Comments on: Property tax cap unlikely to ever happen http://hallmonitor.lohudblogs.com/2008/04/29/property-tax-cap-unlikely-to-ever-happen/ Keeping an eye on education Sat, 11 Oct 2008 22:55:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=wordpress-mu-1.2.5 By: Carl Korn http://hallmonitor.lohudblogs.com/2008/04/29/property-tax-cap-unlikely-to-ever-happen/#comment-19794 Carl Korn Wed, 30 Apr 2008 18:26:36 +0000 http://hallmonitor.lohudblogs.com/2008/04/29/property-tax-cap-unlikely-to-ever-happen/#comment-19794 Amy: Yes, it is all tax money. That leads to the previous poster's comment about income taxes. New York essentially has a "flat tax" in which the top rate kicks in at a very low income number. That means a convenience store worker is paying state income tax at the same rate as Donald Trump. If New York were to go back to its pre-Pataki income tax structure (remember, his tax cuts in the early 1990s favored the wealthier New Yorkers)the state would collect billions of dollars more in revenue. This would more equitably spread out the tax burden, and tax pressure off the property tax. Amy:
Yes, it is all tax money. That leads to the previous poster’s comment about income taxes. New York essentially has a “flat tax” in which the top rate kicks in at a very low income number. That means a convenience store worker is paying state income tax at the same rate as Donald Trump. If New York were to go back to its pre-Pataki income tax structure (remember, his tax cuts in the early 1990s favored the wealthier New Yorkers)the state would collect billions of dollars more in revenue. This would more equitably spread out the tax burden, and tax pressure off the property tax.

]]> By: Robert http://hallmonitor.lohudblogs.com/2008/04/29/property-tax-cap-unlikely-to-ever-happen/#comment-19793 Robert Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:33:40 +0000 http://hallmonitor.lohudblogs.com/2008/04/29/property-tax-cap-unlikely-to-ever-happen/#comment-19793 Change it to an income tax, which puts the pressure on those best able to pay, rather than those who just happen to live in the house that they grew up in but have long since retired. Either that, or eliminate the schools and put all the kids to work. Change it to an income tax, which puts the pressure on those best able to pay, rather than those who just happen to live in the house that they grew up in but have long since retired.

Either that, or eliminate the schools and put all the kids to work.

]]> By: Amy Vernon http://hallmonitor.lohudblogs.com/2008/04/29/property-tax-cap-unlikely-to-ever-happen/#comment-19792 Amy Vernon Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:09:01 +0000 http://hallmonitor.lohudblogs.com/2008/04/29/property-tax-cap-unlikely-to-ever-happen/#comment-19792 Many valid points, but let me play devil's advocate here: Doesn't that still leave taxpayers footing the bill? State money is tax money. Should upstate taxpayers be on the hook for downstate school funding? All the answers raise more questions; I fear there are no simple answers. Many valid points, but let me play devil’s advocate here: Doesn’t that still leave taxpayers footing the bill? State money is tax money. Should upstate taxpayers be on the hook for downstate school funding?

All the answers raise more questions; I fear there are no simple answers.

]]> By: Carl Korn http://hallmonitor.lohudblogs.com/2008/04/29/property-tax-cap-unlikely-to-ever-happen/#comment-19791 Carl Korn Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:35:01 +0000 http://hallmonitor.lohudblogs.com/2008/04/29/property-tax-cap-unlikely-to-ever-happen/#comment-19791 It's unfortunate, but many costs associated with funding schools are beyond the control of school districts. Fuel for school buses. Health insurance. Enrollment. Electricity and heating oil. A cap would not stop those costs from going up, and wihtout the revenue, the result would be cuts to programs and teachers. NYSUT opposes the cap because of the devastating effects tax caps would have on local schools. We've prepared a spreadsheet that would give you an idea of what would happen to local schools under a cap, using the last four years as an example. It's at www.nysut.org. Look for the "worksheet" under "Tax Caps." The best way to control property taxes is for the state to increase its share of education costs, leaving less of the burden for local property taxpayers. It’s unfortunate, but many costs associated with funding schools are beyond the control of school districts. Fuel for school buses. Health insurance. Enrollment. Electricity and heating oil. A cap would not stop those costs from going up, and wihtout the revenue, the result would be cuts to programs and teachers. NYSUT opposes the cap because of the devastating effects tax caps would have on local schools. We’ve prepared a spreadsheet that would give you an idea of what would happen to local schools under a cap, using the last four years as an example. It’s at www.nysut.org. Look for the “worksheet” under “Tax Caps.”
The best way to control property taxes is for the state to increase its share of education costs, leaving less of the burden for local property taxpayers.

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