According to a poll conducted by Kiley & Company, and commissioned by the Working Families Party, the vast majority of New Yorkers are in strong opposition to the planned cuts by Gov. David Paterson and are in strong support of a solution to the State's budget crisis that uses a combination of both some spending cuts with some tax increases on New Yorkers who make more than $200,000 a year.
" This poll shows that New Yorkers are speaking loud and clear, and Governor Paterson and Albany legislators would do well to listen: they do not want the solution to this budget crisis to just be a giant swing of the axe," said Dan Cantor, Executive Director of the Working Families Party. "It's clear that New Yorkers are nearly united behind a solution that combines prudent spending cuts with sound tax increases on those that make over $200,000 that would both restore fairness to the tax system and help raise the necessary revenue to close this budget gap."
The poll showed that New Yorkers were strongly resistant to the proposed massive cuts to healthcare, education programs, and the safety net. When asked whether the state should "seriously consider" a list of budget proposals in order to close the budget gap, or should "definitely not consider taking that step," between 60% and 75% of all voters said Albany should "definitely not" consider any of the following steps:
· Reducing the amount the state would reimburse hospitals for services provided under the Medicaid program (60% say "definitely do not take that step")
· Reducing state funding for Medicaid and other health care services by $1.7 billion over the next year and a half (65%)
· Cutting state aid to public schools by $1.4 billion over the next year and a half (75%).
Cutting is the easy way out. The real solution is finding more revenue sources. The proposed millionaires tax would be a great revenue source, but it has fallen on deaf ears.
These cuts will do nothing except rob New Yorkers of important services that are provided to them. Whether it is education or health care, these are important parts of the state budget that will have a far-reaching effect.
