rally Sun. in Rhinebeck; rally Tues. in Albany-- for Better Choice Budget!...

Frustrated as I am by today's Times editorial praising Paterson for vetoing money Assembly and Senate Dems had tried to add in state aid to schools?...(only $600 million-- compared to $1.2 billion cut)...

[...this-- on the heels of cover pix in the papers this week heaping praise on Paterson for his vetoes...]

Enough!...

Thanks to new Rhinebeck High School graduate Elizabeth Bien (from here in Clinton) and her dad John (with CSEA)-- they're helping me to organize a local rally for the Better Choice Budget tomorrow (Sun.) at 10 am in front of Rhinebeck Town Hall (80 East Market St.)-- each one reach one; join us!...

[Rhinebeck school budget passed in May because of CISPE but only because it had been decimated(!)
http://rhinebeck.wordpress.com/2010/03/11/budget-alert-from-cispe-community-in-support-of-public-education/ ]

What's the Better Choice Budget all about?...Again-- see http://www.ABetterChoiceforNY.org -- two of its main recommendations are a millionaires tax and re-implementation of a stock transfer tax on Wall Street (both strongly supported by polls; see below)-- and what groups make up the Better Choice Budget coalition?...NYS AFL-CIO, NYSUT, CSEA, PEF, AFSCME, NY Jobs with Justice, Dutchess Outreach, NYS Library Association, NYS Coalition Against Domestic Violence, NY Statewide Senior Action Council, NYS Alliance for Retired Americans, Interfaith Alliance of NYS, Interfaith Impact of NYS, Sierra Club, Environmental Advocates, Citizen Action, NY Community Action Association, many more...

So-- Rhinebeck/Dutchess/Hudson Valley folks-- again-- join us tomorrow 10 am for that if you can!...

But also-- you're also all cordially invited to a rally/press conference this coming Tues. July 6th at noon I'm organizing with the Better Choice Budget Coalition's chair, New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness Ex. Dir. Ron Deutsch-- to be held in the LCA room of the Legislative Office Building in Albany!...(carpool!)...
[see: http://lcapressroom.blogspot.com/ ; thx tons to Ron for organizing this already; reserving rm. for us; Ron suggested to me Tues. would be much better day for Albany media for me to arrive-- so listening!]

Don't be duped, folks-- we ARE in the majority on tax/budget issues, in spite of atrocious editorials on NYS tax/budget issues across the state and locally, and in spite of conservative spin heaping praise on Paterson for continuing to decimate the public spending we need to lift our state out of deep recession...

From yesterday's Paul Krugman piece in Times how ridiculous deficit hawks like Paterson, Cuomo are:

[below is from PK's "Myths of Austerity"-- http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/02/opinion/02krugman.html ]

"Current examples of austerity are anything but encouraging. Ireland has been a good soldier in this crisis, grimly implementing savage spending cuts. Its reward has been a Depression-level slump — and financial markets continue to treat it as a serious default risk. Other good soldiers, like Latvia and Estonia, have done even worse — and all three nations have, believe it or not, had worse slumps in output and employment than Iceland, which was forced by the sheer scale of its financial crisis to adopt less orthodox policies.

So the next time you hear serious-sounding people explaining the need for fiscal austerity, try to parse their argument. Almost surely, you’ll discover that what sounds like hardheaded realism actually rests on a foundation of fantasy, on the belief that invisible vigilantes will punish us if we’re bad and the confidence fairy will reward us if we’re good. And real-world policy — policy that will blight the lives of millions of working families — is being built on that foundation."

[sure-- he may have meant this to apply nationally-- but PK and Herbert have written same of states too]

[note-- made today's Daily Freeman!...see: "Running for Governor No Walk in the Park for Tyner":
http://www.freemanonline.com/articles/2010/07/03/news/doc4c2ece83c332b629092426.txt ]

[also-- made it to just north of Galleria on Rt. 9 in Poughkeepsie last night; today will be walking on Rt. 9 north with sign towards Rhinebeck/Red Hook; call me on cell @ 444-0599 to see where I am, find me!]

[crucial for me; click here-- my official petition-- http://dutchessdemocracy.blogspot.com/2010/06/test-  ]

And again-- miss this from p. 27 of Tuesday's New York Times?...(reason alone to primary Cuomo!)...

