NYS lawmakers approved one of the latest budgets in New York State history on Tuesday night, passing legislation that will raise roughly $1 billion – in part by increasing taxes on the sale of clothing and on a variety of businesses, while sparing hedge fund employees from a proposed new tax.
The state will increase its share of revenue from video gambling machines and will allow a number of casinos in New York to stay open longer. Lawmakers also voted to reduce charitable deductions for those who make $10 million or more.
But lawmakers rejected a plan to enact a tax change on earnings by hedge fund managers who work in New York but live outside the state. Much of their compensation comes in performance incentives that are considered capital gains and are taxed federally at a rate of 15 percent. The change would have made these earnings “ordinary” income, subject to state tax rates.
The move came as hedge funds were being wooed to move out of state.
A vote in the State Senate took place just before 8:30 p.m., ending months of protracted and contentious negotiations, with the budget 125 days late. The Assembly had earlier approved the budget.
Democrats who control the Legislature feared suffering the indignity of passing the latest budget ever during an election year. The record was set in 2004, when the budget passed on August 11.
(Source: NY Times)
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What about where they are throwing our money? I don’t see a complete picture of their stupidity – raising sales taxes, for one thing, letting casinos operate longer hours – benefitting Indian tribes, mainly, while suckering our compulsive-gambler fellow citizens – -as long as these career (!) politicians don’t spell out clearly where ALL the money is GOING.
Can we obtain a detailed statement of where every dollar – or at least every thousand dollars – goes?
When will the newspapers start to print the facts about our state income and expenditures? (I almost wrote “expenses” instead of “expenditures” while everyone knows the expenses are for needs, while expenditures include fat union pension benefits, among other “pork”.)
Of course, this budget trickery is done in August when many voters are not home, and less likely to see how they are being tricked, again.