Working with Governor Cuomo, and across party lines, in NY, we have balanced the budget, made tough spending cuts and avoided any new tax increases. We need immediate and similar leadership in Washington, D.C. to right the tax code and make the tough decisions necessary to right size this budget.
The most recent failure of the Super Committee to reach any agreement at all is beyond disturbing and may force an automatic trigger for a series of spending cuts. The proposed cuts, starting in 2013, will total $1.2 trillion and are divided equally between domestic and defense expenditures. Our state and local governments will feel a heavy impact and immediate effect if this trigger comes to pass.
I am particularly worried with the inability of our federal government to provide real relief to the millions of working families and small business owners not only in our state but across the country. Every iota of effort seems focused on the next political maneuver and the next election. As a state legislature, and in coordination with the Governor, we must fight for real, lasting tax reform because it is painfully obvious that middle America is paying the bills while the super wealthy benefit from loopholes and the 40% on the lower spectrum pay nothing at all.
If you are a regular, hard working American with a net worth somewhere beneath a ‘gazillionaire’ this government is failing you. New taxes in this broken system will not solve the problem. We need a complete and immediate overhaul of our national tax policy that will make the system itself fair while encouraging, not hindering, real job creation.
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This Guest Column was written by New York State Senator Greg Ball (R-Patterson).
Federally - yes the system needs changes, but i see no specifics in your comments whatsoever. Are you going to lobby your Republican brethren to continue the payroll tax cut whcih really does matter to the average guy/ And to up taxes on higher earners - say just to where they were during the Reagan years? Or Clinton years? Back to your own state and your own position: what do you propose for Medicaid in New York State? Its a huge problem - a huge local cost - and it affects millions of people - taxpayers - and health care workers - hospitals - residents of nursing homes - etc. And I believe we ( NY we) may be in line to lose a lot of funding. This needs attention and cooperation, and leadership, in Albany, and unified approach to the federal government to insure NYS is not in some way shortchanged undetr this or future presidents, whomever they may be.