On Wednesday, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) announced FY262 budget investments for middle-class families in a New York City press conference.
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00:00Please bring back memories. My kids lived on Cheerios. It was cheap. I'm so proud to be back here with all of you again. We're joined by some incredible individuals and I want to thank all of them for joining us on a very, very special occasion. You heard the names of my cabinet members welcomed. I want to acknowledge that there's many elected officials who've joined us. I thank them.
00:26Tasia Brown, I want to thank you for what you do for this facility, but also as a mom. Where'd you go, Tasia? Oh, there you are. Thank you for being willing to share your story once again with all of us. And Richard Burey, synonymous with lifting people up, he has redefined what it means to take care of each other. And I thank you and Kate and everyone else. Kate Breslin will be hearing from all of them. I want to thank them. But, you know, when we started our State of the State back in January,
00:55I wasn't accustomed to talking about my own life's experiences as much. But when I told someone in an interview about what it was like to be a young mom, starting out, what it was like to not have a job anymore because I couldn't find childcare,
01:11what it was like when our income was cut down to one and my husband decided to leave the private sector to go work for government, not the highest paying jobs,
01:22all of a sudden, our tiny little place to live was nice for the two of us. And all of a sudden, there were two more little ones in it.
01:30So I understood what it was like when you go to the suburban Costco. I lived in the city, but go out there and get a big shopping cart and load it up with the discount paper towels and the toilet paper rolls and the baby formula and the diapers and hoping you can save a few pennies.
01:47But also, I always had my hand clutching coupons, right? Anything I could do to knock a few dollars off, I cut all those coupons out.
01:55And I will say, we've come a long way. I've been blessed in my life. Come a long way from my parents who started living in a trailer park when they were first married and they struggled.
02:07But I'll tell you this, I never forgot the people that are still in that trailer park. My parents started out because a lot of people never got out and their families stayed or the people that started out where I did,
02:18who are still living in those little apartments, just trying to make ends meet. I never forget them.
02:24And they are part of the story that I hold deep in my heart when I think about everyone in this entire state that I fight for every day when I'm in Albany fighting for budget that lifts the people of this great state up and I will not stop fighting for them.
02:39I said then and I say now, your family is my fight. And that means I will fight tooth and nail to make sure you have everything you need to succeed because everybody wants the same thing.
02:54You just want to get ahead. You don't want to get knocked down. You want to get back up. You want your kids to have a better life than maybe you had. That's as simple as the American dream is that our kids will do better than we did.
03:06But this generation today, they're not sure they're going to even have that. They can't get that apartment, even an apartment.
03:14When I was growing up, having a home was the long shot dream, owning your own home. Now getting an apartment is a big deal that you can afford.
03:22Get out of your parents' house to start a life by yourself or get away from the five or six roommates that you're cramped in space with right now.
03:29This is what we're striving for. These are the voices that I hear in my head every day. What can you do to help, Governor?
03:35As I said, your family, no matter how big or small, is my fight. And I vow to deliver on a sweeping affordability agenda that does something that is so profound but yet so simple.
03:47Putting more money back in your pockets. And promises made, promises kept, we got it done. With your help and the help of everybody in this room, we got it done.
04:05And I'm not talking pocket change. I'm talking about $5,000 for families that are struggling. $5,000.
04:21And right now, we're living in really frightening times. I mean, you may not earn your living as a banker or Wall Street broker. They're scared too.
04:34But some of you have a 401 plan that you're counting on, right? And you're watching that stock market. You might not have a lot of money. That's okay.
04:41You're hoping it'll grow over time. But you sure as heck weren't counting on it getting smaller over time.
04:47So this is the anxiety that's in our families, middle class families, struggling families, working families.
04:55So if you can't take a lot of stress, don't read the news. That's all I can say.
04:59Because right now, even this morning, looking at the contraction of our economy, we've always grown. That is our strength.
05:06America always grows. We don't shrink. And now to see the headlines that our economy is shrinking.
05:13What does that mean for the people that are on the margins already?
05:17It pushes them right off the cliff.
05:20That's why this moment is more important now than ever before.
05:24That we find a path to understand that cry for help and help them financially.
05:34It's only been 100 days, 101, 1,362 left.
05:44But the Washington administration, I grew up at a time when government was always viewed as a force of good, right?
05:52Government was never weaponized against its own citizens.
05:56That wasn't the promise that was given to us by our founding fathers and the birth of our country 250 years ago.
06:03We were going to have a government that was going to be on our side to fight for us.
06:07And throughout most of our history, that's how it's been.
