While Gov. Hochul Is Busy Rigging Elections, NY Taxpayers Bear The Burden

Governor Kathy Hochul’s administration recently blew nearly $500 million in potential savings for New York taxpayers by failing to move seniors to a federally funded Medicare plan. That’s half a billion dollars — gone — because Kathy Hochul couldn’t get her act together. That’s money that could have gone to tax relief, infrastructure, and keeping your utility bills lower.

When it comes to utility bills, National Grid customers in upstate New Yorker should brace themselves for a 15% increase in their bill starting next month. This amounts to about $216 more per customer per year, thanks to Governor Hochul’s green energy scam agenda. Likewise, Con Edison has proposed double-digit rate increases that will raise costs for downstate residents, driving up their utility bills as early as January 2026.

And that’s just the average cost increases. Many families and small businesses will be paying far more at a time when they are already struggling and can’t afford any more increases in their cost of living and doing business.

These increases are not a reflection of market forces or a sudden spike in demand, rather, they are a direct result of action by the governor’s Public Service Commission, which Hochul controls. This board approved the increases to fund her ambitious climate mandates. It’s typical of Albany: self-righteous politicians pushing you to “do your part” by paying more, even when you’re already struggling.

Why are these things happening? For starters, Kathy Hochul is incompetent and instead of addressing these problems and protecting you, she prioritizes politics. Currently, she’s focused on her crusade to illegally gerrymander New York’s congressional map – a scheme that the courts, and voters, already rejected. When the rules don’t work for the Democratic Party, Hochul tries to change them.

Hochul and her cronies describe mid-decade redistricting as “undemocratic,” yet in the same breath she and her fellow New York Democrats have declared they will engage in mid-decade redistricting. In other words – their words – they’re going to take undemocratic actions in order to “save democracy” in America. The hypocrisy and absurdity of this is unparalleled, and New York voters can see right through it. The voters and the courts in this state have already made it clear the people must have the ability to choose their representatives, rather than politicians manufacturing uncompetitive districts and forcing their preferred candidates down everybody’s throats.

New York voters overwhelmingly supported a nonpartisan redistricting process. However, Democrats ignored them, blatantly gerrymandered districts, and when they were thrown out by the courts, they corrupted the Court of Appeals to get their way. Now, they are looking to stomp on the Constitution again for another shot at rigging the system to protect their power. Meanwhile, New York taxpayers continue to struggle with rising costs and a deteriorating quality of life in their communities.

This is not leadership. It’s political wheeling and dealing at its worst, and taxpayers are footing the bill.

Albany’s ruling class has made their priorities clear: your paycheck, your bills, and your future come second to their grip on power.

Until we get a governor who will put people over politics, rein in spending, protect ratepayers, and actually focus on making New York affordable again, New Yorkers will keep paying for Kathy Hochul’s failures.

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Robert G. Ortt was sworn into office as a New York State Senator for the 62nd District in January of 2015. He serves as the Republican Senate Minority Leader.

The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.