EDITOR'S NOTE:
Assemblyman Dinowitz stood with Congress members Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jamaal Bowman, State Senators Alessandria Biaggi and Gustavo Rivera, and fellow Bronx assembly members on Thursday January 28th calling for a tax on the Wealthy. We do not know how this became a for a Superwealthy tax all of a sudden.
What's Happening in the 81st Assembly District?
- Bronxites Support Taxing the Superwealthy
- Assembly Passes Small Business Relief Bills
- NYS AG Looking Into Robinhood Crackdown on Retail Investors
- Bronx-Only Vaccine Site Coming to Yankee Stadium
- State and Local Officials from 43 States Push for 30% Land, Water, and Ocean Conservation by 2030
- Indoor Dining to Reopen at 25% on 2/14
- Local Update: Cleanup Begins After Snowfall
- Albany Update: Legislators Ask NYSDOH to Issue Guidance to Nursing Homes About Eviction Moratorium
- Black History Month Begins
- Updates from Government & Community Partners
Bronxites Support Taxing the Superwealthy I was pleased to join a cavalcade of Bronx legislators at a press conference to highlight the urgent need for a massive influx of recurring and equitably sourced state revenue to support social services and other essential programs for Bronxites. The press conference was held outside of Met Council's JCC of Pelham Parkway food pantry, and I was joined by four colleagues in the Bronx Assembly Delegation (Assemblymembers Nathalia Fernandez, Karines Reyes, Kenny Burgos, Amanda Septimo) as well as Congressmembers Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jamaal Bowman, and State Senators Gustavo Rivera and Alessandra Biaggi.We need the federal government to step up and provide the magnitude of disaster relief we need to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. We also need to ensure that the wealthiest among us are paying their fare share, instead of placing the largest burden on poor people who can least afford it. This means raising taxes in a way that will not impact the vast majority of working people, but will specifically target the superwealthy who have continued to get richer while most of us are lucky if we just kept our jobs.Among others, I believe these proposals are good ideas that should be incorporated into the state budget this year:- Create additional tax brackets for high income earners – currently a New Yorker who makes $100 million per year pays the same tax rate as someone who makes $1.5 million per year, who pays marginally more than someone who makes only $150,000 per year.
- Raise taxes on capital gains – it is ridiculous that wage labor is taxed at higher overall rates than stock sales.
- Enact a tax on inherited wealth above a certain level – most working people can scrimp and save their entire lives but never accumulate the millions and billions of dollars that the superwealthy are often born into.
- Enact a wealth tax – if property owners have to pay annual property taxes, then stock portfolio owners should have to pay annual taxes on that too.
- Restore taxes on corporate profits – if Congress doesn't repeal the horrible Republican tax plan that was enacted federally in 2017, then New York state should do it for them.
- Enact a pied-â-terre tax – most working-class New Yorkers are lucky to own one home, let alone two homes that are worth millions of dollars. We are in a housing crisis and it is reasonable to ask those superwealthy homeowners to pay a little extra for the privilege of storing vacant an otherwise usable home.
There are a number of other ideas being discussed as well, and I believe that all options should be on the table for discussion. There are other motivations for it, but the legalization of cannabis would also presumably generate revenue that can help address urgent needs in some of the communities that need help the most. I expect that the legalization of sports betting will also be up for discussion, and although I have a healthy skepticism of gambling revenue both morally and fiscally – I think it is worth having a realistic conversation about how much revenue that would generate.Bronx-Only Vaccine Site Coming to Yankee Stadium The Governor announced that Yankee Stadium will be used as a dedicated vaccine distribution site for Bronx residents. The details have not been finalized yet but the site would be reserved for Bronx residents only. The Governor's initial announcement can be found here.I am continuing to advocate for dedicated vaccine distribution sites throughout the Bronx so that every neighborhood has convenient access to these life-saving vaccines. We are currently restricted by the supply of vaccines, but there are several locations that are already operating relatively close to our community.Please be aware that the following mass vaccination sites have been established in our community so far:• Walton High School Campus (2780 Reservoir Avenue, between West 195 and 197th Streets) – website herePlease also check the following websites for additional locations:• Your physician or local pharmacy may also have information on scheduling vaccine appointmentsNOTE ON AVAILABILITY: There are new distribution sites opening and additional vaccine doses arriving every day. Please be patient and continue to monitor these appointment links frequently if you are trying to get a vaccine.Please be aware that my office cannot book an appointment on anybody's behalf. If you are contacting us because the above websites and phone numbers are not able to provide you an appointment, unfortunately, please keep trying.Indoor Dining to Reopen in NYC at 25% on 2/14 Although I absolutely want to help restaurant owners remain in business after the pandemic, I must say I am disappointed to hear that the Governor intends to reopen indoor dining in New York City as soon as February 14. I believe we should actually be going the other direction, especially with a federal government that is getting closer to a new aid package that would include money for small businesses, and restrict indoor dining statewide so that we can instead prioritize getting children back into classrooms as safely as possible.We are slowly but surely getting people vaccinated, and with stable leadership in the White House I think we are on a good trajectory to beat the COVID-19 pandemic once and for all. The goal should be to minimize loss of life until we reach that point, and frankly I do not understand how forcing restaurant workers back inside to serve customers who are already more cavalier about transmitting the virus than those who are satisfied with outdoor dining or getting takeout makes anybody safer. I would much rather see universal access to funds like the Paycheck Protection Program and rental assistance, at least until we have the opportunity to get these workers vaccinated.
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