Score! The "Tax Expert" was wrong. The Instructions for IT-196 (Line 44) provide both a formula and an example to show how to add a big chunk of the union dues that was excluded by the 2% floor.
Why Turbo Tax can't do this is enough to send me to a CPA or EA. The whole point of using the software is to address situations like this. New York has made their itemization rules more complex than they probably need to, but in their defense, it gives professionals (I'm an actor, and proud Union member) a deduction that is not allowed on the IRS 1040.
