Tax Credit Response

There's a piece in the NY Sun today (subscription required) that quotes from a letter blasting Shelly Silver for his lack of support on the tax credits. The open letter, put out by Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, the spiritual leader of the Diocese of Brooklyn, spares nothing in his harsh asessment of the way Shelly handled the proposal:

In a strongly worded letter sent to lawmakers on Friday, Nicholas DiMarzio, the spiritual leader of the Diocese of Brooklyn, accused Sheldon Silver of weakening the Democratic process in the state by opposing tuition tax credits.

He also said Mr. Silver personally insulted him when the lawmaker suggested last week that part of the reason he opposes tuition tax credits is because he suspects that parochial schools will raise tuition to take advantage of the tax break to parents of schoolchildren.

"I write to express my profound disappointment in the decision of the Senate and the Assembly to not include Education Tax Credits in this year's budget," Bishop DiMarzio wrote in a letter addressed to all of the state's Assembly members and senators.

Responding to an article in The New York Sun quoting Mr. Silver as saying that he doesn't trust that religious schools would freeze their tuition if the state handed out tuition tax credits, Bishop DiMarzio wrote, "I take personal umbrage at Speaker Silver's remarks. ... The Speaker is well aware, from a meeting held on February 14 with Cardinal Egan and I, along with Jewish and Independent School leaders," that they "pledged precisely not to raise tuition in our schools in response to passage of Education Tax Credits."

Bishop DiMarzio's letter articulates the Catholic Church's position on the issue of tuition tax credits in much starker terms than previous public statements. After the Assembly last month put out its own proposal for an unrestricted tax credit, Cardinal Egan and Bishop DiMarzio refrained from making any critical comments about the plan.

In his letter, the bishop cites the support that the governor's plan has received from the heads of the Brooklyn and Queens Democratic organizations and from Attorney General Eliot Spitzer and other lawmakers. "How then is it possible that you will allow your leadership to undermine our democratic process?" he wrote.

...In the letter, the bishop argues instead that a tax plan that helps parents pay private school tuition would "recognize the many sacrifices of immigrant families that send their children to non-public schools in the hope for a safe and better future for their children."

The bishop's letter arrives on the desks of lawmakers during a critical point in the budget process. Mr. Pataki has indicated that he will demand from lawmakers that they change the Legislature's tax credit plan so that it requires parents to use the money on educational expenses.

The letter puts additional pressure on both the Assembly and the Senate to address the governor's concerns. The governor's plan has support from New York City lawmakers in both houses, many of whom come from districts with a high percentage of Catholic, Jewish, and low-income voters.

I am personally a supporter of the Tax Credit proposal, and thought it was a very reasonable and well thought out way to get the topic of education choice on the table (and into the budget). I was disappointed by Mr. Silver's lack of support for the proposal, and his siding with the Teacher's Union on this issue. Contrast Bishop DiMarzio wording to that in a letter the Orthodox Union distributed at its annual dinner last night (click image to enlarge):

As we would like to see the final product closer to being tied specifically to family spending on educational services, the OU will be continuing our advocacy efforts this week and we ask YOU to join us by taking action. Please call your State Senator (Senate Operator: 518-455-2800) and Assemblymember (Assembly Operator: 518-455-4100) on Monday, April 3, to ask them to support tax credits specifically tied to family spending on education. Please call Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver as well .

It remains to be seen whether asking nicely will get the OU, and us, anywhere. But I give Bishop DiMarzio a lot of credit for saying it like it is.