The One New York Fighting for Fairness Coalition consists of unions and groups that work at the community level in health, education, and immigration and legal services, among others. A variety of community advocates spoke at the rally to protest service cuts to senior centers, day cares, and other services in order to tighten the budget while the higher income earners continue to pay taxes at their current rate.
“When you take cuts, the city takes the price ... If we don’t do something in the revenue side, the poor will take it,” said Ed Ott, the Executive Directive of the New York City Central Labor Council. He and others who spoke at the rally called on government to enact tax increases for high wage earners.
Jennifer March-Joly, Executive Director of Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York says New York’s tax rates are not as progressive as some other States’. Currently, New York has a five-bracket personal income tax scale. According to the Federation of Tax Administrators, Iowa has 9 brackets and Missouri has 10. On the other end of the spectrum, Pennsylvania has a flat rate of 3.07 percent.
March-Joly and others in the Coalition are calling for a few specific changes. On the local level, they want the cancellation of the seven-percent City property tax reduction and the $400 property tax rebate. On the State level, they want tax structure reform. “We are putting pressure on the Governor, and trying to meet with as many officials as possible,” March-Joly said.
So far, a number of measures have been taken to reduce spending at the government level. Mayor Michael Bloomberg mandated that all City agencies reduce spending by 20 percent. The city Department of Education’s proposed $25 million cut to the school cleaning budget could lead to layoffs of janitors. To save the City $2.5 million, 44 free dental clinics will be closed. The Coalition is asking that these services stay open by taxing high wage earners.
