Bruce Blakeman touts plan to cut state income tax in upstate swing

WEEDSPORT — Republican candidate for governor Bruce Blakeman hit the road Tuesday to tout a plan he says will cut income taxes for New Yorkers, but which critics say lacks key details such as how he would pay for it.

Blakeman, the Nassau County executive, was stumping for a plan he unveiled this summer to eliminate taxes on the first $50,000 earned for single filers and the first $100,000 earned by joint filers. Many filers would pay no tax under this plan and a married couple earning $250,000 would see their state tax liability fall from $13,000 to $6,000, according to his campaign. No further specifics were outlined.

Blakeman said his income tax plan and his proposal to slash taxes on utility bills were his two top priorities worth holding up state budget negotiations with an overwhelmingly Democratic State Senate and Assembly.

"We have to have tax relief. We have to cut our utility bills — so those are the two most important things," Blakeman said between stops at an ice cream shop and automobile parts store in upstate Weedsport.

Blakeman didn't specify how many people would be impacted by his plan. The state Tax Department said it couldn't quantify the number affected because it doesn't have enough specifics.

Blakeman said the proposals would have to be in a budget he would approve if he defeats Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, who is in her fifth year in office and ahead in public opinion polls. Hochul has opposed new tax hike proposals from the State Legislature while keeping a surcharge on high earners and cutting some rates for the middle class.

A conservative tax critic said the Republican’s plan could result in up to a $2 billion hit on state revenues and said Blakeman has yet to explain in detail how he’ll offset that with specific spending cuts.

"I would call this plan half-baked, but it isn’t even clear it is in the oven yet," said E.J. McMahon, formerly a longtime tax and budget analyst at the conservative-leaning Empire Center, an Albany think tank.

"What will the tax brackets look like? How will he get the legislature to do it?" McMahon said. "It’s easy to propose stuff, but harder to get it done."

He added that reversing the many policies and regulations that go into utility rates would take years.

Blakeman said he’ll be a tough negotiator with legislators, but "it doesn’t have to be all or nothing."

"The governor has tremendous power over the budget," Blakeman said, referring to being able to force legislators into negotiating or potentially shutting down government. "There are programs that are important to them and there are programs that are important to me. So, it’s going to be a bargaining and negotiating process and I’m a pretty good bargainer."

But he did seem to rule out cuts to school districts — which, next to Medicaid, is the second biggest expense in New York State’s budget. Even modest attempts at slowing down the growth of education have failed because of strong opposition — such as two years ago, when Hochul’s proposal to end a policy of giving increases to districts that lost enrollment fell flat.

"We don’t have to cut education," Blakeman said. "We have to get rid of fraud and waste in state government."

By Yancey Roy

yancey.roy@newsday.com@yanceyroy