Taxes Taxes Everywhere...

By Andrew Ehinger

    Taxes taxes everywhere and not a dollar to pay for them.

That's the cry many Long Islanders are moaning now hearing the seemingly endless list of proposed taxes and fees Governor Paterson unveiled today. It was the only way he said he could present a balanced executive budget that would eliminate the biggest ($1.7 billion dollar) financial shortfall and deficit ($13.7 billion dollar) in state history.

    Paterson seems to have decided to tax just about everything that wasn't taxed before to raise needed money. But aside from reinstating the state portion of the sales tax on clothing and footwear under $110, he has added some new and somewhat controversial ones.

    A 18% tax on Coke and Pepsi?   

    That one folks tell me they can't seem to understand. Paterson says the high tax on the sugary sodas would discourage obesity and help fund health programs. Diet drinks he says would not get the increased tax. My question is how would this be enforced and collected?

    When I went to get a quick sandwich today my meal came with a self-serve soft drink. I had about 8 options including two sugar free ones. Will restaurants now charge more or less for certain flavors of drinks? Or will they just absorb the costs?

    I understand the spirit of Paterson's tax here, as a country we have a higher obesity rate than just about everyone else in the world. Are sugary sodas to blame? Maybe. But will an 18% tax help? That's yet to be seen. I think the bigger question is will the soft drink industry stand for such a tax? I'm sure Albany lobbyists are shining up their Gucci loafers.

    Another interesting tax Paterson has chosen to propose is adding that state sales tax to internet movie and music downloads. The era of the $.99 iTunes song in New York could now be $1.03 if Patterson gets his way. 

   Also the Governor wants to remove the 8 cent per gallon state gas tax on gasoline, increasing the cost of your fill up. He also would like to tax cable and satellite TV/Radio service as he says 23 other states do right now. Personal services like your barber, hair stylist and masseuse would be taxable in the Governors proposed budget.

    Fees would go up at state parks, at the DMV and for dozens of professional licenses. If you want to become a private eye, better hurry up, Paterson wants that license fee to go up from $15 to $125.

    These fees and taxes in Paterson's proposed budget are estimated to bring in $5.2 billion dollars to state coffers in fiscal year 2009-10.  $5.5 Billion in fiscal year 2011-12. Many Long Islanders wonder if state residents will actually be able to collectively cough up all that cash or if it will force even more people to look elsewhere for somewhere to live. Only time will tell.

Comments

[Jim Langenfeld]

Wow it just seems to get worse by the day. As a small buisness owner from Levittown I think the current taxes are almost to much for people to bear now lets pay more. Some of the car dealers I did buisness with are gone with more to come. I see many lifelong residents of this area getting fed up and looking to move out of state.
When you take money from education what will happen when the local school districts have to increase their budgets and many will fail because residents have no more money. Believe me the small buisness in your town has none either.
How is it we can cast millions of votes over the phone for American Idol why cant we all vote for the things that matter most the same way.

[John]

Words fail me. At least, words I'm comfortable using in a public forum.

I wasn't offended before at the Saturday Night Live skit, but I think I am now: They made Patterson look far too intelligent. This plan is going to force people to live and do business elsewhere, which is only going to reduce tax revenue further.

And what about the infrastructure? How is he going to track Internet music purchases? Who's going to train barbers to manage income tax? Or is there a surveillance package to go along with this?

And for all this extra money we'll be paying the state, we're getting...what, exactly? A sticker that says "our budget is balanced"?

Oh, and hey, how much is Patterson tightening his own belt? I don't see any word of, say, him taking a smaller salary. Or LIPA's Kevin Law. Or the head of the MTA. Those are all state agencies, aren't they? Why not cut over where the problems started?