It seems to me that there is a mindset change happening in Albany, although late, it is a welcome sign. I have never been a Bruno fan, I think his close ties to the unions and other special interests have hurt the Republican agenda of smaller, more efficient government, lower taxes and a more business friendly state that will benefit all of us. I hope that Skelos can get rid of that past image and all the policies that went with it.
How Dean Skelos can save New York’s Republican Party
Dean Skelos has completely flip-flopped on property taxes since taking over as state Senate majority leader – and that’s a rare sign of hope for New York’s GOP.
His U-turn suggests that maybe, just maybe, Skelos could pull the state’s Republican-in-name-only Party out of a decade-long nosedive and give voters a real choice at the polls in November.
That could be the difference between the party keeping control of the Senate and losing it for the first time since 1965.
A few weeks ago – before outgoing Majority Leader Joe Bruno handed him the reins – Skelos privately told fellow party members on Long Island that campaigning for a cap on property taxes would be a losing strategy.
The teachers unions hate the idea, and they vote, he argued, according to people who heard his comments. He counseled candidates to focus on trimming gas taxes instead.
It was the perfect distillation of the Albany mind-set: When faced with a tough decision, change the subject.
Lawmakers know full well that sky-high property taxes are long-term poison for the state, killing the economy and driving families away. Polls show that 75% of voters support capping their growth, as Gov. Paterson has proposed. But legislators are so afraid of ticking off a powerful interest, and paying a price at the polls, that they refuse to take action.
Thankfully, Skelos started singing a very different tune from the moment he started his new job.
“There’s no issue that’s more important to the people of this state than relief from property taxes,” Skelos said in his acceptance speech on the Senate floor last month. “This is the No. 1 agenda, the No. 2 agenda and the No. 3 agenda.”
He quickly introduced a tax-cap bill closely modeled on Paterson’s – which would limit yearly hikes in school taxes outside New York City to 4%, or 120% of the inflation rate, whichever is less – and pledged to cooperate with the Democratic governor to make it happen.
