activism

here is a press release from Acorn. they've done some # crunching and found that Comcast gets $4.6 million a year in tax abatements. given the current crisis that should be reconsidered. this is part of the Coalition of Essential Services which I've participated in:

Yearly Multi-Million Dollar Abatements and Poor Customer Service:
It’s Comcastic!

Taxpayers to rally, say, “We’re not satisfied either!”

Who: ACORN members along with the Coalition for Essential Services
When: Wednesday, April 22nd – 12 Noon
Where: 1701 JFK Boulevard (The Comcast Center)

In light of the City’s budget crisis, ACORN and its allies are calling for an end to tax abatements for Comcast and Liberty Property Trust and other large corporations.

New York state recently enacted tax increases on the wealthy creating two new tax brackets for those making over $300,000 and $500,000 a year. The state will raise $4 billion from the increases. While this is represents what the NYT describes as "signal of the new balance of power in Albany, where Democrats won control of both houses of the Legislature and the governor’s office in last year’s election" it is interesting that the democratic governor, accepted the plan after winning significant spending cuts in areas like health care and education.

So while this is a victory for those who have been dismayed by the rising inequality in this country over the last thirty years it doesn't necessarily represent a move on the state level to significantly reverse that trend.