Ceretto comments on 2014 State of the State

Tax relief for Western New York families is top priority 

Assemblyman John Ceretto, R-C-I-Lewiston, rolled out his priorities for the 2014 legislative session in response to the governor's State of the State address at the Capitol today. Ceretto's top priority for the year is to use the projected $2 billion surplus to deliver significant tax relief to Western New York families. Ceretto issued the following statement on tax relief: 

"The most important thing we can do for Western New York families this year is deliver a substantial tax relief package. My proposal to double the STAR property tax exemption and cut the state income tax by 2 percent would get this accomplished," he said. "I hear Western New York families constantly talk about the struggle to keep up with their bills, and this package would put an additional $2,000 in the average families' bank account. I look forward to working with the governor to help struggling Western New York families keep more of their hard-earned money." 

In addition to tax relief, Ceretto is also pushing for the passage of the Public Assistance Integrity Act, which will curb welfare abuse. If this bill is not passed this year, New York risks losing hundreds of millions in federal public assistance funding, significantly harming honest people on hard times that use public assistance as a hand up rather than a hand out, Ceretto said.

"It makes no sense that the Public Assistance Integrity Act is not already law, and I will be pushing to pass it this year," he said. "Public assistance is intended to help families that fall on hard times, and we hurt those families by not passing this law since federal funding is contingent on it. For the sake of both needy families and taxpayers, I will work to get this passed."