Statement by Senate Republican Leader Dean Skelos

Since the Governor proposed his Executive Budget five months ago, Senate Republicans have consistently said that we will not support a budget that includes more taxes, fees and borrowing because we are listening to the people of this state who have simply had enough and don’t want to pay any more.  

Governor Paterson’s comments in radio interviews this morning regarding his preference for tax increases over borrowing to close the budget deficit confirms what I said earlier this week, that New York taxpayers should be prepared for yet another massive tax increase and this is totally unacceptable.

Democrat leaders estimate that as much as 60 percent of the budget has been passed, yet only about one billion dollars in spending has been cut, leaving little room for additional cuts to close the $9.5 billion state budget deficit.  

At the leaders meeting yesterday, I warned Governor Paterson, Senator Sampson and Speaker Silver that they are headed towards a budget that relies on more taxes, more fees, more borrowing and more gimmicks to close the budget gap.  

If the Governor sticks to the comments he made this morning that he would favor additional taxes but would veto borrowing, it’s makes it even more clear that taxpayers should hold onto their wallets because the Democrats are ready to hit them up for more money.

Last year Democrats approved a disastrous budget that increased taxes by $2400 a year for a family of four. They increased state spending by $13 billion, increased taxes by $8.5 billion and passed a devastating $1.5 billion payroll tax on downstate New Yorkers; all leading to the massive deficit the state faces today. 

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