Calls for Elimination of SALT Cap
By Hank Russell
Yet another Democrat politician has called for the repeal of the SALT (state and local taxes) cap and is asking for the Republicans to do something about it.
During the Long Island Association’s (LIA) State of the Region Breakfast in Woodbury on January 10, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer said that New Yorkers need tax relief now and should not wait until next year, when it expires.
The cap is currently at $10,000 a year, consisting of property taxes plus state income or sales taxes.
“SALT hurts Long Islanders more than any other state resident,” Schumer, the Senate Minority Leader, said. “It makes us pay taxes twice.”
Schumer isn’t just the only politician calling for the cap to be eliminated. Long Island Life & Politics previously reported that Governor Kathy Hochul — who also appeared at the LIA event — called on Long Island Congressman Nick LaLota (R-Rocky Point) and Andrew Garbarino (R-Patchogue) to repeal the $10,000 cap.
The New York Democrat accused “the right-wingers” of “screwing New Yorkers, both Democrats and Republicans,” quoting U.S. Representative Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) as saying< “we should expand SALT.”
“I just don’t want to lift the cap,” Schumer said. “I want to get rid of the whole damn thing.”
Long Island Life & Politics reached out to LaLota for a comment.
“Senator Schumer had four years to address SALT and failed to act,” he responded. “To the contrary, House Republicans from New York are stepping up to fix it. New Yorkers need SALT relief because New York State Democrats have pushed our taxes to the highest in the nation through reckless spending. As we work to fix SALT, NYS Democrats should focus on the real problem: putting an end to their out-of-control spending.”