New York State has started the New Year as it ended the last decade … with a declining population. New York’s overall population fell by 0.4 percent or 76,790 people in 2019. That’s No. 1 in population loss among the 50 states. If that’s not a infamous enough distinction, The Empire Center “think tank” says New York has lost 1.4 million residents since 2010.
Sen. Fred Akshar, of the 52nd District (Tioga, Broome and Chenango counties) posted this statement on his Facebook page: “We can’t continue the same broken tax-and-spend policies and expect different results. We will only continue driving hardworking families and businesses out of our state seeking a more affordable way of life and continue raising taxes on those who haven’t left yet.
“But we can’t simply complain without offering solutions either. The Governor’s $8 billion economic development fund could go directly toward covering the rising costs of Medicaid, particularly at the local level.
“My proposal forces the state to cover the local municipalities’ Medicaid mandates, and forces local government to pass those savings directly to the taxpayers, which could reduce local property tax bills by 30-40% over 5 years. That’s the kind of savings that helps keep families here, encourages businesses to stay and grow and helps rebuild our local economies.
“We can’t outspend our income, and New York needs to make the same decisions hardworking families make every day and be responsible with our tax dollars.”
