Group maps the millionaires

The Center for Working Families and a coalition of liberal groups called 99 New York compiled some interesting stats on the number of millionaires in New York. It concludes that the north country has the fewest number of them, which should come as no surprise.

It also helpfully breaks it down by Senate and Assembly district — remember, senators and members of the Assembly will likely vote on whether to extend a tax on those that make more than $1 million. It's also got import on the federal level as our electeds there wrangle with the nation's debt and whether or not to let the Bush tax cuts expire for the wealthy (Rep. Bill Owens, D-Plattsburgh, is in favor of expiration of those tax cuts, while Republican Matt Doheny, his likely November 2012 challenger, says that hiking taxes right now would be disastrous for the economy).

Some figures ("millionaire" means those whose adjusted gross income in 2009 was more than $1 million).

* 66 millionaires live in Senate District 47, represented by state Sen. Joe Griffo, R-Rome.

* 46 millionaires live in Senate District 48, represented by state Sen. Patty Ritchie, R-Heuvelton.

* 27 millionaires live in Assembly District 118, represented by Assemblywoman Addie Russell, D-Theresa.

* 14 millionaires live in Assembly District 122, represented by Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush, R-Black River.

Of these, only Mrs. Russell is pushing for the extension of an income tax surcharge on those who make more than $1 million a year. She argues that it's a matter of fairness, and that in her estimation, students and the elderly are suffering while those well off aren't being asked to shoulder any of the burden.

Even though these numbers make it seem as if the effect on the north country would be minimal, the argument for those opposed — Mr. Griffo, Mr. Blankenbush, and Mrs. Ritchie, as well as Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo — is this: If you tax them, they will leave. They'll bring the jobs they create with them, and the pain will trickle down. Call it the Golisano Rule.

Grou