Thursday, October 1, 2026
For generations, Americans believed their children would do better than they did. Today that expectation is becoming increasingly out of reach. While this shift is being felt across the country, it’s especially true in New York. When we open our utility bills, check out at the grocery store or pay for child care, we experience the cost-of-living crisis in real time. We are a world-class state held back by nation-leading taxes and costs.
A new poll from Siena College’s Research Institute puts numbers to what New Yorkers already know. The cost of living is out of control. And this sentiment is felt across the board, with 67 percent of voters saying New York is heading in the wrong direction when it comes to affordability, including 59 percent of Democrats, 79 percent of Republicans and 71 percent of independents.
It has undeniably become harder to make ends meet in New York. Since 2021, housing costs have risen 26 percent, child care is up 15 percent and grocery prices have increased 22 percent. Electricity costs — driven up by rushed energy mandates — are now nearly 70 percent above the national average. Overall, prices in New York have climbed 21 percent since Gov. Kathy Hochul took office.
Despite these realities, Hochul continues to try to brand herself as an affordability champion. But none of her fiscal decisions line up with her rhetoric. Last week she governor announced a “handshake” agreement on a $268 billion budget, a full $14 billion more than last year’s enacted plan. As we have seen year after year, more spending will fail to reduce our cost of living.
As the cost of living keeps rising, and families are increasingly concerned about what that means for their future and their children’s futures, more taxes and more state spending aren’t going to solve the problem. New York is the least tax-competitive state in the nation, and continues to tax its residents and businesses more aggressively than any other state.
Voters are right in saying that state state leaders are failing to address the fundamental issue of affordability. Those leaders may believe they’re helping by promoting “free” services and programs. But the unmitigated expansion of taxpayer-funded initiatives inevitably leads to even higher taxes and rising costs, which continue to push wealthier residents and businesses to leave the state altogether. What they’re really doing is exiling high earners and businesses and bankrupting the middle class. Meeting an agenda for some New Yorkers is fiercely coming at the expense of the rest.
What makes the whole ordeal most frustrating is that while families statewide are struggling to keep up with skyrocketing utility bills and everyday expenses, the governor continues to sit on billions of dollars in energy-related funds that could be returned to ratepayers, as well as additional reserves that could be used to provide tax relief.
My colleagues and I in the Assembly Republican conference continue to propose the solutions New Yorkers are demanding, only to see them blocked or shelved without serious consideration.
It’s simply too expensive to live and raise a family in New York state. Assembly Republicans have a clear plan to ease the burden on taxpayers by lowering costs on essential needs, stopping future tax hikes and reining in out-of-control government spending. We want to reduce the impact of inflation, reduce energy bills and put an end to the tax-and-spend ideology driven by one-party rule. Our conference is ready and willing to work with state leaders to enact these solutions that will provide relief for hardworking New Yorkers.
Ed Ra represents the 19th Assembly District and is the Assembly’s minority leader.
