April 27, 2026
With the state budget now more than three weeks late and negotiations over a new state fiscal plan stalled at the Capitol, I took the opportunity recently, together with several legislative colleagues, to make another pitch highlighting the No. 1 issue that’s not getting the attention it demands: affordability.
Specifically, I joined several members of the Senate and Assembly Republican Minority Conferences, and economic representatives from the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), to hold a press conference addressing New York’s ongoing economic challenges, including our state’s high tax burden, persistent outmigration, and cost of living crisis.
If you’ve been listening to Governor Hochul and the Democrat leaders of the state Legislature over the past several weeks, you can only come away believing that these budget talks are focused on higher government spending and how to raise the revenue, including tax increases, to pay for it.
In other words, state leaders sound more concerned about how to perpetuate taxing and spending, instead of how to make this state more affordable.
So, a few of us took the opportunity last week to again highlight the following:
Our continued ranking in the “Rich States, Poor States: ALEC-Laffer State Economic Competitiveness Index,” which places New York State 50th, dead last, in economic outlook for the 11th consecutive year. The index evaluates states based on tax policy, regulatory environment, and spending levels, with New York consistently ranking at the bottom of the nation.
The Tax Foundation’s most recent “Tax Competitiveness Index” also speaks volumes. According to the Foundation’s latest analysis, New York State continues to rank worst in the nation, again dead last, in their index that evaluates the tax climate in all 50 states in America in five major areas: corporate taxes; individual income taxes; sales and excise taxes; property and wealth taxes; and unemployment insurance taxes. For the fifth straight year, New York comes in at the bottom.
WalletHub consistently ranks New York State near the bottom on affordability, including in its most recent ranking where New York State comes in 47th in affordability among all 50 states, driven by high taxes, a prohibitive cost of living, and high housing costs.
It should be setting off alarms all over the Capitol – but it’s not. New York’s all-Democrat leadership are clearly turning their focus towards raising taxes and pursuing any other taxpayer-shouldered source of revenue to close projected future deficits resulting from ongoing out-of-control state spending, as well as to try to keep affording new, ever-higher spending commitments.
Consequently, we have to keep offering a different voice. We have to keep standing up and speaking out for public policies, fiscal practices, and economic priorities that we believe deserve a place in this government, that we believe would make New York State more affordable for everyday New Yorkers, and that we believe will help build a stronger and safer New York today and for future generations.
New Yorkers need state government to do more than just talk about how hard it is to make ends meet or how unaffordable it is to live, work, and raise a family in New York. It’s time to do something about it. It’s time to address the root causes of unaffordability in this state, especially high taxes, out-of-control spending, overzealous regulations and mandates, and energy policies that lack common sense, among others. The Albany Democrats in charge talk about New York State’s affordability crisis but their actions continue to show that they have no real interest in turning things around. Their vision for New York remains a vision built on irresponsibly spending billions upon billions of taxpayer dollars.
New York State Director of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Ashley Ranslow said, “New York’s current economic environment is unsustainable for small businesses. Small firms are shutting their doors at alarming rates, while New Yorkers and employers continue to leave for states that are more affordable and offer more job opportunities. With the nation’s top marginal income and corporate tax rates, high property taxes, soaring workers’ compensation costs and excessive tort expenses, New York has made it increasingly difficult for small businesses to survive—let alone grow. Albany must stop raising taxes, pass meaningful tort reform and slow the steady stream of legislation that makes it harder for Main Street to operate.”
Albany’s current powers that be talk about New York State’s affordability crisis and then follow up with actions that show they have no interest in reining in out-of-control spending, eliminating taxes, lowering costs, cutting burdensome regulations and mandates, or restoring public safety. Their vision for New York remains a vision built on irresponsibly spending billions upon billions of taxpayer dollars with no concern for the inevitable other side of the equation, which is how to pay for it.
When it’s all said and done, it’s a straightforward call for a new direction in this state: It’s time to cut taxes. It’s time to stop making state and local taxpayers throughout New York foot the bill for an out-of-control state government. For far too long, New York has been recognized as one of the highest taxed states in America and New York’s taxpayers have had enough. They’re sick and tired of all talk, no action on affordability and they’re demanding common sense, fairness, and responsibility.
