Faith, Labor, Human Service, Environmental and Community Organizations Join Together

Call On Governor and Legislature to Mitigate Cuts With Reasonable Revenue Raisers

ALBANY, NY (02/02/2011)(readMedia)-- Growing Together NY Coalition

New York is at a crossroads. Like most states, New York has seen a collapse in revenues from a national crisis spurred by the financial industry's risky business practices. In the greatest recession of the last 70 years and its aftermath, families' needs are rising and the resources to meet them have fallen. Will we respond in ways that grow the economy by creating jobs and investing in families and communities across the state? Or will we choose a cuts-only approach that threatens New York's future?

Quality education, affordable healthcare and housing, a healthy environment, a strong safety net and a sound transportation infrastructure are things all New Yorkers value and rely on. They are essential to job growth and for a strong state economy for all of us, today and in the future.

Unfortunately, though, ours is a tale of two New Yorks. One New York where the wealthiest 1% of residents receive 35% of all income and have seen significant income gains over the last two decades ... and another New York where families live paycheck to paycheck (if they are lucky enough to have a job) and have seen their wages remain virtually stagnant and their services reduced. New York State now has the dubious distinction of having the greatest income inequality of any state in the nation. The economic reality is this: Either we take steps to grow together or we continue to pull apart.

WHO:

Steering Committee Members of the Growing Together NY Coalition

New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness, Alliance for Quality Education, Environmental Advocates of NY, Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy, Coalition for the Homeless, Community Voices Heard, Fiscal Policy Institute, PEF, VOCAL-NY, Justice for Farmworker’s Campaign, NYS Episcopal Public Policy Network, NYSUT, Empire Justice Center, AFSCME NY, Citizen Action of NY, Center for Working Families, NYS AFL-CIO, NYS Community Action Association, Hunger Action Network of NYS, Statewide Senior Action Council
WHAT:

Members of the GrowingTogetherNY Budget Coalition will be calling upon the Governor and the Legislature to balance the state budget in a way that uses existing resources efficiently and raises additional revenues in ways that will not harm our already fragile economy and will create jobs. We believe our great state must not respond with actions that will further hinder the growth of New York’s economy or hurt the children and families hit hardest by the recession. We will urge our Leaders to not give a $4.5 billion tax cut to New York’s wealthiest citizens while at the same time cutting services to those who are in desperate need.
WHEN: Thursday February 03, 2011 at 12:00PM Eastern Time (US & Canada)
WHERE: LCA Press Room, Legislative Office Building
Albany, New York