Unfortunately, after months of budget negotiations that were riddled with secrecy and only included Governor Paterson, Senate Majority Leader Smith and Assembly Speaker Silver - all New York City majority members - the outcome was a budget that spends too much, taxes too much and allocates funds, basically, as if upstate New York does not exist.
I could not support this budget for many reasons, including the amount of taxation and spending it includes. In total, there is a ten percent increase in spending over last year and approximately $7 billion in higher taxes and fees. This means that residents will have to pay more for items such as hunting and fishing licenses, vehicle registrations, license plates and beer and wine.
Even more devastating is the elimination of the STAR property tax rebate checks, which have provided homeowners with additional relief and helped offset rising property tax rates. This, along with no property tax relief plan in sight, will further exacerbate problems and make it difficult for homeowners, especially seniors, to afford to continue living in New York.
This is a missed opportunity for reform for state majority leaders. Rather than providing residents with tax relief and local municipalities with mandate relief, they chose to increase spending, paving the way for deficits for years to come. This will be particularly troublesome when one-shot-revenue streams, such as the federal stimulus funds, will not be available.
I am hopeful that in the future we can work toward an agreement that will be more fiscally responsible and less burdensome on New York taxpayers.