ALBANY, NY—In response to Governor George Pataki’s State of the State Address, State Senator Jeff Klein (D-Bronx/Westchester) issued the following statement:  

 “I also applaud the governor’s comments on the need for tax relief.  Families and small businesses need meaningful tax relief, as do seniors living on fixed incomes.  Despite the successes of the STAR program, property taxes remain the fastest growing component of New Yorkers’ tax burden.  Rising property values in many parts of the state are a double-edged sword for many seniors who want to spend their golden years in the homes they worked a lifetime to acquire, but cannot afford to because of the crushing burden of property taxes.  I supported efforts to cap county Medicaid costs to help keep local taxes down, and the governor can count on my wholehearted support of efforts to increase STAR benefits and provide a $500 heating fuel tax rebate for seniors.