Speculation is rife
About what will happen Wednesday when the senate –newly put back together- gets to work again….
Several assumptions may be challenged in that sentence:….
· Is the Senate actually put back together? Was Humpty Dumpty??
· Will they do anything resembling work? Did they work prior to the “coup”?
I am not so cynical so I have hope they will deal with the hydra headed prop. tax monster…..and I have some random data…about our prospects for tax reform SOON….
I leave speculation on the rest of the Senate agenda to people who focus on something other than property taxes…
….in my next life I’ll be obsessed about obesity; it seems to interest the Albany gang more than people losing their homes….
Maybe because they really can’t do a damned thing about people who want or need to get fat even with a lot of foolishness about putting calorie counts on menus….but if they approach the property tax disaster they might be expected to accomplish something since the mess is of Albany’s doing…. and not just an “act of God”.
They might be judged on the results of their action on our relief and reform bills…something they are loathe to have happen….they’d rather blame the other guy.
For at least twenty years Albany has known that using property taxes to provide public services like education and Medicaid was an out and out disaster waiting to happen…let alone unconstitutional (see CFE lawsuit).
So now it’s late… but inevitable that our legislature and our governor will have to act.
..and let’s not forget that a lot of good Senators have signed on to the Omnibus property tax reform solution ….I have published their names repeatedly…and they’re pushing hard , not just going through the motions. I’ll add the newest soon.
That’s one reason the Omnibus Consortium is up- beat on our chances.
Wed., July 15th, the Senate will take up only “non controversial bills”. Whatever the hell that means. Have you ever seen a real bill that didn’t have opposing sides?
OH RIGHT! The Omnibus solution. Who doesn’t want to save families from homelessness???
We’ll find out soon enough . There are always a few perves in government who get a kick out of ignoring somebody else’s pain.
On Tuesday, the Omnibus consortium will ‘consort’ to plan our Wednesday strategy.
Word has it (on dit ) that a Hudson Valley Senator is really lobbying his colleagues to pass the Circuit Breaker Bill….Klein/ Krueger is the compromise bill…S5809…it’s missing the reform portion but we’ll deal with that later.
“On dit” that the Assembly and Senate will be back after the summer to work on the Gov.’s budget.
I say the Senate should squeeze prop. tax reform onto its Wed. agenda…..it’s easy, critically important, lots of sponsors and good bills ready to go….
If ever a group needed redemption the Senate is that group. With one bold stroke they can make history and wipe out a lot of past sins.
The Omnibus Consortium will so argue if we make it to Albany meetings on Wed.
Then the ball is in the Assembly’s court. Does the Assembly want the blame for NOT passing historic prop. tax reform legislation? Does anyone?
I doubt it.
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A coda for you to ponder… (From Bill in Cayuga) 14 million Americans pay half or more of their incomes for housing….bet a lot are in NYS and confiscatory Prop. taxes are a big part of the problem.
If I weren’t a lady that fact alone would make me cuss. Oh right, I’m not..so $%^&**#@@^^##^^