George Borrello
State Senator George Borrello criticized the amount of spending proposed in the 2024 State Budget.
Borrello said a recent 20% budget increase was blamed on the Pandemic and the influx of monies from the Federal Government, “But here we are a couple years later, and the budget continues to go up even further. So $227 billion, again another record amount, $5 billion more than last year, and likely going to go up even further if history plays itself out again when we see the Senate and Assembly one-house budget which will likely increase that even further.”
Borrello said New York State carries the highest debt of any state in the nation, with a tax burden, per capita, of $5,000 per person.
He added that not enough has been budgeted to help care for the state’s most vulnerable citizens, like those in nursing homes, “They’re still operating at levels, just from an inflation standpoint, that are way below where they should be. And you look at, in my opinion, one of the most glaring items in this budget is $1.1 billion to New York City to deal with the migrant crisis down there. You think the state should be helping at some level but you have to do something to change the outcome, to change what we’re doing. First and foremost, in my opinion, no money should be given until New York City rescinds its Sanctuary City status.”
Borrello said he was encouraged by the $1 billion budgeted for mental health programs as well as the plan to restore judicial discretion in regards to bail.
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