Tell Your Legislators to Act Today on the Deficit Reduction Plan

New York state government is at the brink of fiscal ruin, collapsing under its own weight after years of unsustainable spending and a devastating tax burden.

Gov. Paterson pegs New York’s current fiscal year deficit at more than $3 billion; Comptroller DiNapoli says it may actually be over $4 billion.  The governor has said that without immediate action by the Legislature, New York may be unable to meet some of its obligations in December.

Gov. Paterson has proposed a bold deficit reduction package, aimed at slashing New York’s deficit by some $5 billion over the next two years. The governor has pledged to address the deficit without additional tax and fee increases, a message that has at least so far been echoed by legislative leaders. We think this is a good start.

New York’s taxpayers and employers have already been clobbered this year with the largest tax and fee increase in state history, totaling more than $8 billion. These tax increases have driven job creators and opportunities from our state, increased costs on virtually every man, woman, child and business in New York, and made it all that more difficult for small businesses to survive. Despite these tax increases, New York’s deficit continues to worsen.

Now is the time for real and substantial reductions in state spending, and fundamental changes to stop New York’s pattern of limping from fiscal crisis to fiscal crisis.

Join us in sending a message to the Legislature to cut spending and balance the budget. We need real spending reductions, no tax increases, and reforms like a state spending cap, property tax cap and public employee pension reform to put New York on firmer fiscal footing.

Contact your legislator TODAY and urge them to get New York’s financial house in order through real spending reductions and meaningful reforms.

Sincerely,

Mike Elmendorf
State Director, NFIB/New York