“For too long, New York taxpayers have been on the hook for bloated and wasteful state budgets. Gov. Hochul has proposed a whopping $7 billion increase from $220 billion to $227 billion. The Operating Budget increases the Medicaid portion by 9.3%, continuing the most bloated program of any state in the nation. This will increase the burden on local taxpayers diminishing the Medicaid freeze. It is heartening to see education & mental health programs will see increased state assistance. Educating the minds of our future generations is extremely important. With more bipartisan collaboration we could focus on the needs of the taxpayers while cutting down on spending.”