“While there were some announcements to be applauded in today’s Executive Budget proposal, there was a glaring lack of direct solutions to critical problems. New York is facing a historic rise in our cost of living, all while having some of the highest taxes in the country. Additionally, we are experiencing rising crime throughout our communities. All of these issues are leading to New York seeing a net loss in population for the first time ever. Gov. Hochul today proposed yet another bloated state budget that tries to make upstate and downstate New York adhere to a one-size-fits all standard, which is an ideology that has never worked in our political history. Our state has become unaffordable for many hard-working New Yorkers, and again today, we saw no real promises for a better future.”