Governor Kathy Hochul announced that she directed the use of just under $17 million in taxpayer funds to subsidize new machinery and equipment at a General Motors facility in Western New York that builds V8 engines that, ironically, New Yorkers soon won’t be allowed to buy themselves.
The Tonawanda, New York, plant will produce a next-generation small-block V-8 engine for use in GM’s line of full-size trucks and SUVs.
The project is part of an $888 million investment in the plant by GM.
The rub for taxpayers is that Hochul’s Green New Deal requires all new passenger cars, pickup trucks, and SUVs sold in New York State to be zero emissions by 2035.
The requirement for electric vehicles begins to phase in in 2026, starting with 35 percent of sales required to be electric, 68 percent of sales by 2030, and 100 percent of sales by 2035.
Many Democratic state legislators and many other left-leaning elected officials across New York heaped praise on GM's $888 million investment, even as they also voted for the very same mandates to only use electric-powered appliances in their homes and EV vehicles.
New York State Conservative Party Chairman, Gerry Kassar, says, “Governor Hochul has attracted many descriptions to encapsulate her time as Governor. She can add the 'inconsistent Governor' to the list. It’s no wonder the majority of New Yorkers believe it's time for a new state leader.”
The South Shore Press did ask Governor Hochul’s office how she squares giving state tax dollars to an auto plant in Buffalo to build V-8 engines when her policy won’t allow gas-powered passenger cars, pickup trucks, and SUVs to be sold in New York starting in 2035.
New Yorkers won’t be able to purchase any of the vehicles they are subsidizing by 2035.
The Governor's Office declined to address the policy inconsistency and instead offered the South Shore Press a response restating support for the GM facility.
Hochul’s office said, "Governor Hochul is proud to support American companies like General Motors that create good-paying union jobs in Western New York. This massive $888 million investment was only possible because of Governor Hochul's economic development strategy, which is attracting jobs, investment and opportunity to upstate New York. For questions about GM's sales and manufacturing strategy, we'd refer you to GM."
Empire State Development will provide up to $16.96 million in performance-based Excelsior Jobs Program tax credits in return for investment commitments to move the project forward.
The Governor’s statement at the time of her original announcement said, “The project will support 870 jobs at Tonawanda Propulsion, including 177 jobs that were deemed at risk.”