Jeffrey Dinowitz
Reports to the People of the 81st Assembly District
Norwood Satellite Office: 3450 Dekalb Avenue, Bronx, New York 10467 • 718-882-4000, ext. 353
Albany Office: 941 Legislative Office Building, Albany, New York 12248 • 518-455-5965
Email:DinowitzJ@assembly.state.ny.us
Serving the communities of
Kingsbridge, Norwood, Riverdale, Van Cortlandt Village, Wakefield and Woodlawn
There are so many issues facing us on the federal, state, and local levels. While I have strong opinions on most issues, it is important that I hear from you, my constituents. I value your opinions, which is why I have held seven town hall meetings over the past several months, four in just the past few weeks.
The outcome of the debate over federal tax policy, debt, and spending will impact all of us for many years to come. In New York State, the future of the millionaire’s tax will help determine whether or not the State will again be forced to make massive budget cuts. In New York City, simultaneous scandals surrounding the Croton Water Treatment Plant in Van Cortlandt Park, a new computerized payroll system, and modernization of the City’s computer systems have collectively cost the tax payers billions (yes, that’s billions with a “b”) of dollars.
Decisions made on all three levels of government during these tough economic times will affect all of us. I look forward to your input, ideas, and suggestions as we approach the new year and the budget battle of 2012 in New York State.
Jeffrey Dinowitz
Member of Assembly
Assemblyman Dinowitz Says “NO!”
Income disparity between the top earners and the middle class in the United States is greater than at any point in my life; in fact, it is greater than at any time since the Great Depression. This disparity grew by leaps and bounds during the presidency of George W. Bush. Bush’s tax cuts for the wealthy contributed significantly to the very deficit that so many in his party, who remained largely silent when the deficit exploded during his regime, now rail against.
Last year during the lame duck session of Congress, in what could only be described as the height of hypocrisy and irresponsibility, these special tax breaks for the highest earners were extended, guaranteeing growing deficits and red ink for the foreseeable future. (I’m proud to say that our own Congressman, Eliot Engel, had the courage to vote “no” on these outrageous, budget-busting tax breaks.) In order to pay for these tax cuts for the wealthy, the U.S. government is engaging in an extraordinary transfer of wealth from the middle class and poor to the extremely wealthy. Cuts to programs such as Social Security and Medicare are now seriously being discussed. Is it any wonder that thousands of people in dozens of locations around the country are engaging in protests against this growing economic disparity?
Currently, New York State taxes high income earners at a slightly higher rate than everyone else. This is known as “the millionaire’s tax,” a bit of a misnomer. The current tax is 7.85% for single filers with taxable income above $200,000, head of household filers with taxable income above $250,000, and married couples filing jointly with taxable incomes above $300,000. There’s an 8.97% bracket for all filers with taxable income exceeding $500,000. Despite my best efforts and those of many of my colleagues, the tax will expire (translation: tax cut) at the end of this year. That means that in the 2012-2013 fiscal year, which starts on April 1, 2012, the state will forgo between four and five billion dollars of tax revenue. Is that smart? How will we make up the difference? Cuts to schools, health care, job creation, transportation, the disabled, and countless other areas will be necessary to subsidize these state tax cuts for high income earners.
Some have correctly pointed out that the NYS millionaire’s tax affects many people whose incomes are far less than $1 million, people who are really middle class. That is why I support legislation introduced in the Assembly to renew the millionaire’s tax, but only on annual income exceeding a million dollars. The Assembly Majority introduced legislation (A.7802) that would maintain the current tax rate for millionaires, raising nearly $4 billion in revenue. This money can be used to create jobs, improve education and health care, and keep the State from balancing the budget on the backs of working families.
A recent poll showed that nearly three out of every four New Yorkers support blocking a tax break for millionaires and using the revenue to offset cuts to education and health care, prevent future layoffs, and help balance the budget.
If A.7802 is not passed then millionaires, who got the huge tax break on the federal level, will receive an average tax break of $87,500 and will pay taxes at the same rate as those making $20,000. It’s shocking to me that anyone can justify a huge tax windfall to those at the top of the economic scale when so many people are out of work, when most people’s real income continues to decline, and when the State faces another large budget deficit and cuts to programs.
Some supporters of the millionaire tax break claim that if millionaires don’t get a special tax cut, then they’ll flee the state. Baloney! Tax filings show that from 2003-2005, when millionaires were asked to pay an extra surcharge, the number of millionaires in New York actually increased 56 percent.
It seems to me that we face a very easy choice: we can use billions of dollars to pay for education and health care, or we can use billions of dollars to pay for tax cuts for people whose income exceeds a million dollars. Why is this controversial in the first place?
I have successfully convinced a medical alert service company to end their newly instituted practice of charging subscribers a fee for paper billing statements and payments sent by mail. This practice was outlawed by a bill enacted last year, which I supported (A.9541-A, which adds section 399-zzz to the General Business Law).
This law prevents customers who may not be able or willing to take part in automatic or online payments from suffering unfair price increases. The company notified subscribers last month that they would incur a $2 surcharge if they chose to pay by check rather than enroll in an automatic payment system, in violation of this law.
