ALBANY, 04/01/19 – State Senator James L. Seward (R/C/I/Ref-Oneonta) today commented on the final 2019-20 state budget:

“New York is one of the few states experiencing a decrease in population and it’s about to get worse.  A recent poll revealed that more than a third of New Yorkers cannot afford to live here, and nearly half of our young people are planning to leave.  Our next generation of entrepreneurs, local leaders, and families are set to flee the state and this budget will not change their minds. 

“The newly adopted state budget, which I opposed, increases taxes by more than $1.4 billion this year and $4.5 billion next year.  The plan does nothing to help struggling small businesses, ignores our upstate needs, and slaps more unfunded mandates on local governments. The budget is also loaded with policy initiatives that do not reflect the concerns I hear from people every day.

“Improving affordability and boosting economic development were my priorities at the start of the budget process and this plan falls flat on both concerns.”

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