06:10Yes, we've left some people behind, but we always find a way to pick them back up.
06:14Make up for lost time for those who were oppressed in the early days of our country.
06:18But where we are now is unprecedented.
06:22I mean, think about the thousands of federal workers who thought they had a secure job.
06:28I convened a round table of federal workers from New York who lost their jobs unceremoniously.
06:35One young man, a veteran who did tours of duty in Afghanistan, came back and wanted to return the favor to his fellow veterans.
06:44Worked at the VA office in the Bronx.
06:47Got a note on Valentine's Day that you're fired.
06:54I gathered him and others and I can't tell you the sense of betrayal.
06:59I served my country.
07:01I thought they'd be there for me.
07:02I want to just give back and they won't even let me do that.
07:05The despair and the voices of these people work at the unemployment insurance office.
07:10People helping others.
07:11They went to a profession in government to help others.
07:14Not to be dumped as if they don't matter.
07:16That their jobs don't have value.
07:18And that was so painful for them when I heard their voices.
07:22Dismantling places like the Department of Education, Title I programs.
07:27You know who they help?
07:28They help the kids who need it the most.
07:30How do you abandon them?
07:32Closing social security offices.
07:37You know how hard it is when you're a senior citizen and you're trying to figure out the whole system of social security,
07:44how you get your checks and you want to be able to walk into an office because maybe you're not as good on the internet as your grandkids are?
07:50You're still figuring it out?
07:51That's all right.
07:53But you thought you could walk into a social security office and ask a real person for help.
07:57And guess what?
07:58They've been fired.
07:59They're laid off.
08:00Closing offices all over our state.
08:03They don't care about them.
08:05And the tariffs, which are nothing other than a fancy way of spelling tax.
08:11That's all it is.
08:13You see what happened when Amazon wanted to let everybody know how much it was going to be?
08:18Well, they got smacked down real quick, didn't they?
08:21That's what's so scary about this.
08:23One company wants people to know that it's not their fault or their suppliers fault that the prices went up.
08:28They want to put the responsibility where it came from, which is the federal government.
08:31And they were told no by Donald Trump.
08:34And they had to take it down.
08:35That's scary power.
08:36That's scary power.
08:38Never been exercised like that before.
08:41Telling private companies what to do with their billing.
08:44So, did I say unprecedented times?
08:49Yeah.
08:50And now, yesterday, you hear, don't tell your kids this.
08:55Santa Claus might not be coming this year.
08:58Because the companies that import toys and gifts.
09:05My mom had a small business, a flower and gift shop.
09:09She would do her ordering now for the holidays.
09:12So, this is what small businesses do.
09:14They always operate with this sense of optimism.
09:17That there's going to be purchasers for this product that I'm looking at in May, in December.
09:23Right now, they may not even have the product to sell.
09:27Just think about that.
09:29Your child wants the greatest toy they've ever seen.
09:32They see it advertised everywhere.
09:33Their friends might have it.
09:35And you can't get it, not because it ran out.
09:38You couldn't find it in the store here.
09:40The store never had it in the first place.
09:42That's what we're heading into, my friends.
09:46And I'm done talking about the price of eggs.
09:50Just give up eating them.
09:51I mean, it's just outrageous.
09:52Outrageous.
09:53Outrageous.
09:54You know, you can make a really good chocolate cake with applesauce.
09:57Actually, I did that.
09:59I digress.
10:00It's also vegan cake.
10:01But eggs and avocado, everything.
10:05Everything.
10:06It's like, it's hard.
10:11It's hard.
10:12And working families and middle-class New Yorkers and people, they deserve more than just a slap
10:18on the face and a smackdown.
10:21And it's not about blue states and red states and all that.
10:23We've got plenty of both in this state.
10:26It's about right versus wrong.
10:28Right?
10:29You do what's right.
10:30It's simple.
10:31You do what's right.
10:32And I grew up in a social justice Catholic household where I said my parents didn't have much.
10:38We bought our clothes at used clothing stores and ate more than our share of tuna noodle casserole.
10:43God, I hated that.
10:45But you could stretch it for a family of eight, right?
10:50One can of tuna fish, lots of noodles, and a can of mushroom soup.
10:54Wow, that was dinner.
10:55It was better than the pancakes the night before.
10:58So my family, you know, we ended up fine, but the early days were hard.
11:04But now, you can't but feel for people.
11:10You can't but feel for them.
11:12And in my social justice Catholic family, even when we didn't have much,
11:16we were still out there taking food to the poor in the city of Buffalo.
11:21And I remember my mother was very pregnant with probably number five or six.
