WFP Director Dan Cantor was a guest on WNYC’s Brian Lehrer Show today discussing Gov. David Paterson’s unfair budget proposal. On Tuesday, the Governor offered a budget that raises billions in taxes on the middle class, makes devastating cuts to services we need, and all without asking the wealthy to share the burden.
Listen to the show:
Here’s the WFP’s official statement:
“This is not shared sacrifice. The Governor proposes to balance the budget in an imbalanced way: by raising taxes on the middle class while simultaneously reducing the services we all rely on.
“In this budget there’s a tax on almost everything. Drinking, smoking, driving, food, health care, going to the movies, downloading music, clothes and haircuts. In total, it’s billions in regressive taxes – “nuisance taxes” – that don’t add up to a sensible approach.
“There is a fair way to end the fiscal crisis. It’s called the Fair Share Tax Reform plan. Prudent spending cuts will be necessary. But common-sense and fairness require that we also ask the state’s wealthy to carry their fair share of the load. Right now, they don’t, and the Governor is asking everyone to sacrifice except those who can most afford to do so.
“That’s what shared sacrifice must mean, and we hope Albany leaders will see that.”
