Both political parties continue to tout affordability when it comes to living in New York. Gov. Kathy Hochul did it on Tuesday during her State of the State address while members of the Republican party discussed it in their “Save New York” plan on Monday.

While we’re all ears — and hopeful — we find it hard to believe this state can be affordable if costs to run public entities continue to rise. Upstate is struggling. Cities, including Buffalo and Dunkirk, are running multi-million dollar deficits.

All the while, government and education spending keeps going up. How is that affordable?

Until both parties in Albany — and the municipalities and school districts connected to it — start truly cutting expenses that are part of the annual state budget, then affordability is not in the equation.

If costs are going up, then they are being passed on to the taxpayers. There’s nothing inexpensive about that.