State budget full of taxes, some spending cuts

(AP) - Wealthier New Yorkers will be paying moretaxes under the state budget agreement worked out by Gov. DavidPaterson and legislative leaders over the weekend. But the overhaul of Reagan-era income

News 12 Staff

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Mar 30, 2009, 5:13 PM

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Updated 5,744 days ago

(AP) - Wealthier New Yorkers will be paying moretaxes under the state budget agreement worked out by Gov. DavidPaterson and legislative leaders over the weekend.

But the overhaul of Reagan-era income tax brackets doesn'tinclude using $1 billion for a relief program to reduce the taxbills of middle-class families.

Paterson says tough choices were made in order to close thelargest deficit in the state's history.

The nearly $132 billion budget for the state fiscal year thatbegins Wednesday is more than $10 billion above the currentspending plan, but most of that is in federal economic stimulusfunds.

One casualty of the budget is the STAR rebate check taxpayershave been receiving. But $170 million in spending for legislators'pet projects back home remains untouched.