Attendees At Brindisi’s ‘Tax Town Hall Meeting’ Sunday Concerned About Possible Loss of State and Local, Medical, & Student Loan Deductions, Along With A Loss Of Their Home’s Value
Brindisi: “The Last Major Effort At Tax Reform in the 1980’s Took Two Years; This Plan Is Being Rushed Through In A Matter Of Weeks”
Brindisi Says He Will Pass Along Concerns He Heard At The Meeting To Congresswoman Tenney, Who Was Invited But Did Not Attend, And to Other Area Officials
Assemblyman Anthony Brindisi says about 80 Mohawk Valley residents spent part of their Sunday afternoon asking questions and expressing concerns about the tax bill currently under review in Congress and the Senate at a ‘Tax Town Hall Meeting’ he sponsored at the Mohawk Valley Refugee Center in Utica.
Brindisi says participants discussed their concern that many of the tax deductions that save them thousands of dollars annually are potentially on the chopping block as the bill heads for a possible vote in Washington this month. Concerns echoed at the meeting included the possible loss of the State and Local Tax Deduction nearly 1 in 4 Oneida County residents use, along with efforts to end the tax deduction for major, ongoing medical expenses; for student loan payments; and for job-related expenses by teachers and other professionals. Several speakers also expressed concerns about the likelihood the current legislation would reduce home values and discourage home renovations if passed.
Assemblyman Anthony Brindisi said: “Many people who spoke at my Tax Town Hall have done some homework on the plan, and know it will do more harm than good in the long run to their finances. I heard from middle class, working homeowners and retirees who depend on the federal deductions that could be swept away by this plan. Many noted that tax breaks in the plan for corporations would be permanent while those for individual taxpayers would expire.”
“The last major effort at federal tax reform in the 1980’s took two years of bi-partisan hearings and discussion to finalize. This plan is being rushed through Congress in a matter of weeks, with barely any discussion or enough time to even consider the major impact it will have on most people. I believe it is time to put the brakes on any attempt to rush a vote on the plan this month so that the public it will impact can be heard,” Brindisi said.
Brindisi told those attending that if the plan passes, he will go to Albany in January and start working to restore valuable exemptions many Mohawk Valley depend on at the state level. Congresswoman Claudia Tenney was invited to the town hall but did not attend, but Brindisi says he will be passing along concerns brought up yesterday to her and other area officials.