Submitted by George N. Spitz, Nov 5, 2006 11:48

Don't forget Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney. With a Democratic victory, she is in line to be named Chairperson of the important Joint Economic Committee consisting of Senators and members of the House of Representatives and The House Financial Services Committee Subcommittee on Financial Institutions. The late great economic writer Robert Heilbronner said that Carolyn Maloney had a player for economics.

When Carolyn Maloney became a member of Congress in 1993, the first budget contained provisions that could have been devastating to New York city's economy including a 1% utility tax and a sharp increase in in Social Security taxes. She was the sole Democratic member from New York City to vote against these revenue hikes.

Evidently understanding Carolyn Maloney's desire protect her constituents, the Clinton administration discarded the utility tax and reduced the increase to senior citizens. The budget passed by one vote

As a senior citizen who owns a cooperative studio apartment, and relies on Social Security for around 30% of my income, I estimate that Carolyn Maloney's wise decision saves me $700-$900 a year. In her powerful new responsibilities, Carolyn Maloney is likely to do many constructive things for New York City and United States of America

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