"Mr. Paterson drew unexpected support [for vetoing $600 million Assembly and Senate Dems are trying to add in state aid to schools] from his onetime rival, Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo. Mr. Cuomo, who is running to succeed Mr. Paterson as governor, has for weeks avoided miring himself in Albany’s budget fight. But he waded in on Monday, criticizing the Legislature’s proposal to replace school aid cuts with tax increases."

[from "Lawmakers Restore Cuts, but a Veto Comes Quickly" by Nicholas Confessore & Danny Hakim
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/29/nyregion/29albany.html?_r=1 ]

Read those three sentences above again folks-- and one more time for good measure...

That's right-- incredibly, Cuomo made it clear in Tuesday's Times that he actually agrees with Paterson-- that NONE of the $1.2 billion funding cut in state aid to schools (biggest education cut in decades) should be restored-- that NOT EVEN ONE PENNY of that should be restored to the state budget(!)...

[slap in face to Rhinebeck schools, Smith School in Pok., LaGrange Elem. shutting down,--all schools!]

Cuomo position is totally contrary to how vast majority of NYers feel; recall poll in June 11th AT Union:

Albany Times Union 6/11: "Survey: Tax Rich to Save Schools; Public Backs Shift of Burden to Wealthy"
http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=940073&category=STATE

[2003 poll showing NY'ers for stock transfer tax by 3-to-1 ratio: http://www.petitiononline.com/stocktax !]

Don't forget, folks...(too bad practically no one in media in NY holding Cuomo accountable on this)...

Fact: Cuomo has already made clear that he’s opposed to “any new income taxes on the wealthy”—yet his own 250-page plan for NYS (on his website) admits that “New York faces budget gaps of $30 billion over the next three fiscal years, even after closing budget gap of approximately $9 billion for fiscal year beginning April 1, 2010”-- meaning massive budget cuts from Cuomo over next four years would come.

Fact: The May 27th New York Times editorial ("Budget Problems in New York and Mr. Cuomo") took Cuomo to task for his smoke-and-mirrors unrealistic approach to solving NY's budget crisis that throws little but "red meat to angry taxpayers"-- http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/27/opinion/27thu4.html .

Fact: FDR didn't get us out of the Depression with budget cuts, layoff, and union-busting; unfortunately, neither Cuomo nor Paterson nor Lazio get this-- why I'm walking 150 miles from NYC to Albany, folks!

And-- recall as well-- I'm not just running this primary campaign and walking 150 miles from NY Stock Exchange on Wall Street to Albany because of poll after poll showing we ARE in the majority on this...

Thx tons to Cablevision and Rich Flaherty of Northern/Southern Dutchess News for comin' out to interview us on the road Thurs.; word spreading!...(also interviewed by A. Chartock himself on WAMC)...

Also-- in case you missed it....

This past Sunday's Daily News had an article on Cuomo's campaign-- but almost half of it about me!...
http://assets.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/06/27/2010-06-27_team_cuomo_rallies_on_familiar_refrain_change.html .

And-- don't kill me folks; hope I'm not tootin' my own horn too much here-- but progressive Dems across NYS are literally a-buzz about article that was in much-circulated Gannett paper Wednesday...

To wit-- yep-- Wednesday's Journal News had HUGE piece on me (with pix, video online too!)...see:

"Cuomo Challenger Joel Tyner Hikes to Albany, Urging Millionaires Tax" by Gerald McKinstry
(scroll down a bit below for this; big Gannett paper for Westchester/Rockland/Putnam counties):
http://www.lohud.com/article/20100630/NEWS05/6300324/-1/newsfront/Cuomo-challenger-Joel-Tyner-hikes-to-Albany--urging-millionaires-tax ...(in some ways this article in and of itself is a game-changer)...

Thanks much to 211 of you from all over who have endorsed on Facebook my run for Governor.
[link here-- http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=124328517596388&ref=mf ("Joel for New York") ]

[strong endorsements also from 57+ as well at http://www.petitiononline.com/joel4ny ; sign on there too!]

Pleasantly surprised, really, by reception from media so far; have been interviewed by several other local publications on my way up north as well-- Yorktown Examiner, Rivertowns Enterprise, Putnam County News and Recorder in just last few days; was also interviewed Friday morning on WFUV 90.7 FM (Fordham radio; have also had articles on my campaign in Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, Albany Times Union, Poughkeepsie Journal, Daily Freeman, etc., etc. (and TV coverage across the state from YNN and Cablevision as well); see below for more details on this...

