Monday, November 10, 2008

STOPTHETAXSHIFT.ORG


Greetings Blog surfers. I took this right from the NYCOM Email that went out this week. It doesnt need much explaining:

The New York State Conference of Mayors (NYCOM) has launched a new Web site, www.StopTheTaxShift.org, which focuses on the dangers of shifting state taxes and costs onto local governments and property taxpayers.

StopTheTaxShift.org is designed to educate policymakers, the media, and New York's real property taxpayers about (1) the important role state aid plays in keeping municipal property taxes in check and (2) the state mandates that drive property taxes up.

Throughout the upcoming legislative session, StopTheTaxShift.org will be regularly updated to:
· Highlight the status of state aid to local governments -- aid that will directly impact the ability of local governments to provide essential services to the residents ofNew York and control the growth in property taxes;
· Offer a comprehensive list of
state mandates on local governments, and feature a particular Mandate of the Week to raise public awareness and hold state officials accountable for the local tax impact such mandates have;
· Discuss, in practical terms, how actions in Albany affect the average New Yorker on
Joe Taxpayer’s blog; and
· Provide a method for NYCOM members and the public to
contact their state officials to voice their opposition to inefficient state mandates and their support for state aid to local governments.

Please take a moment to visit StopTheTaxShift.org, familiarize yourself with its important message, and let your elected state officials know that when New York State shifts its taxes and costs onto local governments, it is bad for property taxpayers and bad for New York.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Cut State expenses - lay Reynolds off

Mike Madsen said...

Great job, you got a swipe at Bill right off the press. [and I published it]

Anonymous said...

Mike,
STOPTHETAXSHIFT.ORG good website and very informative. I did not know that CSEA does not have binding arbitration like the police and firemen.

I hear that you are now attacking the retiree's again. Trying to take away there health insurance.

Most retiree's from CSEA retire when they are in there 60's and get thier negotiated benefits for the rest of there life.

CSEA employees do not make a lot of money like the police and firemen, but that was there career choice. When they retire all they have to liove on is social security and a small pension, plus whatever they can afford to put away. Not much on ther salary.

The police and firemen can retire after 20 years on the job, collect there pension and have life time health insurance.
AT 45 they can work another job, collect another pension, and don't need health insurance because of the life time benefit.

Anonymous said...

If we really want to stop the local tax increase, we will have to put the brakes on the fire department.Now they are going to respone to fires in outside towns ,because they have nothing to do in Kingston (not many fires).Our taxes are high enough we don't need to pay more to cover outside towns,next we will be policing them and picking up their garbage etc..

Anonymous said...

What's this in the the paper today? We don't have enough to do in the city that Salzman wants to go into the town of ulster.

Is the town going to pay for this service?

Or are the calls down because we closed the Kings Inn, and now they want to go to another homeless motel for more calls.

You guys and gals have got to stand up to this chief and let him know whos running this city.

First we have a department head take $14,000.00 in overtime payments with no record of what was done. Now the fire Chief thinks we have enough gas to run out to the town of ulster 3 or 4 times a day.

What happpen BlockBuster move>

Anonymous said...

Mike,

Lets clear up one thing about the fire department and responding to Ulster. Kingston is responding at the request of Ulster Hose. As was indicated this assistance will
be less than five times per year.

Ulster Hose comes to the city when city needs help, City goes to Ulster when Ulster needs help. Its called mutual aid been around
for years

Anonymous said...

Gov Paterson is requesting that state workers contribute a greater share to their health inusrance costs. Why can't this be done for all City Employees. Also is going to require workers and retiress to contribute to Medicare Part B premiums,once again why can't ALL City Employees.

Anonymous said...

Neighboring departments come to help the city a lot more than they go out to help them. What's the big deal. If the city wants help from outside then they need to reciprocate.

Anonymous said...

Hey 7:08 Its free for town of ulster residents. Kingston emt's (firemen) cost the taxpayers almost $7,000,000.00 a year for 64 of them. You do the math.

Anonymous said...

I hear the more calls the fire department goes on the more manpower they have to hire so adding to their calls will add more taxes on us to cover the increase in manpower and soon thats all the city will have is fireman picking up the trash plowing the streets making up the council stopping robberies and so on (because they dont fight fires) Ulster Hose puts out all the fires.

Anonymous said...

Inter municipal cooperation will lead to consolidation and getting rid of the bloated bureacracy contained in each. Let's do it!