Statement from Reclaim New York Initiative Central and Northern Regional Director on the passage of the City of Watertown budget for 2018-2019: “Watertown residents should be giving themselves a pat on the back after the city council voted unanimously to pass a responsible budget under the tax cap without relying on smoke and mirrors to […]
Statement from Reclaim New York Initiative Long Island Regional Director Michael Watt on the passage of the City of Long Beach’s budget for 2018-2019: “Long Beach residents will feel the sting of an 8.35 percent tax hike thanks to a bloated budget passed unanimously by the city council Wednesday night. This budget smashes through the […]
In advance of the City of Watertown budget hearing, local taxpayers and elected officials joined Reclaim New York Initiative for a discussion on how best to address concerns about the city manager’s budget proposal. As proposed by the City Manager, the budget would wallop taxpayers with a 9.5% tax hike, and, despite facing a budget […]
At a public hearing on May 8 at 6 p.m., taxpayers in the Vestal Central School District (Broome County) have the opportunity to demand a 0-percent tax increase in the 2018–2019 budget. They can do this without jeopardizing school quality because Vestal has been hoarding millions of dollars in taxpayer money for years—enough to cut […]
Reclaim New York Initiative’s “Stop the Tax Bomb” grassroots campaign is down to the wire as the state legislature negotiates the final budget deal. Taxes and fees are still alive, including a ridesharing and taxi surcharge, money grab from Fidelis, and the sick opioid tax. New Yorkers can still contact their legislators and demand $1 […]
The Assembly’s budget plan steals from the most overburdened taxpayers in the country and gives to Albany insiders. It completely misses the point that families can’t afford to foot the bill for the state’s high-cost policies anymore. There is nothing in this plan about job creation, or improving the economic climate. Instead, they must have […]
This could turn out to be a short trip. Suffolk County residents fought to legalize ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft in their communities. But their county legislature is a step away from slamming on the brakes. County Legislator Bridget Fleming has proposed a six-month ban on ride-hailing apps. This is a holdout move, meant […]
Reclaim New York Initiative communications director Doug Kellogg wrote a recent article in The Buffalo News on the Governor’s executive budget and its wasteful “economic development” spending in Western New York. “Albany should embrace federal reform and pursue state unfunded mandate reform to directly relieve high property tax burdens. Instead, the governor’s budget turns to $1 […]
Reclaim New York Initiative executive director Brandon Muir wrote a recent article in the Albany Times Union that sheds light on the Governor’s executive budget and the federal tax reform plan. “The governor’s plan can’t claim to protect taxpayers when it pushed a billion-dollar tax and fee hike instead of focusing on spending that has […]
The Governor and state lawmakers are about to return to Albany to kick off another legislative session. It will be yet another exercise in backroom negotiations, and costly deals that make our state more expensive, and do little to clean up corruption. That is, unless New Yorkers step up and do something about it. It’s […]