Again-- what's it all about, Leo?...(so to speak?)...

Today I'm continuing my 150-mile Walk for Main Street Not Wall Street from the New York Stock Exchange Saturday morning to the New York State Legislative Office Building Tuesday, July 6th...

[more and more Capital District supporters a-buzz about campaign; better media opportunities Tues.!]

So far-- I got to Upper West Side of Manhattan Sat.; Sunday I got to northern Yonkers, Monday I got to Tarrytown, Tuesday I got to Buchanan, and last night I got to Garrison (walking up Rt. 9, 9A, 9D)...

I'm walking 150 miles in 11 days to build even more support for a millionaires tax and at least partial re-implementation of small stock transfer tax on Wall Street to balance the budget-- and cut OUR taxes!

[note-- one of the goals of my walk through NYC, Hudson Valley, Capital District for this is to start the work of putting together Better Choice towns, cities, and villages throughout New York State-- made up of individuals from all of those groups above (and others who agree); for years my organization-- the Real Majority Project-- has been a part of the Better Choice Budget coalition; interested?...let us know!]

Fact: A stock transfer tax has been collected on Wall Street since 1915-- but for the last three decades the monies collected have been given right back to the greedy speculators on Wall Street who destroyed our economy to begin with; at this point we're talking about literally $16 billion that's collected annually! All the Better Choice Budget Coalition suggests is that just one penny of current five-cent tax that's now collected on sale of all stocks over $20 not be rebated back to Wall Street ($4 billion of $16 billion collected each year)-- for more on this see my effort-- http://www.petitiononline.com/stocktax .

Fact: Wall Street made $61 billion in profits last year, besides $20 billion in cash bonuses (Crain's).
[see: http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20100328/FREE/303289966 ]

Si se puede, folks!...

Tug McGraw was right-- you gotta believe...

[pass it on]

Joel
(845) 444-0599/876-2488
joeltyner@earthlink.net

[yes-- am again sharing this below with you re: BAI, NYC, Times-- still NO movement from these three!]

[....get ready to call Poughkeepsie Journal newsroom at 437-4800 if no coverage of 150-M walk too!...]

p.s. Frankly, I don't know what the hell is going on at WBAI or WNYC, folks-- but the truth is that despite my repeatedly emailing them press releases and calling them, it appears the powers that be at both of these putatively progressive NYC-based radio stations have decided long ago to completely and totally ignore my campaign-- so-- go to http://www.WBAI.org and http://www.WNYC.org -- and ask the folks at those stations what the hell is going on!...(just refer to all the media coverage on my campaign; refer to yesterday's big Journal News article, how I took up half of Cuomo article in Sunday's Daily News, all the other media coverage below from across the state-- ask 'em why the hell they're covering for Cuomo!)...

p.p.s. Just as important...(and even worse?)...in spite of the fact that I have sent numerous press releases to the New York Times-- and called their newsroom many, many times-- they've made clear to me they're well aware of my campaign (and seemingly Cuomo's hypocrisy and how out of touch he is with NY'ers true feelings re: tax/budget priorities?)....yet obviously NYTimes (until now, at least) have obviously also made clear decision to totally ignore this campaign...

So-- call the Times newsroom yourself at (212) 556-1234-- and ask 'em why they cover for Cuomo too!...

[note-- you can also do this here at this link-- http://www.nytco.com/contact_us/index.html ; pass it on]

Finally-- had an interesting convo yesterday with top Albany beat NYTimes reporter Nicholas Confessore-- after leaving messages for him and emailing he finally spoke with me-- only to tell me that I should get in touch with him only if I collect enough petition signatures to be on the ballot...

[...this, of course, after he deliberately interrupted me to remind me that Paterson's massive cut in
state aid to schools (that Cuomo let us all know this week he agrees with) is "only a five-percent cut"...thanks, Nick!...mighty white of you.....of course-- have you read coverage in the Times about how by a 4-to-1 ratio NY'ers want a millionaires tax to solve the state budget crisis?...no....have you read Confessore write about how by a 3-to-1 ratio NY'ers want a stock transfer tax on Wall Street re-implemented to solve the state budget crisis?...of course not....have you read Confessore write about the massive statewide Better Choice Budget coalition?...( http://www.ABetterChoiceforNY.org )...no...]

