Gothamist: Sheldon Silver Supports Commuter Tax

Steven

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 01:28:50 -0500

People here could hate the tourists all they want, but the fact of the matter is they are the ones who drive NYC and even NYS economy. Without the tourism NYC gets every year the city will go bankrupt.

EastRiver

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 01:00:06 -0500

Commuters already pay New York State tax and don't use the most expensive service provided by the government: education. So exactly what sort of a free ride are they getting? Do office workers that come into the city for 8 hours a day really consume the bulk of the police, fire, and ambulance services? Doubtful.

Son of Spam

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 23:13:41 -0500

JMH: You're helping me make my point. With a commuter tax, I will be paying for, using your example, the police protection of the NYPD which I am now getting for 'free'. (Disregarding the fact that the taxes a company pays on the money an employee helps it make should cover this expense. Being an employee, after all, is being an extension of a company.) Don't I deserve to vote for how my tax dollars are spent?...Vote for who makes the laws that I have to abide by as a tax-paying citizen? Vote to shape the future of the city that my money is paying for?

femiredwood

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 21:32:51 -0500

So let me get this straight, I should pay to work in Manhattan because I live in Brooklyn? This is exactly what is wrong with this city and country. And I hate tourists as much as the next person, but let's be honest, taxing tourists in this economy is not the way to go. Let's be honest moonbeam, who do you think is helping NYC stay afloat----tourists! It's not Wall Street. And back to the debate I go...

felixthecat

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 20:39:17 -0500

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1H7Fervqwo

Toby von Meistersinger

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 18:56:54 -0500

It is taxation without representation. If it was taxation with representation, nobody would vote for Shelly.

NannyState

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 18:42:33 -0500

Every big city mayor dreams wet about commuter taxes--The state can levy a property tax on metro counties for high-end (over $800,000) homes and distribute the dough to the primary cities, like NYC. Otherwise, it's a crappy additional tax that will drive out people, money, and business from NY.

felixthecat

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 17:39:01 -0500

yes, tax the tourist, now in every city sponsored event there are so many tourists. They even ride the trains. It is too much. Tourist should pay some sort of taxes or fees when in NYC. Bloomberg cares more about tourist then residents. NYPD protects the tourist sites and even summons carriage drivers for overcharging them. Horse drawn carriage are cruel and unsafe for horses and for us. Yet Bloomberg wants them for the tourists and it does not even generate revenue for the city. I hate tourists. too many.

Daniel Millstone

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 17:29:03 -0500

You wrote: "The Assembly Speaker, who opposed congestion pricing...." The way I've heard Silver tell it several times now, he supported congestion pricing in the Assembly's Democratic conference. A majority of Democratic Assembly members, but not Silver opposed the proposal. Silver said he was in the minority on that issue.

Pull My Finger

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 16:52:57 -0500

He is a dumb ass lib... tax tax tax tax tax

geekyfemme

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 16:15:39 -0500

I'm originally from white plains and my family and I agree that the commuter tax should come back. However, it should be a progressive tax. Only those who make above a certain threshold should have to pay it, ie. the rich suburbanites.

moonbeam

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 16:08:40 -0500

The commuter tax is fair: all those suburbanites who commute to the city use a lot of city-sponsored services. ITA. As a Manhattan resident who pays a king's ransom in taxes, I support taxing the commuters and the tourists. I'm tired of subsidizing city services for all these leeches.

JMH

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 15:52:01 -0500

I'm willing to pay the commuter tax...as long as I get to vote in the city elections.I'm willing to support you not paying the commuter tax... as long as the NYPD isn't obligated to provide any services to you. Those of us who live in the city pay a lot for those services that you get for free.

Son of Spam

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 15:45:14 -0500

I'm willing to pay the commuter tax...as long as I get to vote in the city elections.

babyhitler

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 15:40:26 -0500

I think the price of gas is a commuter tax nowadays. Remember when it cost twenty bucks to fill your tank? crazy. you have to take a second mortgage on your house to afford to fill your tank.

ides_of_march

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 15:40:22 -0500

Tax Western Union transfers going south ofthe border instead.

yg

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 15:35:32 -0500

The commuter tax is fair: all those suburbanites who commute to the city use a lot of city-sponsored services. However, the repeal of the tax stopped a lot of companies from moving across the Hudson.

JacqueMehoff

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 15:29:16 -0500

share the wealth, share the pain. but that's not the GOP/American way.

Think twice

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 15:29:12 -0500

Regret much? IMO just put high speed tolls on all the Harlem and East River bridges and let's move on.

The Edge

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 15:24:36 -0500

That's great. Tax the middle and lower classes more while the economy is in the shitter.