Skelos Opposes Tax Hike, Pre-Election Budget Cuts

Republican State Senate Leader Dean Skelos told business leaders this morning that the economy is in for tough times, but “we should not panic and we must not act out of fear.”

“In this fragile economy, it would be disastrous to raise taxes,” he said, speaking at the Association for a Better New York breakfast at the Hilton in midtown.

Afterwards, when asked about Michael Bloomberg’s economic plan, which would likely include repealing the seven percent property tax cut, Skelos said, “Everybody has to do what they think is appropriate for their constituents."

He went to say that raising the personal income tax “would be the worst thing that can happen in New York City or any other part of the state.”

Later, asked about making additional budget cuts in a special legislative session before the elections, which Democrats are hoping for, Skelos said, “I don’t think we have to do that right now. Lets see what our revenue picture is and then we can move forward.”