A Progressive Financial Future?
As many of our faithful readers are aware, Monroe County will be facing significant financial difficulties in the very near future. The Minarik-Brooks “Community Solution” is to rob millions from local government coffers, while raising the sales tax rate to replace some, but not all, of what they will seize from those local governments.
I, personally, am against the sales tax increase because it disproportionately harms those who are struggling the most financially, leaving more affluent residents hardly affected. Furthermore, a sales tax increase will undoubtedly harm the small business community in Monroe County, which, in turn, will lead to a weeding out of local businesses and endow a golden opportunity on the big-box Wal-Mart types, who we all know have abysmal records.
Unfortunately, simply saying one is against a sales tax increase does not solve the underlying financial woes ahead of us. So, my question is “What would a sound, progressive solution to our upcoming financial problems be?”
Some possibilities include: raising the property tax, cutting services, raising the sales tax, installing a local income tax, or, other 
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Don’t forget the sweetheart deals on tax breaks given to big businesses. Sure, we want to encourage big businesses here but perhaps reducing some of the breaks a little would help.
Also, making the city safer and more pleasant to live in would encourage a permanent tax base by increasing residents willing to live here.
What I want to know is, what have other cities in a similar situation done? What are progressive role-models for Rochester?
We have ProgressiveStates.org, for state-level progressiveness. Is there something similar for small-to-mid size cities?
Here’s one I found: http://www.newcities.org. Not sure how progressive it is yet.
Quick Thoughts:
1. No sales tax increase. It’s a consumption tax, which hurts the poor most of all, since they spend all of their income, and don’t save.
2. Make the property tax more of a progressive tax. Did you know the upper tax bracket in New York State is 40,000 or higher? There’s only a 2.85 % change in the marginal tax rate for the richest and poorest New York tax brackets.
Learn more here:
3: Either
a. Get rid of COMIDA
b. Higher taxes on the rich in Rochester (or just the rich who use COMIDA grants)
By giving huge tax breaks to businesses and so on, the county is making an investment in those businesses. Those who reap the benefits of the county’s largess should pay back their debt once they’re rolling in wealth.