SERINO: NEW YORKERS CANNOT AFFORD SENATE’S ONE HOUSE BUDGET PROPOSAL

ALBANY, NY — Senator Sue Serino today released the statement below following the passage of the Senate’s One House Budget Proposal:

“This is one of the most consequential state budgets we will likely ever be a part of negotiating, and the number one priority needs to be funding fundamental services while providing tangible relief for New Yorkers who are still reeling in the midst of this pandemic.

While there were some good things in the Senate One House Budget Proposal that I have actively advocated for, including funding to support Community Services for the Elderly (CSE) programs, homecare workers, small business grants, an outright rejection of changes to the STAR program and closures of children and family services facilities that would negatively impact our communities, a continuation of the scheduled middle class tax cuts, and a continuation of Dwyer Veterans Peer to Peer Support Programs (Vet2Vet), unfortunately, the proposal approved today falls short.

Despite the estimated $12.6 billion bailout coming from the federal government, this proposal does nothing to rein in wasteful spending, and instead uses accounting tricks and tax increases to kick the can down the road to fuel unprecedented spending growth.

Throughout this past year, nearly every aspect of our lives has changed. New Yorkers have reconsidered their priorities, tightened their budgets and too many have made the tough decision to leave the state. But here in the Albany bubble, it is business as usual—tax and spend with no regard for the long-term financial challenges we’re leaving for the next generation.

In the coming weeks as we continue to negotiate this critical budget, I urge my colleagues to take a page out of the books of hardworking New Yorkers who have committed to tightening their belts during this time, instead of looking for any excuse to take another dollar out of their pockets.”

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