Lack of Affordability: New Yorkers Pay the Highest Taxes in the Nation

Kathy Hochul claimed she would “achieve affordability” but has not addressed the out-of-control taxation of New Yorkers. New York ranks No. 1 in combined state and local taxes. New Yorkers are taxed on gas, wireless services, telecommunications, utilities, health and other insurance, certain licensing applications, investments and apparel among other things. As prices skyrocket, New Yorkers find themselves in higher tax brackets because the state’s income tax rating system fails to index tax rates to inflation.

Imposed a Congestion Pricing Tax on New York Motorists

Kathy Hochul imposed a $9 fee on suburban and outer borough motorists driving into Manhattan’s central business district. This is a tax on New Yorkers who drive to work, attend school or use New York hospitals, and it will cost families thousands more each year, just to bail out the bloated MTA, which has refused to collect over $1 billion each year from fare jumpers, some of whom have outstanding arrest warrants and toll evaders.

Putting Criminals over Citizens

Cashless Bail, the Clean Slate Act, the Raise the Age Act, and extreme discovery disclosure laws have all released dangerous criminals back into our neighborhoods and made it harder to put them back behind bars.

Looked the other way on Anti-Semitism

Kathy Hochul has failed to address rising antisemitic behavior, especially on our college campuses, and had nothing to say when New York Democrats in the House voted against H.R. 9495 — legislation to crack down on non-profits supporting groups designated by the U.S. government as supporting terrorism (e.g., Hamas).

Declared War on the Suburbs

Kathy Hochul tried to end local zoning and mandate high density, high-rise housing developments in suburban communities that don’t want them.

Supported the Radical Takeover of our Schools

Kathy Hochul helped pave the way for boys in girls’ sports and locker rooms, as well as so-called “gender affirming care” behind parents’ backs, while cutting millions in state aid for suburban school districts.

Failed to Promote Charter Schools

Education is the surest path to upward social mobility, and Kathy Hochul has refused to lift the cap on charter schools, which spend half the money per student as traditional public schools with better results, particularly for inner city kids. Thousands of families are left stranded on waitlists.

Insulted Black Kids

The soft bigotry of low expectations is alive and well in today’s Democratic Party. According to Kathy Hochul, black kids in the Bronx “don’t even know what the word ‘computer’ is.”

Failed to Develop Natural Gas, but Banned Gas Stoves

New Yorkers pay the highest energy prices in America, adding to the state’s affordability crisis. Kathy Hochul has extended New York’s ban on natural gas development. While the economy in our Southern Tier languishes, safe natural gas development right across the border in Pennsylvania has created thousands of jobs. If that wasn’t enough, she even banned gas stoves in new home construction in a giveaway to the radical left. While states including Texas, Virginia and Pennsylvania are pursuing all economically viable clean energy options, including natural gas and Small Modular (nuclear) Reactors, to satisfy the huge energy requirements for jobs of the future – like AI – New York Democrats and Kathy Hochul have killed natural gas development, delivery systems and use and a nuclear plant supporting a quarter of New York City’s power. Under Hochul’s leadership, New York is developing the most expensive and interruptible source of energy for New York — offshore wind.

Employed a Chinese Communist Spy

Kathy Hochul employed Linda Sun as her Deputy Chief of Staff. Sun was arrested and charged with being an agent of the Chinese Communist Party.

The Corruption of our Courts

Kathy Hochul has no influence on the out-of-control Democratic majority in both chambers of the Albany legislature. Her appointment of a top Hispanic Judge as the Chief Judge was denied – a first since a governor’s selection for this key role has never been turned down by the legislature. In his place, Albany radicals forced her to put a progressive activist in control of our highest court.

Turned a Budget Surplus into a Deficit

When she took office, New York enjoyed an $8.7 billion budget surplus. Hochul abandoned the state’s spending cap policy and now the state faces significant deficits, with state spending increasing at twice the rate of inflation. The Citizens Budget Committee projects a long-term structural imbalance of $16.8 billion.

Losing New York’s Manufacturing Base

Under Kathy Hochul, New York’s manufacturing base has continued to deteriorate, costing thousands of New Yorkers high-paying jobs and pushing local property taxes even higher. The recent closure of the century-old Sumimoto tire plant in Western New York and subsequent loss of 1,550 jobs is the latest example of Kathy and Democrats chasing jobs out of New York.

Botched Legal Marijuana Rollout

Kathy Hochul’s administration both passed and failed to properly implement the state’s adult use marijuana law, allowing hundreds of unlicensed pot shops to flout the law and illegally operate across the state, while permitting marijuana to be openly smoked on the street.

Forced a Failing Green Car Mandate on New Yorkers

Kathy Hochul’s “Advance Clean Cars II” mandate demands 35% of 2026 model cars be “emissions-free,” aiming to ban fossil fuel vehicles by 2035. Auto dealers have warned that the deadline is a fantasy that ignores the reality of sparse charging stations, weak demand and economic chaos for dealerships. Hochul’s “green” obsession threatens jobs and affordability, forcing an unworkable electric vehicle agenda on New Yorkers already stretched thin.