So-- got a sec?...Feel free to remind Nick that as a part of the Fourth Estate that he's supposed to be a watchdog on the powers that be in Albany-- not a lapdog...(ask Danny Hakim, Jeremy Peters too folks)...

[click on link here to send cogent, polite/effective email to NC: http://www.nytimes.com/gst/emailus.html ]

Fact: NYTimes, Pok. Journal, so many newspapers across NYS have been busy for many years now successfully brainwashing NY'ers that only solution to NYS budget problems is union-busting-- encouraging Paterson, Cuomo, Lazio, Pataki, et. al. to go after "special interest" unions-- b.s.....when truth is that REAL special interests (Wall Street) pulling the puppet strings of Cuomo, Lazio, Paterson, Pataki go unchallenged both by GOP and Dem power structure-- and NY's media power structure.

Disgusting...(recall-- according to folks like Citizen Action of NYS, fact is that corporate campaign contributions in Albany amount to ten times the money spent by unions-- in spite of fact this is ignored)...

[finally-- pathetic that NY1, Westchester News 12, ABC/CBS/NBC TV have also ignored our efforts...
(when was last 150-mile walk from NYC to Albany?...contact: http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=111 !]

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From Wednesday's Journal News...(click on link itself to see two pix-- and video interview too, folks!)...

[biggest daily (Gannett) newspaper that covers Westchester, Putnam, and Rockland counties!]

"Cuomo challenger Joel Tyner hikes to Albany, urging millionaires tax"
By Gerald McKinstry • gmckinst@lohud.com • June 30, 2010
http://www.lohud.com/article/20100630/NEWS05/6300324/-1/newsfront/Cuomo-challenger-Joel-Tyner-hikes-to-Albany--urging-millionaires-tax

BRIARCLIFF MANOR — With a sack of odds and ends and a placard, Joel Tyner humped through Westchester on a stinking hot and humid day to make a point: Tax the rich.

The Dutchess County legislator from Clinton wants to run against Andrew Cuomo in a Democratic primary for governor, and he needs 15,000 signatures to get on the ballot.

So he's walking from Wall Street to Albany to talk to anyone who will listen to his hope of instituting a millionaires tax.

"I know I'm the underdog. I'm not walking 150 miles for my health," Tyner said Tuesday during a brief streetside stop on Route 9. "The fact of the matter is, I'm not running on a fringe position. I'm running on what most people want.

"If we're going to do something about taxes, rich people have to pay their fair share," he said.

Taxing high earners — those making over $1 million — and reimplementing a stock-transfer levy on Wall Street banks will help save New York and its massive budget problems, said Tyner, 46.

Armed with a satchel that read "$16 billion tax breaks for Wall Street," a billboard that read "Tax Wall Street Not Main Street" and a battered pair of plaid Chuck Taylors, Tyner accused Cuomo of abandoning some Democratic principles by not being a staunch-enough supporter of education or health care.

On taxes, Tyner added, Cuomo sounds more like a Republican.

"He should be ashamed of himself for trying to lead the Democratic Party [if he's going to be like Paterson and be so ridiculously right-wing and attacking our schools and Democrats in our state legislature trying to add just a little bit of funding back in state aid to education!]," Tyner said.

Tyner, however, said he supports Cuomo's positions on ethics reform, marriage equality and independent redistricting.

Invoking the memory of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Tyner, a former public school teacher in the Bronx, said that FDR didn't get this country out of the Depression with budget cuts, layoffs or union-busting.

Opponents of such a tax have argued that Albany's problems are with spending, not a lack of tax revenues, and that Wall Street is vital to New York's economy.

Cuomo is running on a reform message of capping taxes, lowering the cost of government and addressing ethics. His platform is outlined in a 250-page book he published.

His campaign did not comment for this article.

Though Cuomo is the party's choice for governor and the frontrunner against all challengers, including Republican Rick Lazio, Tyner hopes that his Facebook page — Joel for New York — and other venues will help him get the signatures he needs to run in a primary.

"I don't want the next governor to be elected with a mandate of .... cuts, cuts, cuts," he said.

