Press Coverage

4 things to watch as New York budget negotiations start simmering

Feb 27, 2023 Spectrum News | Susan Arbetter

Winter break is over, which means politicos are starting to eye the April 1 New York state budget deadline. But don’t jump ahead too quickly. …Tuesday is the scheduled “Economic & Revenue Consensus Forecasting Conference Meeting," which is a gathering of the Legislature’s financial leadership. Members of both majorities and the minorities of each house will attend, as well as the state budget director and the state comptroller. The assembled will hear from several economists, and before March, determine how much the state will have to spend over the next year.

Opinion: Hochul says a recession is coming. That’s why we must tax the rich.

Feb 24, 2023 City and State | Emily Eisner

Gov. Kathy Hochul is invoking the false and dangerous argument that taxation of any type will hurt New York’s economy, but it’s actually more important than ever to fund public goods and social insurance, writes economist and NYC-DSA organizer Emily Eisner. Raising taxes to fund public goods would help reduce the impacts of an economic recession.

Progressive lawmakers renew calls for higher taxes on wealthiest New Yorkers

Feb 13, 2023 Times Union | Raga Justin

Advocates contend that renewed tax increases on the rich would go a long way toward closing New York’s wealth gap.

ALBANY — On the eve of expiring tax hikes enacted in 2021, progressive legislators and organizations are renewing calls for higher taxes on the state’s wealthiest residents and corporations as they express dissatisfaction with a system that they say allows the richest New Yorkers to avoid paying their fair share.

Some NY lawmakers draw line in the sand on taxing the wealthy

Feb 10, 2023 City and State | Shantel Destra

In recent legislative sessions, there have been increased calls to tax the wealthiest New Yorkers. This legislative session, advocates and lawmakers have already started gaining enthusiasm behind the Invest In Our New York Act ahead of budget negotiations.

Higher taxes on New York's wealthiest? Some in Albany say yes; Hochul says no

Feb 10, 2023 Politico | Eleonora Francica

Gov. Kathy Hochul has resisted any move toward higher taxes, saying New York is already among the most expensive places to live and continues to lose population.

ALBANY, N.Y. — Lawmakers and community groups are urging the state Legislature to increase taxes on ultra-wealthy New Yorkers even in the face of Gov. Kathy Hochul's pledge to not do so.

Taxes could be a major test for Hochul's budget

Feb 10, 2023 State Of Politics | Nick Reisman

Two years ago, Democratic lawmakers in the state Legislature wielded supermajorities to win tax increases on New York's wealthiest earners in order to fund billion-dollar increases in direct aid to schools.

Now, another debate over whether to increase taxes once again is brewing in the state budget negotiations as progressives urge Gov. Kathy Hochul to reverse her opposition to increasing the personal income tax rate for rich people.

Poll: New Yorkers Think That Obscenely Rich People Should Pay Higher Taxes

Feb 9, 2023 Hell Gate

Ahead of the legislature’s hearing on possible tax increases, a new poll finds wide support for the rich paying more. | When Governor Kathy Hochul announced her executive budget last week, she followed through on a promise she had been making for months—no new taxes on those who could most afford to pay them. Instead, New York would plug gaps in its budgets for essential services like mass transit through a new payroll tax that would target working people in New York City, supplemented by possible casino earnings (gleaned from, you guessed it, working New Yorkers).

If you're wondering who was asking for any of this, you're not alone! In fact, according to a new poll, which Hell Gate had the first look at, most New Yorkers don't agree with a tax policy that asks them to pay more while the ultra-wealthy don't.

It’s time to make New York’s wealthiest pay what they owe

Feb 2, 2023 AM New York | Michael Kink and Charles Khan, Strong Economy for All Coalition

Policymakers have an obligation to ensure millionaires, billionaires, and wealthy corporations that continue making record profits pay what they owe in taxes, and invest those public funds directly into our communities. …Governor Hochul has the opportunity to unrig the system and raise $40 billion in public funds by ensuring the super-wealthy pay what they owe.

Groups urge Gov. Kathy Hochul and Legislature to tax the rich

Feb 2, 2023 WXXI News | Karen DeWitt

“All of those things make costs higher for regular working people while protecting the billionaire class that she’s (Gov. Hochul) serving,” Kink said. Kink said he hopes that the Legislature, which is run by Democrats, will reject those increases and instead raise taxes on the wealthy through income and capital gains taxes. “Tax increases on working people are unpopular and difficult. Tax increases on the wealthy are popular and effective,” he said. “I think the Legislature can make the right call on this even if the governor can't.”

