org

John Whitely NYS Property Tax Reform Coalition

Ron Deutsch, New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness

Frank Mauro, Fiscal Policy Institute
WHAT:

A diverse array of organizations from across NYS will ask our elected officials to rethink the 2% hard property tax cap as the answer to our state’s property tax woes. The tax cap will not help the hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers that are already paying double digit percentages of their income in property taxes. Tax Caps will also limit local control and severely hamper the delivery of services at the local level. Many of the groups are also urging state leaders to broaden the discussion to include tax relief measures that would link property taxes to individual income in the form of a circuit breaker.
WHEN: Wednesday June 01, 2011 at 11:00AM Eastern Time (US & Canada)
WHERE: LCA Room
Legislative Office Building
Albany, New York
NOTES:

Groups Opposed to Property Tax Cap

and/or Pro-Circuit Breaker

New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness

http://www.omnibustaxsolution.org/press%20release%205-10.pdf

New Roosevelt Initiative – Bill Samuels

http://www.balconynewyork.com/2011/05/16/there-is-a-better-way-new-yorkers-need-real-property-tax-relief-now-why-the-cuomo-tax-cap-won%e2%80%99t-help-and-what-will/

NAACP

http://www.scribd.com/doc/55368143/hpPDFMay-12-2011

NYS PTA

http://www.nyspta.org/pdfs/advocacy/VLD%20Packet%202011%20FINAL.pdf

League of Women Voters of NYS

http://www.lwvny.org/advocacy/education/press-TaxRelief_051011.pdf

Citizen Action of New York

http://www.omnibustaxsolution.org/press%20release%205-10.pdf

AFSCME

http://www.omnibustaxsolution.org/press%20release%205-10.pdf

Tax Reform Effort of Northern Dutchess

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/24/nyregion/24taxes.html

New York State Property Tax Reform Coalition

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/24/nyregion/24taxes.html

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2011/05/ny-property-tax-cap-everybodys-talking

Far West Council of School Superintendents

http://www.observertoday.com/page/content.detail/id/551996/School-superintendents-oppose-property-tax-cap.html?nav=5047

The New York State School Boards Association

http://www.lohud.com/article/99999999/WATCHDOG/399990049/Can-cap-fix-New-York-s-high-property-taxes-

NYSUT

http://www.nysut.org/cps/rde/xchg/nysut/hs.xsl/mediareleases_16629.htm

http://www.nysut.org/legislation_16106.htm

http://nycapitolnews.com/2011/05/teachers-lead-opposition-to-tax-cap-deal/

Alliance for Quality Education

http://www.aqeny.org/2011/05/release-aqe-reacts-to-assembly-property-tax-legislation/

http://www.aqeny.org/2011/01/aqe-calls-todays-property-tax-cap-bill-the-most-damaging-ever-proposed/

BALCONY (Business and Labor Coalition of NY)

http://www.balconynewyork.com/2011/05/16/statement-by-lou-gordon-director-balcony-business-and-labor-coalition-of-new-york-may-10-2011/

New York State Board's Association

http://www.observertoday.com/page/content.detail/id/551996/School-superintendents-oppose-property-tax-cap.html?nav=5047

Omnibus Consortium

http://www.saratogian.com/articles/2011/05/10/news/doc4dc97724f0f02516428051.txt

NYS Union of Police Associations

http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/68290/police-association-overtaxed-is-a-subjective-term/

AFL-CIO

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2011/05/ny-property-tax-cap-everybodys-talking

Statewide Senior Action of NYS

http://www.omnibustaxsolution.org/press%20release%205-10.pdf

Tax Nightmare.org

http://www.saratogian.com/articles/2011/05/10/news/doc4dc97724f0f02516428051.txt

New York Conference of Mayors

http://mayorgraham.blogspot.com/2011/04/property-tax-cap-gets-realtor.html

Coalition for Scarsdale Schools

http://www.scarsdale10583.com/201105241675/schools/coalition-for-scarsdale-schools-lobbies-against-tax-cap.html

