How many millionaires are there in the north country?

That's the question I asked myself when Assemblywoman Addie Russell came out in support of a temporary extension of the millionaire's tax, while phasing out the lower brackets. So only those making more than $1 million a year would see their incomes garnished at a higher level.

Here's my storythat sought to find out.

Unfortunately, the state doesn't track millionaires, so the closest we could come was to track half-millionaires. And the numbers are from 2008, so, if Republicans and Gov. Cuomo are to be believed, that number has dwindled even more.

Not surprisingly, Mrs. Russell argues that this is evidence that a millionaire's tax is a good — and fair — idea to help sustain cuts to education.

And not surprisingly, Republicans are saying: The person who owns the business down the street might be a millionaire. She's providing jobs to the community. Don't scare her out of the state, like you did to Tom Golisano.

It's one of the basic arguments we have in politics on the fairness of the tax rate, playing out right here, today, in the north country.