Column: State Senator Tom O'Mara

"NYS government can't have it both ways"

ALBANY, Jan. 19, 2025 -- "We believe every family deserves to keep their hard-earned money in their pockets in a state they can truly be proud to call home," Governor Hochul said in her recent State of the State message to New Yorkers, adding that it's her goal "to make New York safer, healthier, cleaner, more affordable for you and your family -- and that is what we're doing with the initiatives announced as part of my 2025 State of the State."

The trouble is that New York State doesn't allow families to keep their hard-earned money in their pockets -- and that's been the case for quite some time now.

Over the past several years hundreds of thousands of proud New Yorkers have fled to more affordable, lower taxed states in search of greater opportunities and freedoms. While they love New York, they've made it clear that they feel the state is headed in the wrong direction largely because of policies coming out of Albany under all-Democrat, one-party control. New York is not safer. New York is certainly not more affordable. Far from it.

So how does Governor Hochul propose to change course? There's no question that she put forth an ambitious agenda on paper. And there's no question that it doesn't add up.
Despite the overriding emphasis on addressing New York's affordability crisis, she opened the door wide for the state's Democrat-led Legislature to join her, once again, in prioritizing long-term commitments to higher state spending and ongoing state mandates that will be unaffordable and unsustainable for current and future taxpayers.

She's talking a good game about finally beginning to provide badly needed tax relief for many New Yorkers. But the governor can't promise permanent, long-term tax relief at the same time she's looking to continue spending taxpayer dollars and imposing mandates like there's no tomorrow. You can't have it both ways. Eventually the well runs dry and taxpayers are left paying for it. That's the way it is now in New York State. That's the way it will go on being under the current direction of this state government.

New York State has not been stronger, safer, saner, or more affordable throughout this era of one-party, all-Democrat control. In the aftermath of the governor's State of the State and after she unveils her proposed 2025-2026 state budget on Tuesday, it will become clear that there's no true turnaround in sight.

Governor Hochul is putting forth an 'affordability agenda' that is still chock-full of giveaways, higher spending commitments, ongoing and accelerated mandates, and big-ticket new programs that can only keep making New York a more expensive state in which to live, work, do business, raise a family, and pay taxes.

That's all before the biggest-spending Legislature in America even gets involved. There will be no let-up for the middle class. The Albany Democrat bottom line will go on ignoring the middle class in favor of a politically driven, hard-left roadmap continuing to mandate huge state spending handouts. It will only keep driving this state into the ground economically. It will keep increasing costs across the board. It will keep killing jobs and economic opportunities. It will keep chasing more and more New York taxpayers and families out of the state because they can't afford to live here anymore.

Following the release of the governor's proposed budget this week, I continue my role as the Ranking Member on the Senate Finance Committee and join colleagues, on a bipartisan basis, to undertake this year's public hearings on the governor's plan. Conducted jointly by the Senate Finance Committee and the Assembly Ways and Means Committee, these forums examine the governor's proposal in detail and solicit testimony from state agency officials, public policy and fiscal experts, local government representatives, business leaders, educators, farmers, and other advocates.

Senate Republicans will continue to be a voice for lower taxes, less regulation, greater accountability, affordability, economic growth, job creation, and more common sense on state fiscal practices and economic policies. It's an uphill battle in this state government, yet we need to keep working against a tax and regulatory mindset that puts our businesses and manufacturers at a competitive disadvantage, imposes red tape that strangles local economies, or prioritizes higher and higher spending, overtaxing, outrageous mandates, and burdensome overregulation.

Photo in text: State Senator Tom O'Mara

Legislature Chairman

Carl Blowers, 535-6174 or 237-5469

Legislature Members:

Gary Gray, 292-9922

Jim Howell, 535-7266 or 227-1141

David M. Reed, 796-9558

Michael Lausell, 227- 9226

Phil Barnes, Watkins Glen, 481-0482

Mark Rondinaro, 398-0648

Laurence Jaynes

County Clerk: Theresa Philbin, 535-8133

Sheriff: Kevin Rumsey, 535-8222

Undersheriff: Andrew Zeigler, 535-8222

County Treasurer: Holley Sokolowski, 535-8181

District Attorney: Joseph Fazzary, 535-8383

State, Federal Officials for Schuyler County

Sen. Charles E. Schumer

United States Senate
313 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-3201
DC Phone: 202-224-6542
DC Fax: 202-228-3027
Email Address: http://schumer.senate.gov/webform.html

Sen. Kirsten E. Gillibrand

United States Senate
478 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
DC Phone: 202-224-4451
Website: http://gillibrand.senate.gov/

State Senator Tom O'Mara -- Chemung, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Tioga, and Yates, and eastern Allegany County (towns of Alfred, Almond, Amity, Andover, Birdsall, Burns, Grove, Independence, Scio, Ward, Wellsville, and Willing).

Room 706, Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12247
Phone: (518) 455-2091
Fax: (518) 426-6976
www.omara.nysenate.gov

Assemblyman Phil Palmesano-- All of Schuyler and Yates, majority of Steuben, and portions of Chemung and Seneca counties.

Room 448, Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12248
Phone: (518) 455-5791
Fax: (518) 455-4644
Website: https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Philip-A-Palmesano/