Submitted by Mike, Mar 29, 2007 09:40

By definition, city residents don't pay the commuter tax. Commuters from outside the city pay the commuter tax. As Mayor of NY a supply-side minded person is right to support the commuter tax because it shifts the tax burden away from city taxpayers, thus lowering local taxes for local people.

Most importantly, these commuters benefit from the same emergency, sanitation and other public services that locals do without paying local income tax. Look at a filled trash can near the Port Authority and imagine how much of its contents were brought in from New Jersey that morning?

Sure, all taxes should be reduced or eliminated when possible. Truthfully, I don't think any supply-sider likes the commuter-tax any more than the city income tax. But as Mayor, Rudy's position was to look out for taxpaying constituents. Support of commuter tax is no indication that Rudy will be weak on tax reform as President because we will all be his constiuents.

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