March 6, 2008 (LPAC)--Assembly Democrats in New York State will introduce legislation next week to increase the tax on hedge fund managers and others who earn $1 million per year, from the current 6.85 percent to 7.7 percent, the New York Times reports today. The legislation would produce $1.5 billion in its first year, from 26,000 New York State residents, for the State's General Fund, and, but its second year, the proceeds would be split between the General Fund and transportation infrastructure improvements--roads, bridges, and the New York City subway system (MTA). The Democrats' plan thus vitiates the need for the medieval "congestion tax" toll proposed by New York's fascist Mayor Michael Bloomberg, which the New York State Legislature is being pressured to vote up by March 31, or else lose Federal money promised for the fascist Bloomberg plan.

The Senate Republicans, whom Bloomberg has supported handsomely with donations over the past year, adamantly oppose the tax, as does Democratic Governor Elliot Spitzer, a member of Bloomberg's Rebuilding America's Future Coalition. Said Spitzer: "That [raising taxes on those who make $1 million/year] is not something we can afford to do now."

Assemblyman Richard Brodsky (D-Westchester) reminded the Republicans that they supported a tax on those who made over $150,000 per year in 2003, so overwhelmingly that they overrode then Gov. George Pataki's (R) veto of it. "The Senate has already voted for this tax for people with incomes of $150,000. It should be no problem for them to vote for the same thing for people with higher incomes," said Brodsky.

At the same time, the New York Times reported that it is none other than Mayor Bloomberg himself who is responsible for much of New York City's auto congestion. The Mayor's office has given out 142,000 (counting continues) parking permits allowing city employees to drive to work and park near their police stations, schools, etc. Bloomberg, who had promised to cut these free parking permits when he took office in 2002, instead failed to even take an inventory! Today Bloomberg was confronted with the evidence that there are at least 142,000 free parking permits in NYC--twice as many as Bloomberg estimated were in circulation, and thus, Bloomberg's cut of 20% would only reduce that number by 28,000. Furthermore, reducing the permits depends on enforcement; police and law enforcement hold most of them, and it is unlikely that police will ticket other police.

Every member of the New York City Council has been given a questionnaire on where they stand on Bloomberg's congestion tax, as opposition spreads.