Governor Kathy Hochul visits Queens Center to present a major proposal for the 2025 State of the State Address, which focuses on enhanced subway safety and the first-ever state-wide inflation refund in New York history (WNY News Now).
Building on her pledge to put money in New Yorkers’ pockets, Governor Kathy Hochul strolled with shoppers at Queens Center in Elmhurst to discuss her initial plan for the 2025 State of the State’s affordability agenda, which includes the first-ever state-wide inflation refund. Governor Hochul also talked about her ongoing attempts to increase the number of National Guard personnel in order to make the subway system safer for passengers.
We appreciate your presence at the world’s most varied location. Not only in Queens or New York, but right here at Queens Center, this shopping mall. It seems like I took about 4,000 selfies while strolling around for the past twenty minutes or so, but it’s a welcoming environment, and this mall is stunning.
To make it lighter, safer, and more hospitable, more than $500 million has been invested. I’m here today to discuss two topics. Happy holidays to all of you. Discuss public safety and ensuring their safety while using our subways. I had an opportunity to praise our National Guard after getting off the subway.
We currently have over 250 new members, and the passengers on the trains—many of whom I spoke with—are quite pleased that the National Guard and police are present on the subways. It gives them a sense of security. Finally, considering this, New Yorkers will have more money in their pockets. Making sure I have support for implementing our plan, the Inflation Reduction Act, so that we can return money to people who overpay for everything from groceries to jewelry, footwear, and toys.
In order to gain the support of our wonderful Borough President, Donovan Richards, who understands the need of putting money back into his voters’ pockets, I am working with the legislature. Because of this approach, we will have more than $500 more for the upcoming holiday season. Let’s get started, and I’m excited to greet even more folks here.