Statement by Senate Republican Leader Dean Skelos

Photo Caption: Senator Skelos displays a list of taxes and fees added by Senate Democrats over the last two years.  

Democrats in Albany are getting ready to once again sock New York taxpayers with more than $8.2 billion in tax increases on individuals, families, businesses and consumers. The tax hikes are being brought to you by the same groups that successfully fought for $8.5 billion in tax increases last year to pay for more government spending.

This comes just weeks after Democrats in Washington approved tens of billions of dollars in tax increases in the new health care law.  Democrats in Albany and Washington simply don’t know when to stop increasing taxes.  One party Democrat rule of the federal and state governments is costing taxpayers more and more every year.

Last year, every Senate Democrat voted to increase taxes by $8.5 billion, and then voted again for a $1.5 billion payroll tax.  Their tax hikes hammered small businesses and cost hundreds of thousands of jobs.  Now, rather than cut spending, they are fighting to raise taxes again.  

Senate Republicans said no to tax increases last year and we will say no to them this year. Senate Democrats, who said they wouldn’t raise taxes, now appear to be embracing higher income taxes, business taxes and tax hikes on consumers.  The tax increase proposals they and their allies are promoting would hit everything from personal income to tourism and the financial sector to the family grocery bill.

The budget is now a week late.  There are no conference committees or other budget negotiations underway.  The Democrats, who flagrantly violated the state budget reform laws last year and again this year, are now calling for new laws. Last year, and again this year, they retreated behind closed doors and put together a budget in secret that increased spending and taxes.  The budget resolution they adopted was out of balance, did not contain any long or short term fiscal plan and would violate the very reforms they proposed today.

The Senate Democrats must recognize that we cannot raise taxes in this budget.  They should focus more on obeying existing budget reform laws, rather than proposing new laws and agree to convene open, public conference committees without further delay.

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