LET’S BE FAIR — PEF President Roger Benson adds his name to a petition calling on Congress to reject federal tax cuts proposed by President George W. Bush that favor the nation’s wealthiest taxpayers.
— Photo by Vito Turso
PEF, grassroots coalition bash Bush tax-cut proposal
By VITO TURSO
PEF President Roger Benson and PEF officials joined New York City labor, civic, community, religious, education, economic and political leaders on April 11 — the AFL-CIO declared “National Day of Action” — to announce the formation of a grassroots lobbying campaign to oppose the tax cut and budget proposal offered by President George W. Bush.
“The Bush tax cut, combined with the budget proposal, equals danger for the average working family,” warned NYS Assembly Member Brian McLaughlin, president of the New York City Central Labor Council which organized the coalition. “The tax cut gives the bulk of the benefit to the richest Americans, while undermining vital programs and priorities. It’s irresponsible and it’s unfair.”
“When George cuts federal spending to give the wealthy a tax cut, it hurts all working people,” Benson said.
“The bottom line is that George W. Bush wants to fund tax cuts for millionaires on the backs of state employees and other working people,” the PEF president added.
The union leaders told reporters the Bush plan does little to help working families who helped create the surplus and strong economy.
And, in fact, public opinion in New York does not favor the Bush Administration’s far-reaching, multi-year tax cuts that will unduly constrain government’s capacity to meet pressing human needs.
According to James Parrott, deputy director of the Fiscal Policy Institute, “A recent poll of 800 registered voters in New York commissioned by the Fiscal Policy Institute found that by a 2-to-1 margin, New Yorkers favor more modest tax reductions because they feel that a permanent tax cut will put at risk valuable new programs such as prescription-drug benefits for senior citizens.”
Labor leaders called on the US Senate to reject a plan that blatantly ignores the needs of working families and the majority of Americans.
“George W. Bush campaigned on the theme, ‘Real Tax Relief for All,’” said Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY). “But as president, he’s broken that pledge with this tax scheme that rewards only the wealthiest Americans while middle- and lower-income workers get to bail out the deficit.”
Federal tax cuts
threaten NYS programs
“This
Bush proposal for a federal tax cut repeats the
catastrophic fiscal policies of the early 1980’s
that led to record federal-budget deficits, high interest
rates, and a long recession,” PEF President Roger
Benson said at the April National Day of Action event.
“Federal funds make up about one-third of the entire
New York State Budget. For many agencies it is the
largest source of funds,” Benson said.
“These include the Department of Health (86
percent), Office for the Aging (72.6 percent), Office of
Temporary and Disability Assistance (59 percent),
Division of Military and Naval Affairs (55.7 percent),
Division of Criminal Justice Services (53.8 percent), and
the Education Department (49.7 percent),” Benson
added.
“In reality, the cuts will be bigger than the $12.1
billion, because Congress will not cut their pet
projects. In fact, they will probably add more,” he
said.
“The following agencies are already scheduled to be
cut below current year’s appropriation levels:
Agriculture, Commerce, Energy, Interior, Justice,
Transportation, Labor and the Environmental Protection
Agency.
“Obviously, funding for these agencies are critical
to all state employees and the working people they
serve,” Benson continued
“These cuts mean that there will be less money for
health-and-safety inspectors, important road and bridge
projects, and programs that keep our air and water clean
and safe.
“Gov. George Pataki admits that New York will be
short an average of $600 million per year for the next
four years of the five-year capital program for state
roads and bridges.
He said he would seek additional federal funding to fill
that gap.
But federal transportation funding is to be reduced by 12
percent,” Benson said.