OPINION: Price Relief Hasn’t Been a Priority, and it Shows

One of the basic responsibilities of public service is to try to improve the day-to-day lives of the people we serve. Unfortunately, when it comes to basic economic conditions like responsible state spending, cost of living and managing inflation, New Yorkers have been ignored. Our affordability crisis should be near the top of the list of priorities for any legislative or executive body, as it impacts every New Yorker and every American. However, since President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have been in office, the rising costs for basic goods and services in the U.S. have been unbearable for many families. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, grocery prices are up nearly 25 percent compared to 2019. Beverages, cereal, bakery products, meat, eggs, poultry and fish have all seen increases of 20 percent or more during the current administration. In New York, we have seen especially challenging economic conditions due to inflation. One recent report identified Syracuse as one of New York’s most severely impacted locations, as it has seen some of the most drastic grocery-price increases anywhere in the state. Inflation is a complicated economic consideration, and while it is not traditionally associated with state-level policymaking, the Assembly Minority Conference worked hard to craft legislation to make it more affordable to live in New York. Affordability has been our calling card, and it will continue to be a priority until some real progress is made. Our “Inflation Relief & Consumer Assistance Plan” (A.1690) would immediately suspend state sales-tax charges for two years on items like gasoline, personal-care products, housekeeping and cleaning supplies, as well as some food purchases. Unfortunately, that proposal was rejected by the Assembly Majority Conference and has stalled. We have also proposed a number of bills to help make childcare more affordable. These costs have been especially burdensome to families across the state in recent years, and they impact those least able to afford unexpected increases the most. In response, we developed a plan that would save the average family more than $2,300 a year in childcare costs. That plan includes calling on the federal government to reinstate the Enhanced Federal Child Tax Credit, as well as bills to: • stablish a supplemental household and dependent care credit payment. (A.9242) • ncrease the aggregate funds available for the childcare tax credit. (A.9245) • ncrease the applicable percentage of the child tax credit allowed in the Empire State Child Tax Credit to 45 percent. (A.9257) •​Increase the Earned Income Tax Credit. (A.9258) Perhaps the most frustrating part of this equation is the lack of urgency to address cost-of-living concerns plaguing New Yorkers. Many are struggling to make ends meet, and there has been little economic relief to help offset increasing costs. We clearly cannot sustain this level of economic uncertainty, and I hope to see a much greater emphasis on fixing this problem in these critical upcoming months.  

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William (Will) A. Barclay, 55, Republican, is the New York Assembly minority leader and represents the 120th New York Assembly District, which encompasses all of Oswego County, as well as parts of Jefferson and Cayuga counties.