What about cutting expenses ?

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http://wcbstv.com/politics/commuter.tax.nyc.2.866907.html

Warning Suburbanites: NYC Council Wants Your Money
Lawmakers Pushing Hard For Commuter Tax On Anyone Who Works In NYC In 
Hope Of Easing Budget Problems
 Reporting
Marcia Kramer NEW YORK (CBS) ? The City Council wants to balance the 
budget on the backs of commuters with a new tax that's a lot like an old 
one. They want to make people that work in the city, but live in the 
suburbs pay. 

The state Legislature killed the commuter tax in 1999, but some City 
Council members think making people who work in the city pay for the 
services they use is better than making city residents bear the brunt of 
the city's budget crisis. 

City budget director Mark Page seemed exasperated Monday at a City 
Council hearing where the head of the council finance committee demanded 
the reinstatement of a commuter tax to balance the budget. 

"Clearly that's a tremendous revenue stream that should directly go to 
the city of New York," Councilman David Weprin said. 

Estimates are that a new commuter tax could bring in $715 million next 
year. 

"As New York City's budget director I'm always eager for money we don't 
have to pay for that we can spend and the commute tax, if we could get 
it back, fits that," Page said. 

But after the three-hour session in which the City Council grilled him 
about Mayor Michael Bloomberg's budget plan Page admitted the commuter 
tax would be an uphill battle. More likely, he said, is a payroll tax in 
the metropolitan region to pay for mass transit. And Page should know. 
He's a board member of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 

"A payroll tax is paid by the employer, which means it's driven by where 
you're working and really that's what the commuter tax was trying to 
do," Page said. 

Council members seemed most upset by Mayor Bloomberg's desire to 
withhold a $400 property tax rebate check from tens of thousands of 
homeowners 

"This is just one of those out-of-touch-with-reality moments that young 
guys have over there from time to time and I don't think you realize how 
much people who are living hand to mouth are expecting that check," 
Councilman Lewis Fidler said. 

The problem is the homeowners' rebate will cost the city $256 million. 
If the city hands out the checks it has to cut the money from someplace 
else. In contrast, the mayor's plan to eliminate 1,000 new cops saves 
$80 million. 

Getting back to commuters, they're already squawking about proposals to 
put tolls on the East River bridges. A payroll or commuter tax would 
have to be approved by the state Legislature.

CMPQwk 1.42-21 9999 
Patriotism is not who can leak the most Secret documents to the NY Times ...


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