Chapter President Brian Sampson Statement on the Passing of the NYS Budget

“Governor Hochul and elected leaders have been discussing for months their desire to make New York more affordable. That seems to be nothing more than a convenient talking point since they’ve passed a budget that did the exact opposite. This budget makes energy, construction, housing, and the overall cost of living dramatically more expensive.   

There was a focused effort on energy and accessing renewable power. We agree that we need to focus on renewable alternatives. However, every project will now be subject to prevailing wage, which increases construction costs for taxpayers by 20-25%, and Project Labor Agreements, which limits the workforce to less than 30% of construction workers. How does the state expect to complete these projects on time and within budget when they are sidelining 70% of construction workers in New York? Why does it think private power producers are going to build projects in New York over other states that don’t force them to eat higher wages and benefits and slow walk the approval process? 

The Governor and our elected officials talked about addressing the affordability and housing crisis by building 800,000 new affordable units. Yet this went unaddressed in the budget. They said they’ll deal with it post-budget. Yet, in this budget, they’ve actually made housing more expensive by passing the All-Electric Buildings. Combine that with higher mortgage rates, building material costs, inflation, we have an even worse crisis on our hands than before this budget passed.   

Explain to New Yorkers how this budget addressed the affordability crisis in New York. We don't see it. It really shouldn’t surprise anyone anymore why people continue to flee New York in record numbers. They aren’t escaping the weather. They’re escaping the unaddressed affordability crisis that leaders in Albany continue to make worse by passing bad policies like those contained in this final budget deal. New Yorkers deserve better.”