"As the most vocal, outspoken and consistent supporters of a real property tax cap, our Assembly Minority Conference and I were genuinely pleased that Governor Paterson called for enactment of a tax cap during his State of the State Address.

If the Governor is truly serious about achieving this goal, he will include a tax cap as part of the 30-day amendments to his 2009-10 Executive Budget. The Governor has been talking about a property tax cap since spring. We don't need more talk, studies, commissions, or reports. We need action, and we need it now.

Our Conference has already introduced legislation - the 'New York State Property Taxpayer Protection Act' - that would implement a real property tax cap and give homeowners some much-needed relief. It was our hope that the Governor would include a tax cap in his Executive Budget, as we had previously encouraged him to do.

Submission of his 30-day amendments provides yet another golden opportunity for this Governor to show he means what he says about getting a real tax cap in place. Millions of New York's overtaxed middle class homeowners hope he will follow through. Talk is cheap. Property taxes - and any further delay in enacting a tax cap - are costly."