Hochul’s Budget Aims More at Pocketbook Issues Than at Trump

Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York unveiled on Tuesday a $252 billion executive budget that seemed intended to appease New Yorkers dissatisfied with the rising cost of living rather than to address President Trump’s policies that may hurt the state.

The proposed budget includes funding for about $1 billion in middle-class tax cuts, $3 billion in rebate checks for millions of New Yorkers, $800 million for an expansion of the state’s child tax credit, $340 million for school meals for every student and close to $60 million for more police officers on subway trains — all designed to address concerns about affordability, crime and the cost of living.

The spending plan represented a nearly $8.6 billion increase from the current budget, largely because of vast jumps in Medicaid and education spending.

Perhaps most significant is what Ms. Hochul’s budget did not include. She offered no contingency plans in case President Trump makes good on his vow to halt congestion pricing, which would stop the flow of hundreds of millions of dollars a year to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

It also did not identify potential alternate funding streams in response to the Republican-led federal government’s likely focus on cutting money from social service programs like the Affordable Care Act.

Ms. Hochul said that Congress should be held accountable for votes it takes and programs it cuts. She focused particularly on the $10,000 cap on the amount of state and local taxes that people could deduct from their federal income taxes. The governor wants the cap eliminated; Mr. Trump has also spoken against the cap.