Gov. Cuomo calls GOP tax reform plan a 'diabolical and divisive' scam
Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) on the Republican push for tax reform.
Republicans are preparing to unveil their tax reform plan Thursday, but New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is taking issue with what he sees as actually raising taxes for some states and individuals. Cuomo responded to Republicans’ tax reform push on the FOX Business Network’s “Mornings with Maria” Wednesday morning, saying, “Their plan is a scam to use a word which is a little harsh so early in the morning.”
Cuomo sees the Republicans’ rush to pass tax reform before people have a chance to really understand it, but claims it is not a tax cut for everyone, telling Maria Bartiromo, “It is a tax cut plan for some people and for some states. It’s basically a tax cut plan for corporations. For a state like New York, a state like California that has state and local taxes, it’s a tax increase.”
When Bartiromo asked whether the governor needs to focus more on lowering his state’s spending and tax rates, Cuomo replied, “I have lowered taxes Maria, we have lower state income taxes, record lower rates, my increase in spending year-to-year has been the lowest in recorded history, lower than Republican governors.”
Bartiromo then asked what else could be done to prevent a potential tax increase for New Yorkers under the GOP plan, to which Cuomo responded, “The only way not to increase taxes in New York, is to stop the plan, the plan is diabolical and divisive.”
According to Cuomo, seven of the nine Republican Congress people from New York oppose the tax plan, including Rep. Peter King.
“Peter King, God bless him, stood up and told the truth, you’re raising taxes on New Yorkers.”
Cuomo then warned the tax plan would drive wealthier residents of states such as New York and California to move to other states.
“The Republican theory says ‘well then those rich people will move to a state with lower taxes.’”
But when Bartiromo countered that New York’s high taxes are already driving individuals and businesses out of the state, Cuomo responded, “Yes, but Maria, this would then accelerate that and when they leave, that tax burden falls down to the middle class and the working families.”
Cuomo then noted that the tax burden on some middle-class families was not what President Trump campaigned on .
“This was supposed to be a middle-class tax cut, or I heard a different presidential campaign than you did.”