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Griffo, Ritchie backing state Senate's 'New Jobs NY' plan for budget due April 1

Posted 3/8/12

Both of the state senators representing St. Lawrence County are backing a plan they say would cut taxes on small businesses to create jobs, and ban new taxes in the next state budget. Sen. Patty …

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Griffo, Ritchie backing state Senate's 'New Jobs NY' plan for budget due April 1

Posted

Both of the state senators representing St. Lawrence County are backing a plan they say would cut taxes on small businesses to create jobs, and ban new taxes in the next state budget.

Sen. Patty Ritchie of Heuvelton and Sen. Joseph Griffo of Rome, both Republicans, said the Senate’s 2012 NEW JOBS-NY Job Creation Plan that includes significant tax relief to encourage the creation of new private sector jobs, measures to ensure fiscal responsibility and control state spending, as well as other reforms and incentives to make New York more economically competitive.

Ritchie, chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, said she will push for the plan, which includes special help for farmers and returning veterans who are seeking work, to be part of the new state budget that’s due April 1.

Griffo, who is on the Senate Budget Subcommittee on Economic Development and Tax Policy, advocates the plan and says that it will be included in the Senate budget resolution which will be considered next week.

“We’re pushing for a comprehensive approach to moving New York forward and tackling unemployment," said Griffo. "Here in the Mohawk Valley and North Country, we need immediate action that propels our workforce forward at every stage. By using tax dollars to create jobs, we equip New York businesses to build up their employee base."

“Working with Governor Cuomo, we’ve cut government spending, lowered taxes and started to turn New York around, and this plan provides the extra help that small businesses need to create jobs and put more New Yorkers back to work,” Senator Ritchie said.

The measure includes a proposed amendment to the state constitution to require a “super majority” of two-thirds of the members of each legislative house to pass any tax increase, and plans to cut regulations.

Ritchie pointed to some highlights of the plan:

· Cutting corporate taxes 20 percent for small businesses, saving $65 million

· Speeding up expiration of a temporary 2009 energy tax hike on farmers, small business and residences. The tax hike created a burden for farmers and manufacturers, who use large amounts of electricity in their operations, and would expire a year early under this plan

· Giving a $10,000 tax credit to businesses for every returning veteran they hire, and $5,000 for non-vets, and

· Increasing the value of tuition tax credits for middle class families to help make college more affordable.

The plan also would try to permanently limit the growth in state spending to the rate of inflation. Prior to last year, state spending grew by more than 3-1/2 times the inflation rate. Last year’s budget cut spending, and erased a $10 billion deficit without raising taxes.

The Senate’s jobs plan would also ban new taxes in the new budget, and includes a provision that would make it harder to increase state taxes in the future.

More details about the plan are available at www.ritchie.nysenate.gov.

Ritchie’s 48th District includes most of western St. Lawrence County while Griffo’s 47th district covers the rest of the county.