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Long Island Officials Lobby To Eliminate MTA Payroll Tax

MINEOLA, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Two Long Island senators and other elected officials are backing a bill to repeal the MTA payroll tax for Nassau and Suffolk counties, towns and villages.

Most downstate employers are required to pay a tax on wages, even if workers don't use public transportation.

1010 WINS' Mona Rivera reports

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"Our villages, our towns, our counties should not be paying this tax," Sen. Jack Martins said. "This is the time to address this, we need the relief now."

The state currently collects about $56 million on the tax, a spokesman for State Sen. Lee Zeldin said.

About $3 million of that is from the Nassau County government, which has slashed hundreds of jobs to close a budget deficit.

The MTA is collecting .34 percent for every $100 of payroll.

The tax was repealed for small businesses and schools in December.

(TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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