Assemblyman says it's time to pay up

NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — A Brooklyn legislator says cash-strapped New York should collect taxes it’s owed before taxing its people any more.

Brooklyn Assemblyman William Colton told 1010 WINS, the state is owed $14.4 billion in delinquent taxes and said the state should do its due diligence to collect the money.

Colton hopes a new website set up by the Department of Taxation and Finance will shame some of those delinquent taxpayers to pay up.

The website names the top 250 violating individual taxpayers and business taxpayers.

“Let’s change Albany by making sure that our middle-income families are not shortchanged by having wealthy companies and individuals get away with billions of dollars of unpaid taxes,” Colton said.

The strip club “Scores” tops the list — owing 14.7 million. Disgraced financier Bernie Madoff is number 147 on the list of individuals — owing $1.6 million.

The list – which has been up since April 2010 – will be updated every month, Colton said.

“They have to get top lawyers to go in and close the tax loopholes and they have to start fighting to get every penny of unpaid taxes that is owned by the wealthy businesses and individuals that are forcing middle income families to suffer,” he said.