Tax hikes being considered by Gov. Kathy Hochuland other moderate Democrats to satisfy NYC Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and his radical comrades will cause a mass exodus of New Yorkers if implemented, according to former Gov. George Pataki.
“It’s bad enough the way things are now. If [Hochul] goes ahead and raises taxes on New Yorkers again, I think there comes a point where it becomes the straw that breaks the camel’s back,” the Republican told billionaire WABC-AM radio owner John Catsimatidis on his “Cats Roundtable” show set to air Sunday.
“New York just can’t afford this,” the ex-governor added, according to excerpts of the interview provided to The Post.
“We have taxes that are already too high. Regulations that are too severe … New Yorkers have been leaving New York in droves for places like Florida and Texas.”
Hochul, once a staunch opponent of raising corporate tax rates, is no longer ruling the idea out to help balance the state’s budget following the silver-spoon socialist’s win in last month’s mayoral election.
The potential flip-flop for a governor with a history of them comes as she continues to be taunted in public with chants to “tax the rich” from liberals looking to push her in line with Mamdani, who wants at least $9 billion in extra dough to fund pie-in-the-sky initiatives like free buses.
Pataki blamed Hochul and other moderate Democrats’ change on the heart regarding tax hikes on the threat of the far-left coming for their jobs.
“I think they’re looking at Mamdani’s victory and thinking, ‘Oh my God! I could have a primary. So we’d better raise taxes,’” he said.
“Mamdani wants to raise taxes, and I’m afraid that Hochul and the Legislature are going to go along with him.”
Hochul spokesperson Kara Cumoletti said Hochul “has been clear that she hopes to avoid raising any taxes,” adding Pataki “should know better than most that you can’t plan a state budget without knowing what cuts to Medicaid … and other programs will come from Washington.”
“If Governor Pataki wants to help prevent tax increases, he should urge Washington Republicans to stop targeting New York with devastating cuts,” said Cumoletti.
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