New York voters say the new federal tax law passed by Congress will harm the state's economy and do little to improve their personal finances, according to a new Siena College poll published Tuesday.
The poll, the first Siena survey since Congress passed the sweeping tax overhaul in December, shows New Yorkers are skeptical that the changes will boost business or help individual taxpayers in the state.
The poll found 43 percent of registered voters believe the new tax law will make the New York economy worse, compared to 24 percent who say the changes will improve the economy. An additional 21 percent said the changes will have little effect on New York's economy.
At the same time, only 15 percent of New York voters said they expect the tax changes will make them better off financially. An additional 33 percent said they would be worse off, and 45 percent said they expect their personal finances to stay the same.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo was a relentless critic of the Republican legislation last year, and pleaded with GOP members New York's congressional delegation to vote against the bill. Ultimately, five of the nine House Republicans from New York split with their party and opposed the legislation.
Cuomo said the bill's provision to limit taxpayer deductions of state and local income and property tax deductions to $10,000 per year will disproportionately harm residents of high-tax states like New York, New Jersey and California. All three states pay more in taxes to the federal government than they receive back in federal spending.
"Given how voters feel about the federal tax bill now, there has been little political downside for opposing the law, as the governor spent weeks doing," said Steve Greenberg, a spokesman for the Siena Research Institute.
Cuomo's favorability rating soared over the past two months, the poll found, with 62 percent holding a favorable opinion of the governor, compared to 30 percent who have an unfavorable opinion. That's up from a 52-43 percent favorability rating in November's Siena poll.
Cuomo, who is seeking a third term in office this November, now has the highest favorability rating since the middle of his fourth year in office. The poll found 55 percent of New York voters are prepared to re-elect Cuomo, compared to 36 percent who said they would prefer someone else.
The poll, conducted Jan. 7 through Jan. 11, has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
Contact Mark Weiner anytime: Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751