Maltese Voted Against Pataki’s 1995 Cut to the Personal Income Tax
Republican Serf Maltese continues in his pathetic attempt to distort Joe Addabbo's record in an effort to mislead the voters and hide from his own record.
A recent mailing which voters of the 15th Senate District received over the weekend erroneously claimed that this year Maltese cut state taxes, including the income tax.
In fact, this year alone the State Legislature INCREASED taxes 17 times, totaling over $1.3 billion. Investigation by the Addabbo Campaign reveals that sadly, Maltese is running on former Governors Pataki old record of tax cuts. Moreover, Maltese voted against Governor Pataki’s 1995 cut to the Personal Income Tax (PIT). The piece fails to cite any source material and relies on made up mathematics, pulling numbers out of nowhere to render a $4,068 difference between Addabbo and Maltese’s record. In addition, Maltese claims responsibility for cutting the New York City sales tax when in fact such a measure is subject to “home rule” which means it is submitted by the City Council to Albany for approval.
“Maltese’s math couldn’t pass a high school algebra test. If a 15 year-old student is required to cite his sources and show his work, then certainly we should hold a 75 year-old senator to the same standard of proof. You can’t vote against a cut to the PIT in 1995 and claim you didn’t in 2008. Maybe Maltese needs a refresher course in Logic 101,” said Addabbo spokesperson Alexis Grenell.
Maltese’s supposed tax cuts, which he claims happened this year, date back as far as 1997:
CHILD CREDIT: Chapter 62 of 2006
CLOTHING EXEMPTION: Chapter 63 of 2000
STAR Program: Chapter 389 of 1997
GAS TAX CAP: Chapter 35 of 2006
2008: Budget Bill S.6807-C: Authorizes NYC to Continue to Impose a 4% Sales & Use Tax After August 1, 2008
2005: Budget Bill S.3671: Makes Sales Tax reporting requirements for Manhattan parking vendors permanent, maintaining $700,000 in annual revenue
2003: Budget Bill S.1406-B: Increases the NYC Sales Tax by 1/8 of 1 percent from June 2003 through June 2005. Also reinstates sales taxation on clothing and footwear priced under $110
2003: S.4968: Extends the authority for NYC to continue to tax certain services taxed exclusively in NYC.
However, the Councilman’s record and experience as a tax cutter are clear - while serving on the Council he has voted twice to lower property taxes and supported a $400 rebate to homeowners.
This most recent mail piece once again cites the Councilman’s vote to temporarily raise the personal income and sales tax in response to the budget crisis caused by 9/11. As previously stated, both increases have since expired as intended.
“He’s recycling old material because he’s got nothing new to show for himself or the district. You can’t run a campaign on outdated accomplishments. The world has changed yet Maltese is still stuck in the Pataki era,” added Grenell.
Despite tough fiscal times, Joe Addabbo delivered over $30 million for the district in aid for schools, parks, libraries, youth activities, senior services, and public safety.
Cuts sustained in this year's city budget, totaling $288 million, were the result of difficult choices forced by the Senate Republicans' failure to stand up for New York City residents. Legislative leaders in Albany give New York City far less than it receives from the City's residents through various revenue streams, including income, real estate and sales taxes. While Joe Addabbo fought for record restorations to the city budget including a 7% cut in city property taxes and $18 million for senior citizen services, Serf Maltese voted with his Republican colleagues for a budget which delivered yet another year of record funding for Long Island and the suburbs, depriving New York City residents of over $11 billion.
