The Climate and Community Investment Act is a wolf in sheep’s clothing putting all of us at risk in upstate New York of significant energy price increases without any direct benefits. As a result, I am reaching out to my neighbors to speak up in opposition of this bill. Regardless of our political leanings, if the below-proposed bills pass in the state senate and the state assembly, then we will pay an additional 55 cent sales tax per gallon each time we fill up our vehicles at the gas pumps as reported on the local television news.
New York State Assembly Bill A6967 and New York Senate Bill S4264 are nicely disguised as the Climate and Community Investment Act. The intent is to accelerate the transition to renewable energy in New York and prioritize the allocation of public investments into disadvantaged communities. While CCIA states that the “polluters” would pay to help NY scale renewable energy and electric vehicles in disadvantaged communities, the reality is that the noted “polluters” are all of us who drive cars and heat our homes with fossil fuels.
I am not against renewable energy; but I strongly believe that renewable energy and our natural resources must work together to accommodate all people in New York State. Upstate New Yorker’s already pay 42 cent sales tax per gallon each time we fill up our vehicles. New York also has one of the highest gas tax rates in the nation as well as having some of the highest income and property taxes.
If this legislation is passed, your home heating bills would rise if you heat by natural gas, oil, or propane by as much as 26 percent. This increase would have a direct impact on our local businesses, schools, farmers, seniors, and the lower income “at risk” residents this is designed to support. Sufficient market incentives already exist to support the growth of renewable energy in New Your state through federal and state tax incentives. Additionally, the cost of renewable energy and electric vehicles is already on decline that is driven by the competitive process of our economy. We should let the market and private investments bear the costs and benefits of this energy transition. After a year where our local businesses and households are struggling to make ends meet, none of us should be forced to bear increased taxes.
I am strongly urging each one of you to contact your state senate and assembly representatives to let them know that you are opposed to this legislation or New York will lose our greatest assets: our people, businesses and jobs. For each community that the Westside News reaches, I have listed below your state assembly and senate contact information. It takes just five minutes at the most to make your voices heard. I hope that you take the opportunity on these important issues.
New York State Assembly:
134th District – Greece, Spencerport-Ogden, Hilton-Parma
Josh Jensen, 585-225-4190, jensenj@nyassembly.gov
138th District – Chili, North Chili
Harry B. Bronson, 585-244-5255, bronsonh@nyassembly.gov
139th District – Hamlin, Clarkson, Kendall, Bergen, Clarendon, Holley-Murray, Brockport-Sweden, Churchville-Riga
Stephen M. Hawley, 585-589-5780, hawleys@nyassembly.gov
New York State Senate:
District 56 – Clarkson, Gates, Greece, Hamlin, Parma
Jeremy Cooney, 585-225-3650, cooney@nysenate.gov
District 61 – Bergen, Churchville-Riga, Chili, North Chili
Edward A. Rath III, 716-631-8695, Rath@nysenate.gov
District 62 – Kendall, Clarendon, Holley-Murray, Brockport-Sweden, Spencerport-Ogden
Robert G. Ortt, 716-434-0680, Ortt@nysenate.gov