11:25And we walked up the flights of what were called tenements at the time,
11:29where they sheltered away the people in poverty in the city,
11:32locked them away so you didn't have to see them.
11:34And the elevator was broken.
11:35My mother and I crunched up about 10 flights of stairs and she could barely make it.
11:40But we had food to take to a family and we sat there and wanted to talk to them.
11:44More than the food, it was the companionship.
11:46I learned this as a child.
11:47I saw what we're supposed to do.
11:49Because there's always someone who has less than you do.
11:51And that is our responsibility, regardless of your religion,
11:54we are put on this earth to make a difference in the lives of others,
11:57at all of our ages, even as a child.
11:59So when I think of those people and the people in this great city and the people all over the state of New York,
12:10it's about putting money in pockets you don't have as much stress.
12:14And I'm going to keep those fights up.
12:16I'm going to keep those fights up.
12:17I don't care.
12:18I don't care who I'm fighting with.
12:20I have a lot of brothers.
12:22We're always fighting.
12:24But here's what we're starting to do.
12:26This affordability agenda, here's what it's all about.
12:28Let me make it real simple.
12:30For middle class taxpayers, we'll have the lowest tax rate you've seen in 70 years,
12:35benefiting 8.3 million New Yorkers.
12:38Did we get that done?
12:40Yes, we did.
12:41I fought to triple the child tax credit for families with young children.
12:46The biggest expansion in our history, and I'm telling you this, when I first became governor three years ago, it was zero.
12:54Somebody decided that kids were only expensive age four and up.
12:58Clearly not parents.
13:00Because you see it, you buy the clothes.
13:03It's zero to three, three to six, six to nine.
13:08They're always growing.
13:10They're growing out of their clothes and their shoes and even the diapers.
13:13The next size of diapers, right?
13:16So I said, wait a minute.
13:18Wait a minute.
13:19I'm a mom.
13:20New grandma.
13:21My granddaughter turned three today.
13:23Happy birthday, Sophia.
13:28But we need more money for the families that have little ones because they're so expensive.
13:33$1,000 back in their pockets.
13:35We got it done.
13:36Yes, we did.
13:37We got it done.
13:40For older than that, it's $500 per child.
13:43We also fought for this.
13:45Many parts of our state, the kids do not have free breakfasts and lunches in their schools.
13:50And what I realized was there's an incredible stigma on those children who need help, who are getting subsidized meals.
13:57They stand out.
13:58And the last thing you want to do when you're a child is stand out and be different than anybody else.
14:02And when I was announcing this in January on Long Island, a Republican member of the state legislature came up to me and says, this is transformative.
14:15I was that kid who skipped lunches because mine was subsidized.
14:20My parents didn't have much money.
14:23And I was too ashamed.
14:24And the stigma was too great.
14:26I don't want a single child in this state to have a tummy growling when they're supposed to be learning because their parents could not afford it.
14:32Everybody gets it.
14:33We're going to get it done.
14:34$1,600.
14:35$1,600 in one family's pocket with one child.
14:40And I can't stop inflation.
14:45It's one thing we cannot do here in the state of New York, but I know this.
14:50Everyone across the state paid more over the last few years because inflation drove up prices.
14:56When you have a sales tax on a product, you paid more than you ever thought you would because of inflation.
15:04So the state collected more than we anticipated in sales tax revenue.
15:09Now, some people are saying, just stash it away.
15:13Don't worry, I have a lot stashed away.
15:15Okay?
15:16I've been stashing money away to make sure we're ready for the downturns.
15:19But I said, wait a minute.
15:20The people who paid for this, shouldn't they get it back?
15:24Right?
15:25Don't you think they should get it back?
15:27We'll put up to $400 back in the pockets of families.
15:32So add it all up.
15:34Nearly $5,000 in relief.
15:36That's real money.
15:37It'll make a real difference in the lives of families.
15:40Just ask Tasia Brown.
15:42You'll hear from her in a couple of minutes.
15:43I met her back in January when we first talked about what it would mean to expand this child
15:48tax credit.
15:49We did it right at the Y.
15:50And I spoke about her in my state of the state.
15:53She works here.
15:54She's a mom of three, including a two-year-old.
15:56God bless you.
15:57And she told me she got a credit check last year because we did increase it.
16:02She said it felt like a birthday.
16:04She paid.
16:05I mean, think about that.
16:06It comes in the mail.
16:07I was like, I wasn't expecting this.
16:09You think, well, I'm going to help pay the utility bill?
16:11Yeah, that helps.
16:12You can buy some extra groceries.
