ALBANY – Gov. Cuomo says he cut taxes earlier this month, but most voters agree with critics who say he raised them, according to the first poll gauging reaction to the deal to restructure most New Yorkers’ tax rates.
The Quinnipiac University poll found 40 percent of respondents see the new rates as a tax hike and 28 percent as a tax cut, with 32 percent undecided.
The survey found 35 percent thinking their own taxes will go up and 23 percent believe they’ll go down, with 43 percent who don’t know. By more than two to one (38-18 percent), voters lacking a college degree think their taxes are going up.
“The speed in changing the state tax code has left a lot of New Yorkers confused,” said poll spokesman Maurice Carroll. “Most of the state is divided on the merits, with New York City voters more negative than not (40-32 percent).”
In a hastily called special session Dec. 7, Cuomo and lawmakers approved new state personal income rates that are either the same as or lower than current rates.
But the new top rate of 8.82 percent on million-dollar earners or married couples making over $2 million will be well above the 6.85 percent rate that would have taken effect had Cuomo and lawmakers let a temporary surcharge expire as scheduled at year’s end.
The Dec. 12-18 telephone poll of 1,143 registered voters found respondents by 47-35 percent said Cuomo broke his promise not to raise taxes. By 42-23 percent voters believed the secretly-negotiated deal also meant Cuomo broke his pledge to end government by “three men in a room.”
And more (43 percent) said the new tax rates are unfair to them than said they’re fair (37 percent) – with those making under $40,000 saying unfair by 53-28 percent and those making more than $150,000 saying fair in almost identical proportions (54-36 percent).
As for $2 million-earners, 43 percent said the new rates are too low, 10 percent too high and 34 percent about right.
Yet voters still give Cuomo a 68-17 job approval rating – his highest since taking office Jan. 1 in a Quinnipiac poll – with a whopping 76-12 percent among key suburban “swing” voters.
And more poll respondents (38 percent) approved of the new tax rates than disapproved (34 percent).
But respondents weren’t grading Cuomo as a standout student; just 10 percent gave him an A, with 53 percent giving him a B, 25 percent a C, 6 percent a D and 3 percent failing him.
And 58 percent of voters said they’re dissatisfied with the way things are going in New York vs. 42 who expressed satisfaction.
The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percent