FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.queenscourier.com APRIL 10, 2014 • THE QUEENS COURIER 27 SNAPS QUEENS The New York State Pavilion seen from a paddle boat on Meadow Lake What are your plans for Easter? “I’m going to my daughter’s house in Yonkers. We do a lot of eating and loving life.” Lori Scolaro “Working in the morning, and then I’m going to going to my grandfather’s for dinner.” Andrew Raskin “I’m going to be on vacation at Universal Studios with the kids.” Dominick Bruccoleri “The whole family gets together down in Rockaway. We make Jell-O eggs and have an Easter egg hunt for the kids. It’s a great holiday that is underrated.” Ryan Rosen “We roast a lamb, drink, make spinach pie and paint eggs — we’re Greek.” Gregory Amentas “I’m going to my inlaws’ out on Long Island. They do the whole Greek thing — roast the lamb on the spit and all.” Tim Downing oped street talk “We go out to my brother’s every year. I guess it’s a family tradition since we’ve been doing it for 12 years. I’m most looking forward to the dessert and spending time with my family.” Rose Virga “I am going to my girlfriend’s best friend’s house, and we’re going to have dinner and wine.” Eugene Liberman Photo courtesy of Jonathan Silverman Send us your photos of Queens and you could see them online or in our paper! Submit them to us via our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/QueensCourier by tweeting@queenscourier or by emailing them to [email protected] BY HARVIND JAPRA AND SOPHIA ROSENBAUM Tax Equity for New Yorkers BY U.S. REP. STEVE ISRAEL Brian and Amy are your typical middle-class New Yorkers. They’ve worked hard to build a comfortable life for their three children in Hicksville, Long Island, and hoped to remain there to be near family. However, every year during tax season they are hit by a bill from the federal government that makes them question if they will be able to continue living in such a high-cost area. Their story is all too familiar and I wanted proof that we need to change the federal tax code to account for New York families facing some of the highest costs of living in the country. To get an answer, I asked Third Way, a centrist think tank focused on middle-class issues especially relevant to families in our area, to actually crunch the data on how much New Yorkers pay in federal taxes compared to similar families across the country. The report, “A Tale of Three Cities,” compared the effects of the federal tax code on three typical middle-class families — one from Hicksville, New York, another from Akron, Ohio, and a third from McAllen, Texas. The numbers were striking. The data shows that New Yorkers pay more in federal taxes because the federal tax code does not account for differences in wages and costs of living across different regions. This means that many New York families who are solidly middle class, but may make more on paper than similar families elsewhere, do not qualify for many income-based tax credits. For example, a worker in low-cost, low-wage McAllen, Texas, can qualify for tax credits to help with his child care costs, while a similarly hard-working New Yorker, who may earn more, but also pays more for everything from gasoline to groceries, can’t access the same amount of benefi ts. Applying the same tax code to families in vastly different circumstances makes no sense — even a Quarter Pounder at McDonald’s costs $1 more in Nassau County than it does in McAllen. Even worse, in an expensive area like New York, a working class family can end up owing thousands of dollars on its federal tax return, while a nearly identical family in low-cost McAllen can end up receiving thousands in return. This glaring inequality is just plain wrong. Regional differences in costs of living should be accounted for in the federal tax code. Two bills I’ve introduced would help level the playing fi eld for New York taxpayers. The Tax Equity Act would adjust tax brackets for all areas with a higher cost-of-living than the national average, and the Student Loan Employment Benefi ts Act would allow those working to set aside up to $5,000 of their salary, tax-free, to repay their student loans. I am also drafting legislation that would index future tax credits to regional costs of living. These common-sense measures will strengthen the middle class and lay the foundation for New York’s future. It’s time to give New York taxpayers like Amy and Brian the fairness they deserve. Note to Readers: The full Third Way Report can be viewed at www.israel.house.gov
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