16:13You might be able to take your kids out to dinner without worrying.
16:17Can you afford it?
16:18You know what?
16:19It's a big deal.
16:21It's a big deal.
16:22I remember when my kids were little, there was a place called Bob's Big Boy.
16:26And on Tuesdays and Thursdays, kids could eat for $1.99.
16:30Guess who was sitting there every Thursday with kids eating for $1.99?
16:34That's what it means to people.
16:35You want to have your kid like the other kids and be able to go out to dinner once in a while,
16:39right?
16:40The simple things.
16:41The simple things.
16:42So next year, families like yours are going to have more money in your pocket.
16:49That's for people like Tasia.
16:51Middle class tax credit.
16:54Child tax credit.
16:55Free meals.
16:56Inflation rebates.
16:57That's the list of what I fought for.
17:00And we got it done.
17:02And I will never, as I said before, never stop fighting for the families of this state
17:07who make us so great.
17:09I am your warrior.
17:10You're standing with me.
17:11We go into war.
17:12We fight back.
17:13We fight back against the Trump traps.
17:15We go against everything that's making your lives more expensive.
17:18And it starts right here in rooms like this.
17:21Thank you very much, everybody.
17:23Thank you for all you do.
17:24Move on up.
17:25And keep on wishing.
17:26Remember your dreams.
17:27You're on the skin.
17:28So keep on wishing.
17:29All right.
17:30Good morning, everyone.
17:31My name is Tasia Brown.
17:32I work here at the Vanderbilt YMCA as a program.
17:34Director.
17:35As the Governor said, I am a parent of Florida.
17:36And I work here at the Vanderbilt YMCA as a program director.
17:37As the Governor said, I am a parent of Florida.
17:38And I work here at the Vanderbilt YMCA.
17:39And I work here at the Vanderbilt YMCA as a program director.
17:40As the Governor said, I am a parent of three.
17:42And as you know, as New Yorkers or as a parent, it's very expensive here in New York.
17:43And I work here at the Vanderbilt YMCA as a program director.
17:44As the Governor said, I am a parent of three.
17:48And as you know, as New Yorkers or as a parent, it's very expensive here in New York.
17:55The rising costs and the expenses make it extremely hard at times.
18:00And I work here at the Vanderbilt YMCA as a program director.
18:03And I work here at the Vanderbilt YMCA as a program director.
18:06As the Governor said, I am a parent of three.
18:11And as you know, as New Yorkers or as a parent, it's very expensive here in New York.
18:17But at times, since inflation happened, it's even more difficult to pay bills or to have a full refrigerator.
18:25When I received the child tax last year, it was like, like the Governor said, it was feeling like a birthday gift.
18:32I didn't expect it.
18:34I was, of course, happy.
18:36I had some extra money to pay a bill early to put more food in my refrigerator for my children.
18:43The tax credit was just very beneficial for my family at that time.
18:48I'm excited now, thanks to Governor Hochul.
18:52And we're going to be getting even more money with the tax credit.
18:58I was here back in January with the Governor when she announced the proposal to expand the tax credit.
19:06I believe that I believe that she would get it done and she has gotten it done.
19:11Thank you so much.
19:12This means more money back in our pockets to cover the cost of food and other expenses for our children.
19:26And because of Governor Hochul, her leadership, we're getting even more.
19:30Families like mine will also benefit from a tax cut and inflation refund check and free school lunches for all of our children.
19:39Amazing. Amazing.
19:41It's even more money in our pockets.
19:43I am so grateful.
19:46Yes.
19:51I would like to thank Governor Hochul again for all of her advocating for working families and making us and making me feel valued as a New Yorker.
20:00I really appreciate all the work that you're doing for the New York State.
20:04It just goes to show that when the Governor says she's going to get something done, she gets it done.
20:10Woman power.
20:11Thank you again for your continuous hard work for families in New York State.
20:19Thank you so much.
20:20Really appreciate it.
20:21And next up we have Richard.
20:23Hey, good morning everyone.
20:40So grateful to be here today.
20:42So grateful to you Governor Hochul.
20:44You know they say that the budget is a reflection of our values.
20:48And this budget says that New York State values children.
20:53It values opportunity.
20:55It values families.
20:57As you heard from the Governor, we all know that New Yorkers are struggling right now.
21:03And low income New Yorkers are struggling most of all.
21:06Shockingly, this state, this great state ranks 40th in child poverty.
21:11The human toll of that fact is devastating.
21:15And so is the economic toll on our state.
21:18It costs our state over 60 billion a year in lost productivity, higher health care costs, increased social service spending, and the cost of future incarceration.
