February 14, 2011. The personal income tax (PIT) surcharge should be continued. It is not onerous, and it is offset by federal tax cuts. Moreover, unemployment is projected to stay above 7 percent until 2014; budget cuts worsen unemployment and the adversity experienced by many families in a weak economy. New York needs a balanced approach to balancing the budget, one that looks also at the revenue side, rather than relying too heavily on the cutting side. Brief >>