Town of Coeymans

http://www.thedailymail.net/articles/2011/01/27/ravena_news/news/doc4d39e3ba6fa27774656459.txt

Association of Counties

http://buffalo.ynn.com/content/politics/542400/property-tax-cap-talks/

http://nycapitolnews.com/2011/05/teachers-lead-opposition-to-tax-cap-deal/

Fiscal Policy Institute

http://www.lohud.com/article/99999999/WATCHDOG/399990049/Can-cap-fix-New-York-s-high-property-taxes-

Individuals/Legislators Opposed to Property Tax Cap

Rob Astorino, Westchester County Executive

http://www.lohud.com/article/20110505/NEWS01/105050398/County-execs-Tax-cap-impossible-meet-without-mandate-relief

Rockland County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef

http://www.lohud.com/article/20110505/NEWS01/105050398/County-execs-Tax-cap-impossible-meet-without-mandate-relief

Putnam County Executive Paul Eldridgehttp://www.lohud.com/article/20110505/NEWS01/105050398/County-execs-Tax-cap-impossible-meet-without-mandate-relief

Harriet Cornell, Legislative Chairwomen Rockland County

http://ramapotimes.com/articles/statement-by-harriet-cornell-chairwoman-rockland-county-legislature-on-proposed-tax-cap-.html

Dutchess County Executive William Steinhaus

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20110527/BUSINESS/105270347/Cutting-state-costs-will-attract-business-Empire-State-Development-Corp-leader-says-Poughkeepsie?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|PoughkeepsieJournal.com

Mount Vernon Superintendent of Schools W.L. "Tony" Sawyer

http://www.lohud.com/article/99999999/WATCHDOG/399990049/Can-cap-fix-New-York-s-high-property-taxes-

Susan Zimet, an Ulster County legislator and a former New Paltz Town Supervisor

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/24/nyregion/24taxes.html

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2011/05/ny-property-tax-cap-everybodys-talking http://therealdeal.com/newyork/articles/andrew-cuomo-tax-cap-faces-opposition-according-to-susan-zimet

Benjamin Spitzer, Superintendent of Chautauqua Lake Central School District and President of the Far West Council of School Superintendents

http://www.observertoday.com/page/content.detail/id/551996/School-superintendents-oppose-property-tax-cap.html?nav=5047

Paul DiFonzo, Superintendent of Fredonia Central School District

http://www.observertoday.com/page/content.detail/id/551996/School-superintendents-oppose-property-tax-cap.html?nav=5047

Assemblyman Brian Kavanagh, D-Manhattan

http://www.timesunion.com/default/article/Quid-pro-quo-and-a-tax-cap-975404.php

Sen. Bill Perkins, a Harlem Democrat

http://www.timesunion.com/default/article/Quid-pro-quo-and-a-tax-cap-975404.php

Assemblyman Dick Gottfried, D-West Side,

an income-based model "would make more sense."

http://www.timesunion.com/default/article/Quid-pro-quo-and-a-tax-cap-975404.php

Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal, D-Upper West Side

http://www.timesunion.com/default/article/Quid-pro-quo-and-a-tax-cap-975404.php

Assemblywomen Ellen Jaffee

http://www.stargazette.com/article/20110511/NEWS10/305120001/Cuomo-sends-message-Legislature-Pass-property-tax-cap?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|FRONTPAGE|p

County Administrator Jack Searles, Cattaraugus County

http://www.buffalonews.com/city/communities/southern-tier/article326286.ece

Martha Robertson, Tompkins County Leg Chair

http://www.theithacajournal.com/article/20110524/NEWS01/105240359/N-Y-lawmakers-reach-tax-cap-deal

Assemblywomen Barbara Lifton

http://citizenactionny.org/2011/05/tax-cap-sound-bite-or-sound-policy/5583

Chris Collins, Erie County Executive

http://www.capitaltonight.com/2011/05/collins-cap-with-no-mandate-relief-would-undo-society/