Spitzer's "Loopholes"

New York's Business Council calls out Governor Eliot Spitzer and The New York Times for their continued use of the phrase "closing loopholes" when they're actually describing tax hikes:

The New York Times continues its policy of referring to Governor Spitzer's business-tax proposals as efforts to close "loopholes," thus buying into one side's arguments in the debate over tax policy. Our Webster's defines "loophole" as: "an ambiguity or omission in the text through which the intent of a statute, contract, or obligation may be evaded." Most of the proposed tax changes in the Executive Budget affect provisions that previous governors and legislators wrote purposefully into the law, and that employers in New York are using exactly as intended. Senate Majority Leader Bruno, Assembly Minority Leader Tedisco, The Business Council and others have pointed these things out repeatedly. Senator Bruno even quoted from a Business Council brochure on the subject during Tuesday's leaders meeting: "These are no mere 'loophole' closings.'" The Times apparently hasn't noticed -- or maybe its reporters just disagree.

Earlier: Read His Lips
Related:
Albany Formula of 3 Men in a Room Expands to 6, With One at Odds with the Rest [NYT]
Bottle Bill Revenue a Bone of Contention [Middletown Times-Herald Record]