State lawmakers love a good narrative, especially when it promises to lower costs without anyone having to take the heat. But in Albany, “affordability” is often just code for shifting the burden. We’re seeing it play out right now with Gov. Hochul’s push for insurance reform; the administration is leaning on the MTA’s budget woes to justify capping payouts, yet their math is crumbling the second anyone looks at the actual case files.

As budget negotiations drag into yet another extension, the optimism for a straightforward deal by May feels more like wishful thinking than a strategy (but by all means, prove us wrong). At Streetsblog Empire State, we’ve learned that when the budget clock stops, the spin only gets faster.

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