State leadership, including Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno and Gov. David Paterson, has signaled that it will not support a 1 percent tax increase on incomes of $20,000 a week or more, although the vast majority of voters support such a tax increase (probably cause the vast majority of voters don't make even $2,000 a week).
From Quinnipiac:
Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Wht Blk
Support 77% 65% 83% 81% 75% 79% 78% 77%
Oppose 19 31 13 16 23 16 18 20
DK/NA 4 5 4 3 2 5 4 3
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said that he would shelve the tax, for now, telling the Times Union:
"I believe the fairest way to do this budget is to ask the wealthiest New Yorkers to pay a little more," he said, acknowledging, "I'm alone right now."
Some people think New York City billionaire Mayor Mike Bloomberg is behind killing the tax. It is no secret that he opposes it . . .
Even Republicans back the so-called "millionaires tax" 65-31, even though it has been panned by billionaire Mayor Bloomberg, Gov. David Paterson and Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno. Democrats support it 83-13, and independents 81-16.
. . . and that he is the largest individual donor to the Republicans in the Capitol.
Facing a "$4.6 billion budget gap," the TU reported. "The parties have argued over increasing fees on HMOs and health insurance policies, according to some sources."
At least, there are always social-advocacy programs--such as providing job training for indigent AIDS patients--from which to cut funding.
"Just wait until November! People with AIDS will remember!" screamed more than 60 Housing Works clients and staff outside New York State Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno's office on Thursday afternoon . . . [due to] the Senate's proposed elimination of $1.4 million in job training programs for poor people with HIV/AIDS and failure to restore benefits to disabled children in homes affected by AIDS. . .
In total, the Senate will save $8.4 million a year, while the "millionaires tax" would have raised $1.5 billion.
So, to sum up: Millionaires needn't worry, cause the Senate leadership will continue to balance the state budget on the backs of the poor and marginalized.
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