CSEA NEWS YOU CAN USE

Another Tax Commission Releases Report

Just weeks after the Tax Reform and Fairness Commission released its recommended reforms to the state tax code, another Governor-appointed tax commission released its findings. 

The commission’s recommendations included reducing corporate income taxes, eliminating the estate tax for most wealthy New Yorkers, and encouraging local government consolidation and shared services.

CSEA President Danny Donohue said, “It’s easy to promise more tax giveaways to the rich and powerful when they come at the expense of local government taxpayers and the community services they depend on. No one should be fooled by the election year rhetoric in Governor Cuomo’s Tax Commission recommendations – this is more of the same policy that will just increase the misery index for people and communities in the real “new” New York.”

Report Highlights Failures of Outsourcing Public Services

In the Public Interest, a group dedicated to studying privatization and responsible contracting, has released a report highlighting the failures of outsourcing public services to private, for-profit corporations. The report brings to light failures of transparency, accountability, competition, and shared prosperity by private contractors who take over public services.

Visit CSEA’s website to read the report.

Federal Budget Agreement Reached

House and Senate leaders have announced a federal budget agreement that will avert a government shutdown for the next two years. The House of Representatives passed the agreement by a vote of 332-94. All New York Representatives voted in favor of the proposal except for Reps. Louise Slaughter (D-NY 25), Yvette Clarke (D-NY 9), and Nydia Velazquez (D-NY 7) who all voted no. The bill will now be sent to the Senate for approval. 

The budget agreement repeals some of the pending sequester cuts scheduled for various domestic programs and replaces them with more targeted cuts. The specifics will not be available for several weeks. 

The agreement will not continue extended unemployment benefits for over 1 million Americans who will lose their benefits on December 31, 2013 and does not address benefits or eligibility for Medicare or Social Security.