new Siena poll-- 73% of New Yorkers for millionaires tax-- let Cuomo, state legislators know!...

Hi all...

This just in-- Cuomo will deliver State of the State message at Marist College Student Center in Pok. tomorrow 11 am (doors to open @ 10:30)-- would be great to have folks with signs for progressive tax solutions to stop Cuomo cuts to come at Rt. 9 main entrance!...(sorry-- I have to teach tomorrow; can't be there)...

Wake up, folks-- as bad as the state (and county) budget cuts have been over the past few years, they will get much, much, much worse unless we raise some serious hell in the grass roots to hold Cuomo and state legislators accountable!...

[kiss state funding goodbye for local schools, nonprofits, hospitals, parks, libraries, DEC, property tax reform, etc.-- unless WE get facts and raise ruckus]

Fact: Siena poll just found last month that a whopping 73% of New Yorkers across the state strongly support a millionaires tax-- while 74% of us are against even more state budget cuts to our schools-- while 68% of NY'ers oppose cuts to Medicaid and health care too(!).
[ http://www.hungeractionnys.org/Poeple%20SOS%20release%202011.pdf ]

Fact: All of the following members of the Better Choice Budget Coalition stand in strong support for a new tiny millionaires tax (and at least partial re-implementation of a stock transfer tax on Wall Street as well)-- NYS AFL-CIO, NYSUT, CSEA, PEF, AFSCME, NY Jobs with Justice, Dutchess Outreach, 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, NYS Community Action Association, and many more-- see http://www.ABetterChoiceforNY.org .

Fact: "The richest one percent of households increased their share of all income statewide from 10 percent in 1980 to 35 percent in 2007."
[Dec. 13, 2010 report from http://www.FiscalPolicy.org ]

Fact: We in the middle-class here in Dutchess now pay over 11% of our income in state and local taxes while millionaires pay only 8% of their income in state and local taxes.
[see: http://www.ITEPnet.org/wp2009/ny_whopays_factsheet.pdf ]

...and it's not just that Siena poll from last month-- recall these too, folks...

Fact: By 4-to-1 ratio New Yorkers support tiny tax on millionaires. [Hart Research Associates poll 6/10]
[ http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=940073&category=state ]

Fact: A third Quinnipiac poll last year also found overwhelming support even among rank-and-file GOP registered voters for millionaire tax(!).
http://www.newyorker.com/talk/financial/2010/08/16/100816ta_talk_surowiecki -- 8/16/10 New Yorker

Fact: 98% of small business owners make less than $250,000/year according to Wall Street Journal.
[see: http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/taxes/Tax_Plan_Facts_FINAL.pdf]

Fact: Millionaires used to pay 15 1/2% NY income tax rate in 70's under Rockefeller; now pay 8.97%. [see: http://www.fiscalpolicy.org/taxhistory2.htm]

Fact: Even the Wall Street Journal reported Jan. 8th, 2007 that "The nation's top 1% of households own more than half the nation's stocks, according to the Federal Reserve. They also control more than $16 trillion in wealth-- more than the bottom 90%." (from Robert Frank's "Plutonomics")
[see: http://blogs.wsj.com/wealth/2007/01/08/plutonomics/ ]

Fact: "Citigroup's research department wrote three memos for investors concluding that wealth and power in the U.S. were increasingly concentrated in the hands of the top 1%, stating the top 1% of the population now have more financial wealth than the bottom 95% combined."
[see: http://www.michaelmoore.com/books-films/facts/capitalism-love-story (Michael Moore's last film)]

Fact: Millionaires used to pay a 91% federal income tax rate in '50's under Ike; they now pay 35%.
[sign: http://www.PetitionOnline.com/ILikeIke ; http://www.taxfoundation.org/publications/show/151.html ; also see Chuck Collins' piece-- "The Small Business Case for Ending Tax Cuts for the Wealthy"-- http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/10/15-1]

Fact: 70% of the U.S. economy is driven by consumer demand (the middle class needs help!).
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-04-30/u-s-economy-spending-picks-up-sustaining-growth-update1-.html

[can't make it tomorrow?...call Cuomo and state legislators at (877) 255-9417!]

Pass it on...

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