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#Kathy Hochul doesn’t ‘foresee’ any new taxes in 2023 NY budget despite calls to soak the rich

“Kathy Hochul doesn’t ‘foresee’ any new taxes in 2023 NY budget despite calls to soak the rich”

It wasn’t quite “read my lips,” but Gov. Kathy Hochul vowed Thursday she would do everything in her power to make sure there are ‘no new taxes’ stemming from the 2023 New York state budget.

“I don’t believe in raising taxes when we just cut taxes [this year] makes sense,” Hochul said during a Thursday press briefing in Albany.

“I don’t foresee that.”

She added, “We also gave a historic amount of money back in tax rebates to people, property owners, middle class tax cuts we expedited, so we are very conscious of how during our budget process we could put more money back in the pockets of New Yorkers.

Hochul’s comments recalled George H. W. Bush, uttering a line during his successful presidential run in 1988 that would become a catchphrase helping propel him to victory over Michael Dukakis, saying, “Read my lips: No New taxes!“

But Bush did raise levies and fees as president and he lost re-election to Democrat Bill Clinton in 1992.

Gov. Kathy Hochul.
Gov. Kathy Hochul vows not to raise taxes next year.
William Farrington

Hochul, anticipating a national economic downturn or slowdown, also warned that Albany won’t have the geyser of federal stimulus cash next year that were used to boost spending in this year’s $220 billion election year budget.

But she said the state has stockpiled billions of dollars in reserves to manage any loss of anticipated tax revenues.

“We saw this could happen. We wanted to be ready and that’s why we put aside a lot of money in reserves last year. But this year, it’s a totally different story. People are making all kinds of predictions, talking about where our economy is going nationally, what that’s going to do to us here in New York State,” said Hochul.

Hochul won her first election as governor, defeating Republican challenger Lee Zeldin in a very close race last month, to serve a full four year-term after replacing disgraced ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo last year.

Political observers are looking to see if Hochul veers more to the center now that she was independently elected governor, albeit in less than impressive fashion.

IRS income tax forms.
Gov. Kathy Hochul vows to keep taxes down in 2023.
Getty Images/iStockphoto

Hochul’s statement is a warning shot to her tax-happy fellow Democrats in the state Legislature — and particularly the hard-left wing of her party that consistently pushes for higher taxes on the wealthy.

The NYC chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America — whose champions include Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — is already engaged in a “tax the rich” campaign.

Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday also said he opposed higher taxes on the wealthiest city residents who provide a disproportionate share of the city’s tax revenues that fund services to the municipal treasury, fearing they’ll leave for lower-tax localities.

“To continually attack high-income earners where 50% of our taxes are paid by 2% of New York … It blows my mind when I hear people say ‘Leave,’” the mayor said during an event sponsored by the Association for a Better New York, a pro-business group.

“No, you leave! I need my high-income earners right here in this city,” Adams emphasized, to applause.

Mayor Eric Adams.
NYC Mayor Eric Adams opposes tax hikes on wealthy residents, saying they provide the bulk of revenues that fund services and worries they will flee the Big Apple.
William Farrington

 Hochul gave the no-tax pledge after outgoing state budget director Robert Mujica gave a more sobering budget update, saying budget negotiations with the state Legislature will be more challenging next year because of an economic slowdown.

According to the governor’s mid-year financial plan, the state has reserves totalling nearly $9 billion.

Over the next three years, additional deposits of $10.4 billion will bring reserves to $19.5 billion, equal to 15 percent of state spending, the report said.

Reserves in 2025 will exceed the multi-year projected budget gaps of roughly $6.5 billion, budget officials said.

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