Sen.-elect Charles Schumer yesterday proposed using the billions New York will get in the tobacco settlement to reduce property taxes by doling out annual checks to homeowners.
"This would be a 10 percent property-tax reduction for the average homeowner in New York," Schumer said in a taping of WCBS-TV's "Sunday Edition," which will air tomorrow.
"I'm already speaking to state legislative leaders about getting this done and then doing it at the federal level if and when there's a federal settlement," he said.
Throughout his campaign, Schumer proposed using the tobacco money for property-tax reduction, but he never called for direct rebates.
"Each person gets a check each year," Schumer said.
While he acknowledged that Mayor Giuliani has some reservations about the settlement, Schumer said taxpayers ultimately should get the money directly.
"New York City should get New York City's portion, but whether it should go to the local elected leaders or whether it should go directly to the citizens ... is the issue. I think it should go to property-tax reduction," he said.
After declaring victory in the attorney general's race on Thursday, Eliot Spitzer said he opposed the tobacco deal because it doesn't have enough funding for anti-tobacco programs for kids.
"I am disturbed by what appear to be, unfortunately, weak clauses with respect to the health-related aspects of the deal," Spitzer told reporters.
"I think the sum of money that will be transferred to the states is an appealing sum of money. On the other hand, what is more important, ultimately, is that we create an environment in which smoking is not foisted upon kids."