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Again-- coverage of my campaign took up almost half of the Sunday Daily News article on Cuomo's campaign four days ago:

[see: http://assets.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/06/27/2010-06-27_team_cuomo_rallies_on_familiar_refrain_change.html ]

"Meanwhile, his Democratic primary opponent Joel Tyner began a 10-day walking trip from Wall Street to Albany yesterday.

The Dutchess County legislator walked up Broadway with a huge white sack to represent the $16 billion tax giveback to Wall Street and denounced Cuomo for refusing to support a tax on the wealthy.

Tyner ran into a Cuomo volunteer who asked for a signature on the candidate's petition. He declined.

[omitted from article-- fact that Cuomo volunteer actually signed on to my petition after I convinced her!]

'[Cuomo] says no new income taxes on the wealthy even though by a four-to-one ratio that's what people in New York State want,' the underdog said."

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More coverage from all over...

"Tyner Plans 150 Mile Walk To Promote Campaign" [WAMC 6/8/10]
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wamc/news.newsmain/article/1/0/1660313/WAMC.New.York.News/Tyner.Plans.140.Mile.Walk.to.Promote.Campaign.

"Tyner Walking for His Candidacy" by Jimmy Vielkind [Albany Times-Union]
http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/27980/tyner-walking-for-his-candidacy/ ;
http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=939163&category=state

"Challengers Take On Established Democrats" by Nicholas Reisman [Rochester Democrat & Chronicle]
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20100613/NEWS01/6130324/1002/NEWS

"Tyner Challenging Cuomo for Governor" [Poughkeepsie Journal 5/28/10]
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20100528/NEWS01/100527044/Tyner-challenging-Cuomo-for-governor

"Dutchess Legislator Tyner to Run for Governor" [Daily Freeman 5/26/10]
http://www.dailyfreeman.com/articles/2010/05/26/news/doc4bfd04df006a6261222025.txt

"Tyner Takes On HydroFracking" [WAMC Northeast Public Radio yesterday]
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wamc/news.newsmain/article/0/0/1667066/WAMC.New.York.News/Tyner.Takes.On.Hydrofracking.

"Candidate Tyner Takes To the Road Over Hydrofracking" [MidHudsonNews.com yesterday]
http://www.midhudsonnews.com/News/2010/June/24/Tyner_walk-24Jun10.html

"Gubernatorial Candidate Set to Walk for Water" by Tom Grace [The Daily Star Tuesday]
http://thedailystar.com/localnews/x336266498/Gubernatorial-candidate-set-to-walk-for-water

Your News Now TV network has covered Joel's campaign extensively all over the state
http://capitalregion.ynn.com/content/headlines/508733/no-love-for-the-left/
http://centralny.ynn.com/content/top_stories/505963/tyner-running-for-governor/ ;
http://centralny.ynn.com/content/all_news/506083/tyner-begins-long-shot-run-for-governor/ :
http://elmira-corning.ynn.com/ ; http://twitter.com/ynnalbany ; http://binghamton.ynn.com/ ;
http://capitaltonight.com/2010/05/here-and-now-33/

"Tyner To Run for Governor" [MidHudsonNews.com 5/26/10]
http://www.midhudsonnews.com/News/2010/May/26/Tyner_gov-26May10.html

"Working Class Water Supply Threatened by Business Interests" [Huffington Post 6/20/10]
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wires/2010/06/20/working-class-water-suppl_ws_618902.html

"A Progressive for New York?" by Douglas Smyth [Daily Kos 6/4/10]
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/6/4/873044/-A-Progressive-for-NY

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In my fourth term in the Dutchess County Legislature representing Rhinebeck and Clinton, I know the taxpayers of Dutchess can ill afford any more property tax hikes, sales tax hikes, budget cuts, or layoffs that will only exacerbate the current recession; click on these links for more on his efforts:
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/SaveDuCo ; http://www.petitiononline.com/stopcuts -- and, given Wall Street's record profits last year, ridiculous that schools in Dutchess County are forced to shut down.

