Assemblyman David DiPietro (R,C-East Aurora) is calling for the state’s $610 million in Commerzbank settlement funds, in conjunction with other available funds, to be delivered to the people of New York in the form of a STAR rebate check. The proposed plan would put an average of $500 back in the taxpayers’ pockets.

“We have a unique opportunity to return money back into the hands of the people, and we ought to take it,” DiPietro said. “Every single family in New York deserves a $500 STAR rebate check. It’s about time we start returning some of the people’s money, and there’s no better time than the present. Anybody will tell you that the people can always spend money better and more efficiently than government. Families need this money more than the state does, so let’s give it back.”