Governor Hochul Opens Door to New Taxes to Fund Mamdani's Free Childcare Plan
New York Governor Kathy Hochul said at the Somos political conference in Puerto Rico on November 6 that she would be willing to impose new taxes if necessary to fund universal free childcare, with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani smiling beside her. 'When we have a severe need for something extraordinary, I am willing to do what has to happen,' Hochul said, adding that the approach is 'not ideological, it's pragmatic'; she said the funding path will be announced in her 2027 State of the State address.
Citywide free childcare is a core Mamdani campaign promise; the state appropriated funding in May, but it covers the programme only through 2028, leaving its long-term financing in question. Statewide childcare funding has risen from $2.8 billion last year to $4.5 billion this year. Mamdani said he continues to hold his 'tax the rich' positions and looks forward to a productive working relationship with the governor.
(Source: New York Post)
Source: New York Post
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：纽约州议会大厦，位于奥尔巴尼。作者：Beyond My Ken，CC BY-SA 4.0，取自 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: The New York State Capitol in Albany. By Beyond My Ken. CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
