Long Island Officials Suggest Secession from New York State

Oakdale, New York -- At a breakfast symposium Friday, Nov. 14, Martin Cantor, of the Long Island Economic and Social Policy Institute, announced that between the years 2002 and 2006, Long Island taxpayers sent to Albany $11.6 billion more than they received in state aid. Although Long Island educates 17 percent of the students in New York State, it only receive 14 percent of the state aid dedicated to education, noted Cantor and Suffolk County Comptroller Joseph Sawicki.

Due to these numbers, Sawicki suggested Long Island needed to think "outside the box" in order to "fix the economy." Although Sawicki already said Long Island should consider seceding from the state back in March, he noted that our island is "really left in the dark" in terms of state aid, and that the idea of seceding is not so far-fetched.

These numbers are from a March study by LIESP at Dowling College concerning state aid to Long Island. It was done as Sawicki's request.

Mortgage tax revenues are down 46 percent compared with last year; Sawicki noted he does not think we can afford to solve problems in New York State, and if the "amount of home 'for sale' signs and the mortgage crisis are not indications of this, nothing is," he said.

Cantor noted there is an inaccurate perception that Long Islanders are wealthy and less in need of New York State financial assistance than other parts of the state, when in reality, Long Islanders pay 20 percent more of their household incomes on property taxes than other people in the state.

The state deprived Long Island's 944,5133 households of $12,292 of "discretionary spendable income," Cantor noted, and because of higher taxes and housing costs, Long Island has a negative disposable income, while other regions in the state have a positive one, Cantor said

Governor David Paterson is looking to cut $2 billion from the state budget, Cantor noted, and said the governor should "discontinue the practice of viewing Long Island as New York State's cash cow." Cantor said in order for the state's economy to prosper, " a strong Long Island economy is crucial, something that may prove elusive if the practice of transferring Long Island's economic activity elsewhere continues."