ALBANY, NY – Yorktown Supervisor and New York State Assembly candidate Matt Slater today expressed his concern regarding the recently-adopted state budget’s impact on the two most pressing issues facing the Hudson Valley: out-of-control inflation and public safety.
“On the two most significant issues facing Putnam and Westchester families, the state budget was a colossal failure,” said Yorktown Supervisor Matt Slater. “Governor Hochul and the Democrats who control state government had an opportunity to fix the state’s failed cashless bail law and they refused. They also passed a mammoth, $220 billion budget that increased state spending by 10% at a time when wasteful government spending has driven inflation to a 40-year high.”
Last year the State Comptroller reported the growth in state spending had more than doubled the rate of inflation over the past five years. Without checks and balances, one-party control in Albany has caused the state budget to increase by $40 billion since 2018—dramatically exceeding the 2% cap on the growth in spending that had been recognized for years to protect state taxpayers. Runaway inflation fueled by government overspending has caused an unprecedented increase in the cost of food and other everyday items for Hudson Valley families and economists at one of the world’s leading banks recently predicted it would push the U.S. economy into recession.
“New York needs a hard spending cap that will prevent the politicians in Albany from using the state budget as a tool for election-year special interest giveaways, like the $600 million it gifted to the billionaire owners of an NFL team,” said Slater. “Year after year, the leadership of he State Assembly refused to make the state spending cap permanent and, with the massive increases in state spending since the state has fallen under one-party control, we see the consequences. As a member of the State Assembly, enacting a real state spending cap will be a top priority.”
In addition to the fiscal failures produced by Democratic one-party rule this year's budget did not correct the pro-criminal bail reforms that they passed in 2019. Pat Lynch, President of the NYPD PBA called the actions “political window dressing that won’t do much to change the reality on our streets.”
"Once again Albany had a chance to correct their pro-criminal bail reforms but failed. New Yorkers no longer feel safe and it is past time that state leaders listen to law enforcement on how to actually fix the mess they made in 2019."
In March, Slater launched his bid for the Assembly with the support and endorsement of the Affiliated Police Association of Westchester. Keith Olson, President of the Affiliated Police Associations of Westchester as well as the Yonkers PBA specifically pointed to the bail reform as a key issue saying, "The APA knows he will go to Albany to put an end to the wreckless bail reforms that have kept dangerous repeat criminals on our streets and have made our communities and state less safe. Matt Slater is the only candidate for the 94th Assembly we support because he is the law and order candidate who will be a strong voice for our members and our communities."
The 94th Assembly District includes Carmel, Kent, Patterson, Putnam Valley, Somers, Southeast and parts of Yorktown.