BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz and Congressman Brian Higgins held a joint press conference Friday to voice concerns Congress could eliminate the state, local tax or SALT deduction.
According to a recent PricewaterhouseCoopers report, it would cost middle-income homeowners $815 annually, even if Republicans doubled the standard deduction in their tax code reform.
"That is unethical," Poloncarz said. "It is uncalled for and it's something that cannot happen."
The report estimated home values would drop by 10 percent, meaning counties would stand to lose property and sales tax revenue. All this, Higgins said, to give tax breaks to corporations and the rich.
"Our economy needs to grow and the only way that it grows is if you do tax reform that disproportionately benefits people at the middle and lower levels," he said.
They're urging Western New York taxpayers to call their Republican representatives Chris Collins and Tom Reed. Collins office said Higgins should be working toward real reform instead of speculating about legislation that isn't public yet.