Who Deserves Credit For New York State's Surplus?

While Governor Pataki and his fellow politicians will take credit for the two billion dollar surplus in the budget, it is we the taxpayers who deserve the credit. That two billion came from taxes and user fees, not from any politician’s pocket. Governor Pataki, like Governor Cuomo before him, likes to brag about how he has lowered taxes, but it’s primarily income taxes that have been lowered.

All other taxes have been raised. We even have to pay sales tax now on items we have purchased from out of state. We pay taxes on shipping. User fees have gone up dramatically. I wonder how much of the surplus came from increased tax revenues from the huge spike in fuel prices?

As the anonymous commentator to my last post said, the state should give us a rebate from the surplus. If my math is right (and it may not be), two billion divided by eighteen million people is $111.11 per person. A family of five would receive a rebate of $555.55. Of course, if only taxpayers received a rebate, that figure would be higher.