Senator Charles J. Fuschillo Jr. recently blasted the proposed reinstatement of the New York City commuter tax and called a LIRR rate hike counterproductive.

"New York City is in a budget crisis and putting the burden on the backs of hardworking commuters is highly unfair," Fuschillo said. In May of 1999, Fuschillo stood side-by-side with Governor Pataki at a Long Island Rail Road station when the commuter tax was officially abolished. As a result, commuters from both Nassau and Suffolk Counties are now saving a total of more than $100 million a year.

"To say that commuters are not already giving their fair share back to the city is blatantly wrong," Fuschillo said. "In addition to the expense of getting into the city each and every day, they spend millions of dollars on dining, shopping and other necessities while in the city. If the city wants to stimulate their economy, they should focus on creating jobs and boosting tourism rather than raising taxes."

Before it was removed from state law, the commuter tax was a 30-year-old so called "temporary" tax on New York State residents who work in New York City, but live outside the five boroughs.

Fuschillo further stated that the proposed rate hike for LIRR commuters would add to the already high expense of traveling into the city and cost New York jobs. It may also encourage rail commuters to travel into the city by car, therefore increasing traffic, air pollution and fuel usage.

"In the aftermath of September 11, we must support new initiatives to boost our economy - not add any undue financial burdens," Fuschillo said. "A commuter tax and a LIRR fare hike will do more damage than good."

Senator Fuschillo announced recently that Nassau County has opted into a New York State law he authored that will allow any senior citizen who qualified for the Enhanced STAR program to be exempt from the new Nassau County 19.4 percent increase.

"I wrote this law to protect seniors from this increase in taxes," Fuschillo said. "New York State created the Enhanced STAR program to give needed tax breaks to seniors on limited incomes." Senior citizens who are age 65 and older are eligible for Enhanced STAR as well as Senator Fuschillo's new county tax exemption law if they have a household income under $62,100.

"Seniors living on limited incomes cannot handle the additional hardships that a 19.4 percent tax increase would increase would cause," said Christine Prinzivalli, president, Bellmore-Merrick AARP. "On behalf of our membership and all seniors throughout the county, I wish to thank Senator Fuschillo for writing a law that protects seniors on limited incomes."

"By Nassau County opting into this new tax relief law, seniors will be protected from an added expense that would cause them to make great sacrifices in their means of living," Fuschillo said.