NY has highest state tax burden

[Saddle Bronc 124]

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Report: NY suffers highest tax burden

BY JAMES T. MADORE

james.madore@newsday.com

May 16, 2007

ALBANY - New York State again led the nation in taxes in 2005, with each resident paying an average of $5,770 in state and local levies, and one local leader said that won't change unless there's a "taxpayer revolt."

In a report released yesterday, the 3,000-member Business Council of New York State found the per-capita tax burden in fiscal 2004-05 was the highest in the country, or 36 percent above the national average of $3,699. The next three highest-tax states were Connecticut, Wyoming and New Jersey, in that order.

The council also found that New York was No. 2 in spending per resident at $11,841 in 2004-05, the most recent available data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Only Alaska spent more, at $15,108 per resident, and the national average was $8,003.

"We need to get our taxing in line with our actual needs," said council spokesman Matthew Maguire. "We need to recognize spending is a problem."

He and others said New York provides more and better services than many states but was on par with Pennsylvania, Michigan and Ohio, all of which have lower tax burdens and spending.

"What you have to do is change the culture that causes governments in New York, from the state level down to the local level, to feel they can spend anything that they want ..." said Matthew Crosson, president of the Long Island Association, the region's largest business group. "The only way that will happen is if there is a real taxpayer revolt across the board."

The council also found that property taxes in New York averaged $1,774 per person, the fourth-highest after New Jersey, Connecticut and New Hampshire. But Crosson predicted that property levies in Nassau and Suffolk counties far exceeded the statewide total.

In the Capitol, Gov. Eliot Spitzer, through a spokesman, said the report was based on figures from before he entered office, and that the 2007-08 budget included $1.3 billion in property-tax relief and slowed the growth of Medicaid spending, which affects local taxes.

However, the new budget also increased spending by nearly three times the inflation rate to $124 billion, according to the state comptroller.

Asked about cutting expenditures, Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno (R-Brunswick) instead called for "investing heavily in the economy and job creation" to expand the tax base. "Why do you have to cut?" he said. "... You invest and it pays off."

Note: one of only a long list of reasons I don't like the NY/CT/NJ area.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

For NY especially its a travesty that the state gets so much money while the taxpayers get next to no tangible benefits from it.

NJ/NY has a higher cost of living than Southern California - which given the higher standard of living the wife and I used to enjoy over there is really quite sobering.

[homesick_american 1]

I can't imagine why anyone would want to live in NY or NJ. Too freaking cold.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I can't imagine why anyone would want to live in NY or NJ. Too freaking cold.

Too cold? Not in summer... Summer's here are worse than Las Vegas.

[homesick_american 1]

I can't imagine why anyone would want to live in NY or NJ. Too freaking cold.

Too cold? Not in summer... Summer's here are worse than Las Vegas.

Yeah, but it gets all snowy in winter. Blech!

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I can't imagine why anyone would want to live in NY or NJ. Too freaking cold.

Too cold? Not in summer... Summer's here are worse than Las Vegas.

Yeah, but it gets all snowy in winter. Blech!

Granted we supposedly had a mild winter this year – but it wasn’t much colder than I remember winters in London. Think London might have had more snow than we got here in NYC. Going by the weather reports – its upstate NY that usually gets the brunt of things.

[almaty 19]

i agree with you brother sriniv..new jersey suxs

[homesick_american 1]

I can't imagine why anyone would want to live in NY or NJ. Too freaking cold.

Too cold? Not in summer... Summer's here are worse than Las Vegas.

Yeah, but it gets all snowy in winter. Blech!

Granted we supposedly had a mild winter this year – but it wasn’t much colder than I remember winters in London. Think London might have had more snow than we got here in NYC. Going by the weather reports – its upstate NY that usually gets the brunt of things.

I've had years of Yorkshire winters; it's not just that it gets cold in winter, it also takes forever to warm up. Dallas can get really cold in winter, i.e. below 32F. I'm cold if it's below 60F outside, and I sometimes run my central heating here in the UK until June.

[mawilson 2,133]

For NY especially its a travesty that the state gets so much money while the taxpayers get next to no tangible benefits from it.

What makes you say that? Are you talking about NY state taxes or local taxes (e.g. NY city tax)?

If the latter, NYC budget has a record $4.4 billion surplus this year. Although Bloomberg

said there would be no wild splurging (mostly because of the more than $9 billion in

projected deficits for 2009-2011), he will use $1.2 billion to give some breaks to NYC

taxpayers - including cutting property taxes and eliminating the city's portion of sales tax

on clothing and shoes.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

For NY especially its a travesty that the state gets so much money while the taxpayers get next to no tangible benefits from it.

What makes you say that? Are you talking about NY state taxes or local taxes (e.g. NY city tax)?

If the latter, NYC budget has a record $4.4 billion surplus this year. Although Bloomberg

said there would be no wild splurging (mostly because of the more than $9 billion in

projected deficits for 2009-2011), he will use $1.2 billion to give some breaks to NYC

taxpayers - including cutting property taxes and eliminating the city's portion of sales tax

on clothing and shoes.

I was actually meaning in terms of maintaining the basic infrastructure. Tax breaks are all well and good but some of the money you pay should surely be used to maintain basic services - like roads.

Sorry - the potholes are a major bugbear for me, have already had to rebalance our car tires several times in the last year after hitting the things. Headlight blew out from the vibrations, and one set of brand new tires was bald after 12 months of driving.

Edited May 17, 2007 by erekose

[mawilson 2,133]

I was actually meaning in terms of maintaining the basic infrastructure. Tax breaks are all well and good but some of the money you pay should surely be used to maintain basic services - like roads.

Sorry - the potholes are a major bugbear for me, have already had to rebalance our car tires several times in the last year after hitting the things. Headlight blew out from the vibrations, and one set of brand new tires was bald after 12 months of driving.

I am with you on this one. Some parts of Manhattan (and Brooklyn) are so horrible,

I have to literally cross the line onto oncoming traffic just to dodge the potholes and bumps.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I was actually meaning in terms of maintaining the basic infrastructure. Tax breaks are all well and good but some of the money you pay should surely be used to maintain basic services - like roads.

Sorry - the potholes are a major bugbear for me, have already had to rebalance our car tires several times in the last year after hitting the things. Headlight blew out from the vibrations, and one set of brand new tires was bald after 12 months of driving.

I am with you on this one. Some parts of Manhattan (and Brooklyn) are so horrible,

I have to literally cross the line onto oncoming traffic just to dodge the potholes and bumps.

Makes you wonder why people haven't gotten together and "Class actioned" that. Used to hear of people in the UK suing the local authority for breaking their ankles on uneven pavements, or slipping on un-salted surfaces in winter.

Back when I was doing the daily London commute I got a discount on a monthly season pass when I slipped on wet stairs at a train station and almost broke my wrist.

Seems a bit unfair to pay out of your own pocket for things that your taxes are supposed to fix.

Edited May 17, 2007 by erekose

[mawilson 2,133]

Makes you wonder why people haven't gotten together and "Class actioned" that.

Maybe we should... sounds like a good idea.

[sereia 0]

lets do it mawilson! we have a lot of NY people on vj that can start this!. LOL

[Ban Hammer 12,679]

Makes you wonder why people haven't gotten together and "Class actioned" that.

Maybe we should... sounds like a good idea.

have a march - just avoid the potholes