Poll: New Yorkers want income tax hike for rich

[bemildred]

Source: NY Daily News

Most New Yorkers support raising taxes on those making at least $250,000, a new poll finds.

A bill supported by the Working Families Party to hike the income tax rate on those making at leat $250,000 has been introduced in both houses.

By a 56-38% margin, New Yorkers support the idea, including more than two-thirds of Democrats and nearly 60% of independent voters, according to the Quinnipiac University poll.

Republicans strongly oppose a $250,000 threshold by a 60-37% margin.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/02/18/2009-02-18_poll_new_yorkers_want_income_tax_hike_fo.html

[KansDem]

1. Works for me!

Now that Reaganism has been totally discredited, let's cast the last 30 years of American economic theory into the dungheap of failed theories and return to a truly fair taxation policy that favors the middle and working class...

Oh, but first let's seize the assets of those beneficiaries of "trickle-on economics" who stashed their wealth in offshore banks...

[Lost in CT]

2. Rich Identified as anyone who makes more money than I do.

Just saying...

I notice they are not seemingly as much in favor of income taxes over 100,000 that would raise much more money for the poor and needy.

[ozu]

3. That because a 100k salary in NYC

will get you a shitty 1BR, cable tv, and the ability to eat out. It's not anywhere near a threshold for being "rich".

[Lost in CT]

7. 100k a year ain't poor. They can afford to pay there fair share. nt

[GinaMaria]

11. It's close to poor in NY n/t

[aquart]

13. That's ridiculous.

[GinaMaria]

14. Recent article here in LBN on that very subject.

Cost of living is so high that six figures are needed.

Not that bad here in Chicago, but we have 10% sales tax and the Mayor privatizing everything. We are seriously considering the burbs at this point.

[GinaMaria]

19. DOH! It just hit me on the way home

I'm being city-centric again. This is about the state not the city, isn't it? I appologize. Can't say it won't happen again but it is something I'm working on. My statement is about NYC not the whole state.

[Zuiderelle]

6. Income of 100,000 is definitely not rich. There are PLENTY of people who really are wealthy (>250K)

that raising taxes on those would help plenty.

[Lost in CT]

8. Not really enough. If we are to increase our reaching out to the poor and dispossed

we will need to tax the so called upper middle class and not just a handful of wealthy.

80k to 200k should be taxed at much higher rates. That is where the money is

[Zuiderelle]

9. > 250K is not a "handful" it's an enormous number of people.

Raising taxes on people making 100K would be a huge mistake.

Here's a scenario for you. A gay person making $100K who has a good stable job, with a partner who has been laid off, who has a couple of children from a prior marriage that are being claimed on the ex's income taxes, since the partner has no income, and it benefits the ex (who has a low income job) more to claim them as dependents. The gay person with the "rich" income is not rich because he is supporting a partner and children and getting ZERO tax benefit. Raising taxes on that person could very easily result in the family losing their home, and it certainly WILL result in them not being able to save any money for their children's education.

How on earth would it be fair to increase the already unfairly exorbitant taxes on that very middle class family? And don't respond that it's a rare situation, because it's not. It's already unfair enough that gay couples cannot file taxes together, especially when one of them is out of work.

[Lost in CT]

10. That is income not wealth. Not a lot of people have salaries over 250k

Your example is making a six figure income....

So I tell the homeless mother of two no extra food this week cause people who make a hundred thousand a year have families too????

I'm not saying we take all your examples income. But he certainly could afford to pay more to help those with less.

[Zuiderelle]

16. No, actually, my example is making virtually about 50K

since the partner is unemployed and the children are dependent yet cannot be claimed as dependent by the person with the income.

Where do YOU draw the line? Every person making more than every other person should pay an ever-increasing higher percentage of their income so that everything is flattened out? So, it would be hardly worth anyone's time to aspire to a better job or a better life, because making a higher salary would mean they would have to give it away?

