New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) said on Monday that she does not intend to increase taxes following a recent rally for New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani where chants of “tax the rich” were heard.
Hochul, in an interview with Fox News’s Jessica Tarlov on her “Raging Moderates” podcast, said she has not reconsidered her position on “taxing the rich.”
“I will say one energetic rally does not get me to change my positions. I assure you,” Hochul said. “But I do hear people’s voices, I process what everybody says, but I also have to balance governing this state and making sure that those people who are actually the reason we have a generous supportive budget that helps lift people up, it’s their revenues that we tax.”
Hochul explained that 1.5 percent of New Yorkers “cover about a third of our budget. That’s enormous.” As for the those whose taxes make up most of the state budget, the governor said she is concerned about “out-migration” from “the ones who are supporting our budget.”
“I cannot make up for that with middle-class tax increases,” Hochul added. “I cannot do that to the middle class and the struggling New Yorkers.”
With one week to go until Election Day, Mamdani holds a 15-point lead over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo (I), leading him with 46 percent support to Cuomo’s 31, according to a poll from the Manhattan Institute released Tuesday.
Hochul has maintained her position on not increasing taxes for a while, previously addressing the issue during a June interview on “Pix on Politics Daily” with Dan Mannarino.
“No, I’m not raising taxes on people at a time when affordability is the big issue. I’m actually cutting middle-class taxes,” Hochul said.
The Democratic governor, who has endorsed Mamdani, later said the state saw “a major out-migration when Republicans in Congress eliminated the state local tax deduction.”
“New Yorkers paid $72 billion more to the federal government over the last seven years because Republicans didn’t stand up and they need a full restoration of this,” she continued. “So that was a driver.”
“I don’t want to give anyone else who’s supporting our economy and their taxes are appreciated and their support for the philanthropies, etc.,” Hochul added. “Driving them to Florida does not help us. So, let’s be smart about this.”
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