Letter: Sending Tribute Money to Albany

Dear Editor,

The NY State Office of the State Comptroller reports state revenue for New York in the first quarter of the fiscal year; “The personal income tax was $14.5 billion in the first three months of the fiscal year, representing a $7.1 billion drop.” Comptroller DiNapoli’s office said, “That was due in part to the effect of slowing income growth and market volatility on Wall Street. State spending, meanwhile, reached $58.6 billion, a $9 billion increase in the first quarter of the States’ fiscal year due in large part to increased Medicaid costs.”

Apparently to offset the $7.1 billion drop in revenue, Governor Hochul knowingly decided to recover a sizable portion by retaining intended Federal funding to the counties of County Medicaid dollars. Rather than adjust the state budget with state spending, Hochul opted for the building of a project such as the Football stadium in Buffalo, which also happens to have her husband on the receiving end of being an outside vendor for services. How many ‘others’ will be provided to be a part of the grift is yet unknown. 

We have not come so far as to not remember the Governor Cuomo type projects, which had several on the receiving end who were investigated and prosecuted. We are still paying on those debts with lost investments exclusive of the prosecution costs paid by taxpayers.

Even though Tioga County District 124 NY Assembly and District 52 NY State Senate voters predominantly vote Republican, those who are Tioga County Democrats who vote the party ticket year after year are in fact aiding and abetting to perpetuate New York’s Democrat Administration for financial overspending. Spending which will in part be recovered at the local level when all will be paying ”State Tribute” in our Town and County tax bill in December 2023 for Governor Hochul’s actions of underfunding mandated County Medicaid accounts.

Thank you notes can be sent in January 2024 to those registered Democrat voters from an obtainable list available at https://tiogacountyny.com/departments/board-of-elections/.

Note: The Fiscal Year for Counties and Towns is January thru December as opposed to the State, which is April thru March.

Sincerely,

Florence Alpert

Candor, N.Y.