Everyone always thinks that someone with a higher income than they have is rich. Without considering the area they live in or the cost of living. Well, move somewhere more affordable! What if that's impossible because of custody arrangements or career opportunities?

[Captain Hilts]

4. New Yorkers wanting to raise taxes on the rich!

FDR: That's rich!
ER: A crazy idea!
FDR: It'll never work.
ER: Naawww, they'll never do it.
FDR: Trickle down!
ER: Don't tax investment!
FDR: Can you imagine people falling for such malarky?
ER: At least New Yorkers 'get' it!
FDR: Indeed they do, old girl, indeed they do!

[Habibi]

5. Fuckin' A.

[aquart]

12. We sure do.

[ejpoeta]

15. i had heard that patterson would veto it. When i am looking at his

proposed hikes, including taxes on hair cuts and so much else that is not a luxury for folks... it ticks me off that we can't think of making those that make more pay more taxes. they want a 'fat tax', raise cigarette taxes even more..... tax everything and anything that affects most of us who rarely get to go out and do anything.... but, ehy.... leave rich people alone!!

[ShockediSay]

17. This is the so-called fair share initiative

It's aim, as I gather, is to prevent people from going
without essential government services {fire, police, medical}
and instead taxing the wealth of the state.

But Repugs want no part of tax increases {as in California,
and the federal gov't} because it might take a relatively
modest additional amount out of the pockets of the wealthy
& spend it in the direction of those lower than subsistence.

Similarly, CT's chamber of commerce doesn't, nor does it's Repug
governor think there should be ANY additional taxes, but that it's
better to throw people {gov't employees} out of work, thus increasing
the recessionary spiral.

{Ditto California's Repugs}

[Optical.Catalyst]

18. People who pull down 250K can easily pay more taxes

It is about time they paid their fair share.

[defendandprotect]

20. Everyone but the rich want tax increases on the rich -- and an end to WELFARE for the rich - !!!

[DLnyc]

21. Tax the rich = good idea. $250,000 = intentionally bad threshold.

From the article:
==========
But support increases overwhelmingly, even among Republicans, when the tax hike is proposed for those making making $500,000 or $1 million.

New Yorkers support the so-called millionaires tax by a 79-18% margin; 62% of Republicans back the idea.
==========

Smells like certain folks are using the $250,000 threshold to sabotage the idea of taxing the rich.

The idea is this: many professional working couples in New York pull in 250K a year. So the average taxpayer (making, say 50K a year) feels like "hey, that could be me" and tends to not enthusiastically support the idea. Meanwhile, a tax on EXCESS over 500K or, better, over 1 million would receive very strong support . . . which, in my opinion, is why we keep hearing the 500K or 250K numbers.

Working Families Party, by the way, is not a party I really trust -- if I recall correctly, they claim to be liberal but have been on the wrong side of a number of issues.

[digidigido]

22. The problem is that $250K is a lot in some places, but it doesn't go that far in others

A salary of 250K in Manhattan is not that much. $250K in say, Arkansas, is about the equivalent of $750K in terms of lifestyle

[DLnyc]

23. True, but the proposal is for New York

And, even though the cost of living varies greatly from Manhattan to the Western rural counties, the point is it's not necessary or useful to cut the tax close to the border between successful professionals and independently wealthy. Again, I think 500,000 or a million in income makes a much better cut-off than 250K. But I have a feeling the debate is going to focus on the 250K number, which, IMHO, will eventually kill the proposal. Sad.

[Liberalynn]

24. The Governor doesn't want to raise the rich people's taxes.

He told a group of Geneseo college students that the rich people will move out of NY and take their jobs with them, so the students will have to take the rate hike in their tuiton. Oh please if these rich people are creating so many jobs how come the state went broke to begin with? Same old stupid ass Republican argument only this time coming from a so called Democrat. I think he is a secret Republican.

Also a nurse's aide, told him she will probably loose her job, if he goes through with the Medicade cuts. He told her "well sacrafices have to be made." I guess that's true in his book, as long as it isn't him or his rich buddies.