21:28But it does not have to be that way.
21:32With your leadership, Governor, this budget says that poverty is not inevitable.
21:38It is a policy choice.
21:40And you are choosing to make a different choice for our great state.
21:44Our great state.
21:50At Robin Hood, we invest in proven solutions that lift New Yorkers permanently out of poverty.
21:55And we know that expanding the Empire State Child Tax Credit is one of the most effective tools we have to fight childhood poverty.
22:03As you heard, New York is tripling the tax credit for those children under four to $1,000.
22:10I never understood why it did not capture it.
22:12No one's ever been able to explain to me why children under four were not covered.
22:15And providing a $500 credit for children aged four for older children, effectively doubling the credit for the average family.
22:23And with your leadership, Governor, the credit will finally be fully refundable.
22:28So even families with little or no income will be able to receive the full benefit.
22:33Nearly 190,000 children.
22:36That's how many children whose families will now be eligible for the tax credit.
22:40190,000 children who will be less likely to go hungry, lose stable housing, or end up in a medical emergency without the funds to pay for it.
22:49190,000 children will be more likely to excel socially, emotionally, and academically.
22:55But, of course, we did not stop there.
22:58We heard about the investment in free breakfast and lunch following in New York City's footsteps and what that means for the average family.
23:06Your budget is making an additional $350 million investment to make up shortfalls in the New York City's version of the Child Care Assistance Program.
23:152.2 billion statewide to ensure that thousands and thousands of families continue to have access to affordable childcare.
23:23And finally, in the face of rising costs, the budget is providing 8 million New Yorkers with checks up to $400 per family.
23:31I know for you, Governor, this focus on children and families is nothing new.
23:36Since you started leading our state, your administration has advanced policies that the Urban Institute projects will lower childhood poverty in the state by 18%.
23:46Today, in a world where brave political leadership is so lacking, where effective political leadership is so lacking, I am proud to live in a state where our leaders have the courage and the moral clarity and the political will to do more than just talk about helping families thrive, but actually are committed to making it happen.
24:15I want to thank you, Governor.
24:16I want to thank you, Governor.
24:17I want to thank the members of the legislature, Leader Stuart Cousins, Speaker Hastie, and the entire state legislature for continuing to fight on behalf of the children and families of New York State.
24:30I cannot be proud.
24:32And now it's my honor to introduce my friend, Kate Breslin.
24:38Thank you, Governor Hochul for bringing us together today.
24:54And thank you, Tasia and Rich, for your remarks.
24:58Thank you to our legislative leaders who, together with the governor, are hashing out the tough decisions we ask them to take on.
25:05One of the things we're here to celebrate today is a budget agreement that, when implemented, represents the most significant expansion and increase in New York's child tax credit, known as the Empire State Child Credit, since its inception.
25:24In addition to an increase in the credits amount, from $330 to $1,000 for children under four, and from $330 to $500 for children four to 16, a major improvement and expansion is a structural change that is designed to make sure that children are
25:54in families with very low incomes and families with very low incomes, those who need it the most, can get the full amount of the credit.
26:01This is a really big deal.
26:08More than two and a half million children will benefit from the credit with $190,000 newly eligible.
26:17It will be critical to make sure we get the word out and make sure all eligible children get the full credit they're eligible for.
26:26Schuyler Center, the organization that I lead, and our partners are eager to work with the governor and the state agencies to really make sure that this happens and families get the cash in their pockets.
26:38Back in 2021, the legislature passed nearly unanimously and Governor Hochul signed the Child Poverty Reduction Act, committing the state to reducing child poverty by half over a decade with attention to racial inequity.
26:57It directed our leaders to invest with intention to make considered decisions designed to reduce child poverty.
27:06Today, I am so grateful to our leaders, Governor Hochul, our leaders in the Senate and the Assembly.
27:13They're finding consensus and making those concrete and intentional investments.
27:20It's estimated that this year's agreed upon child tax credit improvements will reduce child poverty by 8%.
27:28And universal free school meals and funding for child care assistance will save New York families money, improve access to healthy meals, and help parents get to school and work.
27:41At Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy, the organization that I lead, our small but mighty staff, board, and partners are incongruously, wildly impatient and astonishingly patient.
27:56We believe New Yorkers, we, together with our leaders, can create a future where our leaders do the things, analyze the data, listen to the people, and make concrete and intentional choices about investments that lift children up and lift families up when they need it the most.
28:17And with that, create a community where we all have the opportunity to thrive.
28:22I appreciate being here with you today and going forward together.
28:26Thanks.