Archive: Opinions

I am deeply concerned about the possibility of additional deep cuts to education that would mean untenable losses of teachers, staff and programs in our public schools. Such cuts, as well as deep cuts to healthcare, social services, transportation and all state-funded entities, are being discussed because of the $10-15 billion hole in the state budget, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So far, the Governor has held off from imposing post-budget cuts, with the expressed hope that the federal government will pass another disaster aid package that would bring significant assistance to New York State and all affected states.

While the US House has passed a $3 trillion “HEROES Act” package which includes such assistance, the US Senate has not agreed to any further help to individuals or to the states, to date. In the absence of this federal assistance, I will continue to urge that the legislature and the Governor enact a high-end income tax on the wealthiest New Yorkers who make more than $5 million a year, in order to stave off at least some of the cuts that would have to be done in order to preserve a balanced budget, as required by our State Constitution.

However, it's clear to me that such a state tax increase would only make a small dent -- about $355 million in this year’s budget -- in the huge state budget hole we face and would only bring minimal relief to the many critical services funded by the state. So I continue to call on Congress to pass the HEROES Act or a bill very similar to it, as this would go a long way toward stemming the bleeding in our educational system and other programs that will otherwise happen.

NYS Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton
125th District

v16i22