Friday, December 29, 2017
THE PULSE OF THE PENINSULA
Vol. 92, No. 52
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North Shore braces for GOP tax bill impact L.I. lawmakers, experts worry about law, offer ways to mitigate harm BY LU K E TOR R A N C E A sweeping tax bill passed by Congress last week will severely reduce the tax deductions available to Long Island residents, which has many locals spending the ďŹ nal days of 2017 trying to pre-pay their taxes. The bill was slammed by Long Island politicians across the political spectrum. “This legislation is a disgrace and a ‘punch-in-the-gut’ to middleclass families throughout Long Island and Queens,â€? Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) said in a statement. While no Democrat in Congress supported the bill, only a handful of Republicans joined them in voting against it. The 191 Democrats were joined by 12 Republicans in opposing the bill in the House of Representatives including Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) and Peter King (R-Seaford). Eleven of the 12 Republicans,
the only members of their party in either the House or Senate vote against the bill, represented either New York, New Jersey or California. They opposed the bill for a similar reason: the deduction of state and local tax deductions, which will hit those three states particularly hard. Deductions for state individual income, sales and property taxes will be capped at $10,000. Zeldin called it a “geographic redistribution of wealth� during an interview with CNBC. King said in a statement that the $10,000 cap was not enough and claimed that the bill would reduce home values by as much as 10 to 15 percent. “The bottom line is that while most of the rest of the country will be getting a tax cut, it will be paid for by Long Island residents who will be getting a tax increase,� King said. Continued on Page 45
PHOTO BY JANELLE CLAUSEN
Flynn, a cocker spaniel of Great Neck Estates, looks up to his owner as she offers him treats.
Flynn, G.N. Estates dog, inspires owner, community streets of Great Neck Plaza had to oer as an army of people rallied to search for him. The call for help must have Flynn, a 13-year-old cocker spaniel from Great Neck reached hundreds of people, Estates, battled cold, snowy his owner Dahlia Klein said, weather and whatever else the who were both strangers and
BY JA N E LL E CL AUSEN
friends. People watched out for him for weeks — but partway through, Klein said she began to lose hope. “After about two weeks, I Continued on Page 45
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