“The governor budget includes proposals that recognize the real pressures families are facing, and I’m encouraged by investments aimed at making child care more affordable for working parents. Helping moms and dads balance work and family is something we should all be able to support.

I also applaud the full funding of School Foundation Aid. Many small-town school districts in my district rely on this funding just to survive. As President of the Averill Park Education Foundation, I’ve seen firsthand what it takes to raise money locally so kids in smaller districts can feel the same sense of pride and opportunity as those in larger ones. This investment matters.

Additionally, investing $35 million to protect churches and synagogues is the right thing to do. As a Jewish-American, I’m deeply troubled by the rise in antisemitism in recent years that has made this funding necessary, but I’m grateful the state is taking steps to keep faith communities safe.

That said, for too many New Yorkers, affordability is about more than one program. It’s about whether they can pay their bills, fill up their gas tank, or stay in their home. Claims that New York’s economy is strong and that we have an ‘equitable tax system’ don’t square with reality because if they did, people wouldn’t be fleeing the state in record numbers for places with a lower cost of living.

This budget continues a pattern of growing government spending without asking the same hard question families ask every month: what can we cut so we don’t spend more than we have? If Albany took a deeper look at waste and inefficiencies, we could redirect existing dollars to programs that actually help people without constantly asking taxpayers to pick up the tab.

Responsible budgeting means respecting the people who earn the money before we decide how to spend it. I’m ready to work on a budget that keeps what works, fixes what doesn’t, and finally puts everyday New Yorkers first.”