Senator Stec: “Another year, another tone-deaf executive budget proposal”
Senator Dan Stec (R,C-Queensbury) today issued the following statement concerning Governor Hochul’s Executive Budget proposal:
“Just one week ago, at her State of the State address, Governor Hochul admitted that New York must do more to become more affordable. What is needed is action to restore fiscal sanity to our state and provide immediate relief to middle-class families. Rather than do that, the governor presented a budget that continues the same trends of high taxes and overspending.
“Her $252 billion spending plan is $13 billion more than last year’s enacted state budget and $84 billion more than the last budget passed before Democrats assumed total control of state government in 2019. This chronic, massive increase in spending has been a hallmark of Democrat leadership and this year’s proposal only further positions New York for financial disaster. At a time when so many families and businesses have been forced to stretch out a dollar and are expected to do more with less, it’s unacceptable that the governor and Democrat leaders refuse to do the same with state spending. The inability to do so only magnifies how weak Governor Hochul’s affordability plans are.
“Governor Hochul’s ‘relief’ for taxpayers comes in the form of ‘inflation rebate’ checks that merely pay lip service to the state’s continued overtaxing of families and small businesses. The middle-class tax cut and child tax credit she was quick to tout in her State of the State address are being slow-rolled, with a two-year phase-in for each. These inadequate proposals do not come close to meeting the immediate needs of our residents and do little to address the immediate and ongoing affordability crises we face. Instead of gimmick checks and an insulting 0.2 percent tax cut for families, there must be substantive tax relief and state government needs to rein in its out of control, rampant spending.
“This could be accomplished by securing our northern border and ending the massive, multi-billion dollar handouts to illegal immigrants, which is continued in this proposal. There was nothing that would bring relief to the border counties, which have had to spend money to address a crisis created by the governor and Democrat leaders’ failing, unpopular sanctuary state and city policies.
“The governor could stop allowing the MTA to siphon tens of billions in taxpayer funds each year at the expense of our region’s infrastructure, but this plan doesn’t do anything to address that. This means taxpayers are still on the hook for the continued financial ineptitude of downstate Democrats and the MTA.
“Last year’s election was a referendum on affordability, the migrant crisis and public safety. Apparently, Governor Hochul didn’t understand that message. The moment calls for a governor that will rise to the occasion, show leadership and address the very real issues our families and small businesses face. What we received was yet another tone deaf Executive Budget proposal.”
Posted: January 21st, 2025 under Northern NY News, Political News, State Government News, State Legislator News.