What Does Kathy Hochul Stand For? Casinos, Charter Schools, and Rolling Back Bail Reforms

Feb 2, 2023 Hell Gate |

It's an old and overused axiom that a budget is a statement of someone's values. But let's throw novelty to the wind, lean in, and take Governor Kathy Hochul's $227 billion budget plan that she unveiled yesterday as a statement of what she really believes in. According to her budget, that would be casinos, revamped horse racing, sweetheart deals for real estate developers, an expansion of charter schools, regressive taxation on the poor, no new taxes for the wealthy, increased fares for public transit, and rolling back proven-to-be-safe criminal justice reforms. But hey, at least no billion-dollar, publicly funded, only-used-ten-times-a-year football stadium! Things could be worse.

This budget is a conservative document from the provincial Hochul—and just an opening pitch for a legislature that will certainly move many parts of this budget back in line with New Yorkers' actual values.

Hochul kicks off budget season by unveiling $227B executive spending plan

Feb 1, 2023 AM New York | Ethan Stark-Miller

“To no one’s surprise, Governor Hochul’s budget proposal presentation continues to prioritize corporate giveaways while failing to sufficiently invest in the services and programs that keep all New Yorkers safe and thriving,” Carolyn Martinez-Class, Invest in Our NY campaign manager, said in a statement.

Hochul Floats NY Biz Tax Hike Extension, Appeal Rule Change

Feb 1, 2023 Law 360 | Paul Williams

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday pitched extending an expiring corporate tax rate increase for three years and allowing the state's tax department to appeal taxpayer wins from a state tribunal in her...

Tax the rich, urge protesters at New York City’s ‘Towers of Power’

Jan 19, 2023 The Guardian | Lauren Aratani

Lawmakers across seven states, including New York, are working together to introduce higher taxes on wealthy individuals and corporations in their respective legislatures. …Many of the new proposals include taxes on the overall wealth of the rich, not just on their annual income. In 2021, ProPublica released a report based off a trove of tax documents from the wealthy that showed how the rich avoid paying income tax.

Bed-Stuy Rep Rallies For Wealth Tax

Jan 19, 2023 The Patch | Peter Senzamici

BED-STUY, BROOKYLN — A group of elected officials held a rally outside of a notoriously rich Upper East Side building on Thursday afternoon to call for new state taxes that target the wealthiest New Yorkers.

New York’s wealthiest are here to stay: Fairly taxing the top helps everyone

Jan 6, 2023 New York Daily News || By Robert Jackson and Jessica Ramos

…even though we’ve made some strides over the past two years, the wealthiest New Yorkers continue making record profits off the backs of the still-struggling working class, and wealthy corporations continue benefiting from state-approved tax breaks. New Yorkers rightfully want policymakers to prioritize supporting them to make ends meet and having now returned to Albany, we know just how to do that.

Electeds: Raise taxes on ultra-rich - IONY campaign kicks off to even the playing field on taxes

Dec 15, 2022 Riverdale Press || By Sachi McClendon

“If we want to truly build a New York for all, we need to champion and enact policies that benefit working people,” Carolyn Martinez-Class, the campaign manager for this year’s IONY campaign, said in a statement. “We can’t keep up the status quo of giving handouts to billionaires at the expense of everyday New Yorkers and expect working-class families to make ends meet. We need real change, now.”

City Watch Newscast: Open Streets and Taxing the Rich—

Dec 11, 2022 WBAI || Hosts: Jeff Simmons and David Brand

[Radiocast Recording] The Dec. 11, 2022 episode of City Watch featured an interview with Assemblymember Dr. Anna Kelles, of Tompkins County, and Carolyn Martinez Class about the Invest In Our New York campaign. Open Streets Chief Strategy Officer Sara Lind discussed NYC's Open Streets and block-by-block democracy.

‘We need real change, now’: Invest in Our New York Campaign kicks off

Dec 7, 2022 The Daily Orange || By Stephanie Wright

Protesters across New York state rallied on Monday to call for greater investments in public resources and tax accountability for corporations.

NY Progressives Want to Tax the Rich. Does Governor Hochul? "We voted for you, we're gonna come for you."

Dec 6, 2022 Hell Gate NYC || By Christopher Robbins

Way back in January, Robert Mujica, one of the most powerful people in New York state government and its longtime budget director, was asked if the income tax increases on wealthy New Yorkers that were passed in 2021 had resulted in the ultra-rich fleeing the state.

"We haven't seen any evidence of that," Mujica told reporters.

Coalition says $40 billion in new taxes on New York’s rich will help keep working-class residents from moving out-of-state

Dec 5, 2022 AM NY || By Ben Brachfeld

The Invest in Our New York coalition launched its campaign to raise $40 billion of revenue through increased taxes on the wealthy.