A legislative statement from Assemblyman Kevin Byrne (R,C,I,Ref-Mahopac)
“Gov. Cuomo stood behind a podium that featured a sign reading “Stand United to Fight for New York” during his budget proposal earlier this week. Unfortunately, his insistence on blaming the federal government for New York’s tax woes, while doing very little at the state level to address our skyrocketing debt and irresponsible spending, will only serve to further divide residents of our state.
“During his presentation, Gov. Cuomo did acknowledge that tax migration is a real thing, but instead of taking responsibility for the nearly one million people who have left our state since 2011, he pointed to the federal government claiming it will cause New Yorkers to flee from our state. New York’s outmigration problem existed long before our current President took office.
“Rather than playing the blame game with Washington or pointing fingers at local governments to explain our state’s financial woes, New York’s leadership needs to take a long hard look in the mirror and seriously consider how we can reduce the crushing financial burden on our state’s hardworking families.
“Our state has one of the largest budgets in the nation, is already facing a $4 billion dollar deficit, along with over $60 billion in state-funded debt. As much as the governor would like you to think that the federal government is to blame for these issues, it is simply not the case. Now more than ever we must push for fiscal responsibility, while addressing our government’s excessive spending, backdoor borrowing and various tax-code deficiencies that have plagued our state for the better part of the last decade.
“As much as I may criticize many aspects of the governor’s proposal, I will continue to support the responsible use of state funds to better protect the public health and safety of our many residents. To that end, Gov. Cuomo is on point in expressing the need to address the harmful algae blooms in New York’s waterbodies and go after the pharmaceutical companies that have contributed to the state’s opioid epidemic.
“Still, major changes to the status quo are needed to safeguard our state’s economic future. I look forward to continuing to work toward these goals throughout this year’s legislative session.”
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