These recent two from the New York Times ridicule GOP-lite policies of Dems like Cuomo:

Paul Krugman's column in June 18th New York Times: "That 30's Feeling"
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/18/opinion/18krugman.html

Bob Herbert's column in June 15th New York Times "Unfazed by Reality"
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/15/opinion/15herbert.html

Fact: Millionaires in NYS now pay only 8% of their income in state/local taxes; middle class pays 11%.
[see: http://www.itepnet.org/wp2009/ny_whopays_factsheet.pdf ; property/sales taxes have skyrocketed]

Fact: Millionaires used to pay 15.5% NY income tax rate in early 70's; they now pay less than 9%.
[see: http://www.fiscalpolicy.org/taxhistory2.htm ]

Fact: 98% of small business owners in the U.S. make less than $250,000/year (Wall Street Journal).
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2008/oct/16/barack-obama/most-small-businesses-wont-be-subject-to-obamas-ta/

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[recall this article from June 11th Albany Times-Union-- confirms my campaign represents majority!]

From http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=940073&category=STATE ...

Survey: Tax rich to save schools
State teachers union poll reveals public backs shift of burden to wealthy

By RICK KARLIN, Capitol bureau
First published in print: Friday, June 11, 2010

ALBANY -- Message to incumbents: Raising taxes could be good for your political health. That's right, good, at least if it's a tax hike for the wealthiest of New Yorkers.

Those are the findings from a poll the state teachers union, New York State United Teachers, recently commissioned.

The union surveyed voters in three swing districts and asked them whether they would be more or less likely to vote for their representatives if they supported a millionaire's tax as a way to avert deep education cuts.

In all three districts, voters by a 37-18 point margin said they'd be more apt to support their lawmakers if they moved to raise taxes for the wealthy if it meant saving their schools from budget cuts.

Two temporary income tax hikes were included in the survey: An additional 1 percent for those earning more than $1 million and 2 percent for incomes over $5 million.

The state's top income tax bracket is 8.97 percent so the rate cited in the survey would go up to 9.97 and 10.97 percent respectively.

Critics might argue that the poll narrowly defines the terms under which a tax hike for the rich would be palatable for voters.

But it's the latest example of how, behind the scenes, various interest groups are continuing to look at a temporary high-end income tax hike to help deal with the state's $9.2 billion deficit, despite statements by most politicians that they don't want to raise taxes.

The voters surveyed were in districts represented by Democratic Senators Brian Foley, in Long Island's Third District and William Stachowski in Buffalo's 58th. The polling firm, Hart Research Associates, also queried voters in the 138th Assembly District in Niagara County held by Democrat Francine DelMonte.

Those districts are contested. Long Island has been a traditional GOP stronghold and it's no secret that Senate Republicans would like to have Foley's seat, which he won in 2008, back in their corner. Stachowski has been targeted by Republicans who believe he's beatable, and DelMonte faces a primary challenge from a former Niagara Falls City Council member.
All three know about the survey, which hasn't been publicized by NYSUT.

The union stresses that its not trying to influence these particular lawmakers, but was instead trying to take measure of how voters in bellweather districts would view a high-end income tax surcharge. That in turn, could provide insight into whether such a plan would fly among the bulk of lawmakers.

In those districts, 56 percent said they "strongly" favor the $1 million/$5 million tax hike compared to 14 percent who "strongly" oppose it.

Voters also favor taxing Wall Street banks and investment firms based on the size of their bonuses.

But lawmakers who are looking at a tax hike are said to be focusing more on personal income taxes because they believe banks and investment firms would figure out ways to avoid the increase.

The idea of an income tax increase has been something of a constant theme that's been just below the surface in the ongoing saga of the 72-day-late state budget.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, according to earlier reports, had pushed for an increase on incomes above $1 million but Gov. David Paterson has said he's against the idea, noting they already raised taxes last year, and it didn't generate the revenue they had hoped for.

Then, some Senate Democrats quietly floated an increase on those earning more than $5 million.
Republicans have said they would oppose any tax hikes.

Indeed, most Democrats publicly say they are against tax increases. There have been a few exceptions, though. Sen. Pedro Espada, D-Bronx, who has threatened to derail the fragile week-by-week temporary spending bills lawmakers are passing until they complete the 2010-11 budget, on Monday called for a millionaire's tax.

And last month, Assemblyman Daniel O'Donnell, D-Manhattan, also called raising taxes on those earning $1 million or more.

How many New Yorkers earn that amount?

In 2007, there were 44,713 New Yorkers who filed returns for incomes at or above $1 million, according to research from the Fiscal Policy Institute, a labor-backed think tank that favors the increase. They estimate approximately 4,800 people earned $5 million or more. Those numbers may have fallen since the recession, began, though.

