NYS Republican Chairman Ed Cox has jumped on Gov. Cuomo’s softening rhetoric yesterday as it pertains to Bill de Blasio’s plan to hike taxes on the wealthy to pay for pre-kindergarten programs in the city.
Cox urged Cuomo not to undercut his recently appointed tax commission designed to come up with ways to lower — not raise —taxes.
“The governor should make his intentions clear: if he’s serious about cutting taxes, he must announce publicly that the de Blasio plan is dead on arrival,” Cox said in a statement. “If he wants to raise taxes in the highest taxed city in America and drive more businesses and jobs away, then he’s throwing his tax cut commission under the bus, just like he threw his tax reform commission under the bus.”
While talking to reporters in Albany Wednesday, Cuomo denied claims by GOP mayoral candidate Joe Lhota that the governor has said de Blasio’s plan is “dead on arrival” in Albany.
In doing so, Cuomo tamped down his criticism of the de Blasio plan that he made last week to the Daily News editorial board.
that while de Blasio, if elected, can come to Albany and try to sell his plan, he also said he fears the proposal would send the wrong message and potentially drive millionaires out of state.
Cuomo last week said he wants to reduce taxes and that he believes de Blasio’s plan would point the tax arrow up, not down like he wants.
But yesterday, Cuomo sought to keep himself out of the mayoral back and forth.
“I never said that,” Cuomo said of Lhota’s “dead on arrival” comment.
“I’ve said, ‘You know my position on taxes generally. You know what I’ve done over the last three years. You know the philosophy we’re governing the state.”
“What I’ve said to Bill de Blasio, specifically on the telephone with him — and he knows very well also what I’ve been doing and my disposition –.but I’ve said, look, if he becomes the mayor of the city of New York, then he should put together his plans and his programs. The mayor of the city of New York is a very important official, obviously, in this state.”
“I invited him to Albany. I said, ‘You come, present a plan, we’ll have the conversation with myself, with the legislative leaders. We’ll see exactly what you’re talking about then we’ll take it from there.'”
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