Gaye Symington Out-of-Touch

with Mainstream Democrats on Property Taxes

June 25, 2008

For Immediate Release

Contact: Dennise Casey

New York Democratic Governor David Paterson and a bipartisan commission tasked with finding ways to lower New York's high property taxes are advancing a tax-cap almost identical to Governor Douglas' plan.

Like Governor Douglas, Governor Paterson recognizes that, "This trend [rising property taxes] is disrupting our quality of life because it is straining family budgets, separating grandchildren from grandparents, and discouraging the entrepreneurship that creates innovation and jobs." (http://email.politicker.com/owa/redir.aspx?C=dab5417443ea4ddb92ef65b22a907e14&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.state.ny.us%2fgovernor%2fpress%2fpress_0606083.html)

Chairman of the Commission, Nassau County Executive and former Democrat candidate for Governor of New York Thomas Suozzi said, "I look forward to working closely with the Governor as we fight to cap property taxes, help low- and middle-income homeowners, and reduce expenses for school districts, even as we remain committed to maintaining and enhancing educational quality across our state." (http://email.politicker.com/owa/redir.aspx?C=dab5417443ea4ddb92ef65b22a907e14&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.state.ny.us%2fgovernor%2fpress%2fpress_0606083.html)

The tax cap proposal that New York Governor Paterson is advancing is very similar to the one that Governor Douglas fought for and Speaker Symington rejected. They both establish a cap to keep spending increases at about inflation and they both give local communities the ability to over-ride with a "super-majority" of support.

It's clear that mainstream Democrats elsewhere are taking the issue of high property taxes seriously; unfortunately the same cannot be said for Gaye Symington and her super-majority in the Legislature. Symington opposed the tax cap proposal in Vermont saying, "To impose top-down, state-knows-best, cookie-cutter spending caps ignores the real pressures on school budgets." (Rutland Herald, 1/6/06)

Instead of working with Governor Douglas this year to pass additional property tax relief, Speaker Symington flip-flopped on the issue and actually worked to repeal the cost-saving "two-vote" provision.

Then again, that's what Vermonters expect from the proud author of Act 60.