Hochul walked the aisles of the Union Road store with Cheektowaga resident Mandy Brenisier and Many’s 10-month-old baby daughter while the two chatted about everything from the rising cost of food and daycare to their shared experiences of raising young children.
But it was her proposed ‘inflation rebate’ program that was the underlying reason for Hochul’s stop in Cheektowaga.
And why is she doing this now?
“I understand that this isn’t going to solve all problems,” Hochul said. “But it’s the acknowledgment that money back in YOUR pocket, the people of New York, is where it belongs.”
Hochul will formally propose the program in her Jan. 14 ‘State of the State’ address. In its simplest form, using extra funds from state-collected revenues families or households earning up to $300,000 may receive a $500 one-time rebate while individuals earning up to $150,000 may receive a $300 one-time rebate check.
The checks will arrive next spring or early summer.
Brenisier said the check will help alleviate some of the financial pressures facing her family.
Hochul added the inflation rebate initiative is not a be-all/end-all solution but the latest in a series of working- and middle-class tax cuts she has pushed for or has created including reduced property taxes - in some instances, tuition assistance and certain childcare cost cutbacks.
“We need to understand, leaders like myself need to understand, how hard it is, not just to show empathy and say I understand but to actually do something about it,” Hochul said.
The inflation rebate initiative will be reviewed and debated later this winter.