The bulk of these earners live in New York City, Long Island, Westchester and Putnam counties, said James Parrott, the Fiscal Policy Institute's deputy director and chief economist.

"It's basically a downstate tax," he said of the potential increase.

Overall, 8.1 million people filed income tax returns in 2007.

Parrott added that he believed the concept was still being actively pursued among lawmakers. "It does seem like it's being considered."

#################################################

From Ron Deutsch of the Better Choice Budget Coalition: mkd67@aol.com

[aka, New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness; see http://www.ABetterChoiceforNY.org ]

Subject: 100 Faith Leaders Urge State Leaders to Explore Revenue Options

Date: Jun 17, 2010 12:37 PM

News from New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness

For more information contact: Robb Smith, Interfaith impact of NYS (518) 441-3231 (cell)
100 Faith Leaders Urge State Leaders to Explore Revenue Options

An Open Letter from New York's Religious Leaders to Governor David Paterson the Leaders of the New York State Legislature

ALBANY, NY (06/17/2010)(readMedia)-- Over 100 New York faith leaders signed on to an open letter to the legislature urging them to support a budget that protects families and public services in NYS. The faith leaders are concerned that our leaders are making cuts to vital public services that will drive families deeper into poverty, diminish their chances for a quality education and affect their ability to access affordable healthcare.

"Governmental budgets are fundamentally moral documents. They express the collective values of the community," said the Rev. Dr. Richard S. Gilbert, President of Interfaith Impact of NYS. "I urge passage of a budget that fairly funds health, welfare and education especially, even if it means an increase in state revenues. Certainly this wealthy state can afford to fund services for the poor, our children and those who need health care."

In an already struggling economy, cuts will continue to weaken the state and have devastating effects on working class families. The proposed cuts would further endanger community healthcare institutions, put our children at risk by underfunding our schools, and put families at risk by increasing layoffs and diminishing access to the social services that provide a critical safety net for New Yorkers struggling to survive through these hard times.

"Scriptures from all faiths are united in one over-arching principle: compassion for the oppressed," stated Rev. Caspar Green of First Baptist Church in Glens Falls. "People of faith must take action to see that universal values of human dignity and worth are not an afterthought in the final budget discussions."
"At a time of recession and hardship, we need to see our state's leaders working diligently with a vision for unity and the common good," said Rev. Dr. Victor Collier of Mt. Olive Baptist Church in Albany, "Sadly, we have seen no sign of that sort of statesmanship so far. As someone who honors the call of God for compassion and justice, I urge state lawmakers to renew their efforts to find common ground and bring swift and needed relief to the poor through the state budget."

New York can implement a just and sensible policy package that will help set working families and New York State back on track. Reasonable measures should include asking those with the most means in our state to help those with the least. Equitable options should include asking the financial sector to help as they have just benefited and recovered from our bail out assistance, instituting new income tax brackets for millionaires; and closing tax loopholes that allow large, highly profitable corporations to avoid taxation.

These sensible measures should significantly reduce the need for more public service cuts and even more job losses.
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Permalink: http://readme.readmedia.com/100-Faith-Leaders-Urge-State-Leaders-to-Explore-Revenue-Options/1456428

Attachments:
Letter from over 100 Clergy members: http://app.readmedia.com/news/attachment/16566/Faithfairbudgetsign0616.doc

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From http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=4103 -- even more rationale for Tyner's primary run here...

Inventing a Nation of Deficit Hawks
WaPo, NYT misread polls on public and spending

6/24/10

Fact: As FAIR noted (FAIR Blog, 5/19/10), recent surveys from CBS/New York Times and NBC/Wall Street Journal asked voters to rank problems facing the country. Unemployment was more important by a spread of 49 percent to 5 percent in the CBS/NYT poll, 35 percent to 20 percent in the NBC/WSJ survey, and 47 percent to 15 percent from a recent Fox poll.

Fact: One recent Gallup survey (6/17/10), for example, found that 60 percent of the public approved of "additional government spending to create jobs and stimulate the economy." One of the few polls to ask people to choose between jobs and the deficit directly (CBS/NYT, 4/5-12/10) found 50 percent agreeing that "the federal government should spend money to create jobs, even if it means increasing the budget deficit," with 42 percent choosing deficit-reduction over job-creating stimulus.