It’s the Politicians of New York against the Telecommuter again. The state already levies New York state income tax against out of state telecommuters who are forced to pay in their own state as well.
Now New York City is seeking $500 million in federal grant dollars for mass transit to limit traffic congestion in high traffic areas of the city.
The plan includes new taxes for people traveling ot these high congestion areas too.
That means
1. The people already helping relieve congestion are already penalized - telecommuters.
2. They will be taxed more for the times they DO report to work, and
3. Their federal tax dollars (their share of $500 million) will go to help implement the extra taxation
This legal analyst Nicole Belson Goluboff suggests the following…
In pursuing the $500 million the federal government has dangled before New York City, Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Spitzer are asking the nation – including the telecommuters New York State double taxes – to subsidize a congestion reduction program even as the state punishes workers who help limit traffic. The federal government should not abide the inconsistency: It should make repeal of the rule a condition of federal funding.
New York can easily repeal the rule itself. Because the rule was created by regulation, rather than statute, no legislative action is necessary. The Spitzer administration need only amend the regulation to remove the rule. Doing so would demonstrate true environmental leadership.
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