Times Union photo by Lori Van Buren.

The recently enacted federal budget is replete with hundreds of billions of dollars in cuts to states. What President Donald Trump called his “Big Beautiful Bill” leaves local governments in a tough position: Either they allow much-needed programs to be shuttered, or they raise taxes to compensate for the abrupt loss of federal support.

According to state officials, New York stands to lose upwards of $14 billion over the next two years; the cuts hit Medicaid funding and a variety of health, nutrition, education, housing and social service programs. And according to a report issued by state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, the aggregate state shortfall over the next three years is pegged at a whopping $34 billion.

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In other words: Our state is on the brink of an unprecedented fiscal cliff.

Our constitution requires the annual budget to be balanced, with revenues matching expenditures, unlike the federal budget. State programs must be backed by real cash and not just promises or IOU........

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