Gioia and Charles Shebar have traveled to Albany for more than three decades to tell lawmakers what they need to do.

A member of the United Federation of Teachers, Gioia's fought for better teaching and learning conditions in New York City schools. She's rallied for a Cost-of-Living Adjustment for retirees.

This year, and for the past six years, the husband-and-wife team have made several trips for property tax reform.

When asked why, Gioia — now a retiree — says "because real reform now is the only way to help my friends who are on the verge of losing their historic farm, or my friend who cares for her sick adult child and may lose her home to property taxes that are 50 percent of her income."

She was one of almost 100 participants in a day of action June 2 to press lawmakers to pass legislation for a fiscally responsible property tax circuit breaker by the end of this month.

She is among the 17 member organizations of the Omnibus Consortium, a coalition of property tax-reform groups, fiscal watchdogs and labor groups.

The group honored members of the state Assembly and Senate who have pressed for reform.

Wearing red shirts and waving placards calling for "Circuit Breaker Now," a group of about 30 visited lawmakers' offices and also activists provided literature — on a symbolic silver platter — at the Senate and Assembly chambers.

Sam Davis, who teaches science at the DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx, has rallied for a variety of social justice issues.

"I think this is the most important issue in the state right now, because if it doesn't get taken care of, we'll end up with the very poor and the very wealthy," Davis said.

The Omnibus Tax Reform bill would:

• limit a person's property taxes to a fixed percentage of their income;
• cover all local property taxes, not just school taxes;
• be phased in over four years by gradually increasing the program's income limits and by phasing in coverage for renters during the second and third years; and
• have the same rate for downstate and upstate residents.

"Circuit breaker property tax reform is needed now more than ever," said Ron Deutsch of New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness. "Foreclosures are skyrocketing. New Yorkers are losing their jobs, or having hours cut to part-time work."

Now is the time, he said, "to help those thousands of New Yorkers who have lost income but still have property taxes to pay."