The Assembly Minority Conference recently proposed several amendments that would have provided New Yorkers with tax relief, boosted the economy, created jobs, increased the quality of health care and created a smaller more productive government. Unfortunately, the Assembly Majority voted to shoot our measures down.
We were looking to create tax relief for middle-class New Yorkers with several measures. In addition to our proposal to provide middle-class income tax cuts for individuals earning $75,000 or less, and families earning $150,000 or less, we called for the elimination of the personal income tax on property tax rebate checks. Finally, we proposed a tax credit for home heating fuel exceeding 5% of adjusted gross income to help families during New York’s harsh winters.
Improving health care for all New Yorkers is also a large priority of the Assembly Minority Conference and we proposed measures that would do just that. These measures include the restoration of funding cuts to hospitals, nursing homes and home care services for the sick proposed by former Governor Spitzer. In addition, we proposed the immediate restoration of the 2007 nursing home rebasing payments, which are essential for these homes to continue providing excellent health care.
Finally, we called for several measures to spur economic development. We proposed the elimination of all state gas taxes, which would save drivers 32 cents per gallon and bring relief to the pump at last. Also, in order to help small businesses compete with the powerhouse chain stores, we called for the enactment of the Small Business Relief Act.
The amendments that the Assembly Minority Conference called for would have helped middle-class New Yorkers during this time of economic uncertainty. Unfortunately, instead of working with us to provide New Yorkers with the tax relief that we all deserve, Speaker Silver and the Majority chose not to support these efforts.