Sen. Fred Akshar, of 52nd District that includes Tioga and Broome counties, issued this statement late Sunday in reaction to Democrats proposed budget for the next fiscal year: “Now that the $12.6 billion in federal aid helped eliminate nearly all of New York’s $15 billion deficit, Democrat Senate and Assembly leadership wants to create an even BIGGER deficit through an explosive increase in state spending: 22.6% or $16.9 billion over last year alone.
“How will they pay for it? They plan to start with $7 billion in new taxes, including an 18% surcharge on utilities and insurance companies, which will only drive-up costs for middle-class families.
“This plan will put us first in the nation for taxes and raise our rates to the highest since the 1970s, when New York lost about 1 million residents and half its Fortune 500 companies.
“New York families had it hard enough before the pandemic, but it looks like our Senate and Assembly leaders are doing their best to drive even more New Yorkers out of our state.
“During these exceptionally difficult times, true leadership would be seizing the opportunity of a federal windfall and trying something different that benefits all New Yorkers. Instead, our leaders continue to drunkenly stumble down the same sad road paved with the same mistakes and the same irresponsible, out-of-control spending that’s done nothing but cut our population, put people out of business and keep our state finances in the red year after year after year.