After a constituent approached me about the charge at a recent Meet and Greet event at the Amalgamated Houses, I contacted the company to inform them of the law prohibiting this practice. They responded by discontinuing the surcharge and promising to send a letter to subscribers to apologize for their oversight and to refund any fees that had already been collected. I am pleased that this company recognized their mistake and took immediate action to correct the error.
In the Bronx we are lucky to have the beauty of Van Cortlandt Park at our fingertips. The park is also home to the Van Cortlandt House Museum, a New York City and National Historic Landmark, where George Washington once slept. (He really did!)
With such beauty and historical significance comes the responsibility of maintaining the park in superior condition. Unfortunately, when I recently went on a tour of the area just south of the Van Cortlandt House, a location known as the Red Steps, it was in a state of disrepair and uncleanliness. Trash was strewn about, including used condoms and drug paraphernalia, weeds were rampant, the staircase leading up to the house was cracked and missing bricks, and graffiti marred the walls.
I contacted the Department of Parks and Recreation asking them to rectify these problems. I am glad to see that they have already removed many of the weeds and taken steps to clean the area. Many of the repairs, however, will require the allocation of capital funding. I am hopeful that the Parks Department will continue to improve the Red Steps and restore it to a condition befitting of the gateway to the historic mansion.
With the cold weather of winter upon us, I’d like to remind you of the rules and regulations regarding heat and hot water. The heating season began on October 1st and continues until May 31st. Between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. heat must register 68 degrees Fahrenheit when the outside temperature falls below 55 degrees. Between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. heat must register 55 degrees when the outside temperature falls below 40 degrees. Hot water must be at least 120 degrees 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
If these rules are not being followed, you can file a complaint with the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development by calling 311. If you live in a rent stabilized or rent controlled apartment, you can also apply for a rent reduction with the NYS Division of Housing and Community Renewal. The application form for a rent reduction is available at my district office.
You should keep good records of each time the required heat service is not maintained by writing down the inside and outside temperatures and the date and time of each occurrence. This information will assist you in filing a complaint. I have prepared an easy to follow card with a chart to help you keep these records, which can be picked up at my district office.
I recently hosted four town hall meetings (and seven since the beginning of the year) throughout my district with Congressman Eliot Engel, Council Member Oliver Koppell, and State Senators Adriano Espaillat, Jeffrey Klein, and Gustavo Rivera. From Norwood to Riverdale to Woodlawn, I was very pleased by the terrific turnout at each event. I am always eager to hear my constituents’ concerns and answer their questions. If you weren’t able to attend one of these events but have something on your mind, please let me know by calling my district office.
I am very concerned about the traffic and safety problems on Independence Avenue near PS 24 and MS/HS 141, and I have met with parent leaders, the captain of the 50th Police Precinct, Community Board 8 members, and others to discuss steps to alleviate these problems. Council Member Oliver Koppell, State Senator Adriano Espaillat, and I wrote to the Department of Transportation to recommend several changes to improve safety such as: placing stop signs at West 235th Street, as well as pavement markings indicating “STOP” and signs leading up to the intersection indicating “stop ahead”; creating a 20 miles per hour speed zone from West 232nd Street to West 246th Street; extending the school bus loading and unloading area on West 235th Street; altering the timing of the traffic lights on the Henry Hudson Parkway overpasses to reduce traffic backup and gridlock; and installing a speed hump between West 232nd Street and West 235th Street.
I believe that these issues need to be resolved now, as the potentially dangerous situation on this street appears to have heightened during this school year. The safety of our children is of the utmost priority to me, and I urge the DOT to take swift action on this matter.
I contacted Con Ed to express my outrage about the all-too-frequent problem of power outages in Spuyten Duyvil and North Riverdale. The snowstorm of October 29 predictably knocked out power for many customers in these areas, some of whom had just replaced all their perishables spoiled by the outages during Hurricane Irene.
I surmise these frequent power outages are related to the abundance of trees in these areas, and hence the increased likelihood of trees falling down and knocking down electrical wires. Therefore, I urged Con Ed to move the electrical wires in these areas underground, thereby eliminating the risk of interference by felled trees.
We are in the 21st century, and there is no reason why we should continue to rely on an unreliable and antiquated system of delivering power to these affected areas. This problem has continued for far too long and must be fixed.
I have asked the MTA to alleviate the severe overcrowding at the bus stop on West 231st Street just west of Broadway. During the evening rush hour, northbound Bx7, Bx10, and Bx20 buses are packed to the brim, and commuters getting off the West 231st Street subway often have to wait 45 minutes before they can inch close enough to the front of the line to board a jam-packed bus with a few other unlucky passengers. For the MTA to force more residents to use mass transit by instituting higher automobile tolls as families struggle to make ends meet, but fail to provide adequate public transit service, is unconscionable.
I requested that the MTA schedule extra buses during the evening rush hour to run from West 231st Street and Broadway to the city line, which would provide additional service at the most crowded location at the busiest time. It would go a long way towards making this commute more bearable and would encourage more people to use mass transit. I call upon the MTA to implement my proposal as soon as possible.
