Well, it’s election season in New York again, and surprise, surprise Democrats are trying to hand out checks in order to buy some votes. Governor Kathy Hochul is calling them “inflation refund checks,” but let’s be honest: this smells more like a political stunt than serious economic relief.
Hochul stood in front of a few dozen supporters at a gym in Albany this week and announced that over eight million New Yorkers will be getting checks in the mail starting late September. Some checks will be worth up to $400, depending on your income level. No forms to fill out, no applications, no hassle. Just sit tight and wait for your check — sometime between now and who-knows-when.
The New York Department of Taxation and Finance released a statement saying that checks will be mailed out in waves over several weeks. In other words: if your neighbor gets theirs and you don’t, don’t panic — and definitely don’t call their office, because the reps won’t know anything anyway. Now that’s government efficiency at its finest.
Here’s the breakdown:
- Families making under $150,000 get $400
- Families between $150,000–$300,000 get $300
- Individuals under $75,000 get $200
- Individuals between $75,000–$150,000 get $150
Anyone claimed as a dependent is out of luck. So if you’re 22, working part-time, but your parents claimed you, sorry — no inflation refund for you.
New York State’s first-ever Inflation Refund is here!
Checks of up to $400 are going out to millions of New York families.See if you’re eligible: https://t.co/zuVR91M8ga pic.twitter.com/7dF2IGN8Ku
— NYS Department of Labor (@NYSLabor) September 26, 2025
Now, Hochul insists this is a “one-time statement,” not a political bribe. But let’s be real: this is the kind of move that screams please forget how expensive everything is before you vote. Inflation in New York — and across the country — hasn’t just squeezed wallets. It’s crushed them. Groceries, gas, rent, utilities — all up. And her party’s reckless spending policies helped fuel it. Now she wants credit for handing people a couple hundred bucks of their own money back?
This isn’t leadership. It’s damage control.
Instead of addressing the real causes of inflation — sky-high taxes, bloated state budgets, energy policies that drive up costs — Hochul is hoping $400 will buy her some goodwill heading into the next election.
Here’s an idea: how about lowering taxes and cutting regulations so New Yorkers don’t need rebate checks in the first place?
But that would take actual reform. And we all know that’s not how Albany works.
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