Following Arrests at NYS Capitol Building, Opposition Continues to Mount to Governor Cuomo's Corporate Agenda

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Kathy Wylde is Being a Bad Neighhbor to the Other 97%

• More than 100 people gathered to speak with Kathy Wylde

BAY RIDGE, BROOKLYN, NY (03/05/2011)(readMedia)-- More than 100 New Yorkers marched through the Bay Bridge this morning, offering chants and greeting the neighbors of Kathy Wylde this morning. Ms. Wylde is CEO of the Partnership for NYC and a founding board member of the Committee to Save New York, an elite coalition bringing together the state's most affluent and influential. The Committee has already raised well over $10 million to support the governor's business-centric budget proposals.

[See pictures of the event at: http://bit.ly/ieriYs]

The demonstration here was led by members of Community Voices Heard and Voices of Community Activists and Leaders, or VOCAL-NY, who have been fighting against Governor Cuomo's budget proposals, which would decimate public services and destroy jobs. They were joined by their allies at Good Old Lower East Side, or GOLES. Each of the groups were on their way to the national conference for National People's Action.

Arriving at Ms. Wylde's front door, they requested a meeting, to which Ms. Wylde agreed.

The groups are calling for an extension of the millionaire's tax -- set to expire at the end of the year and blow a $5 billion hole into the state budget – a position the Wall Street-backed Committee opposes alongside New York's Tea Party and Governor Andrew Cuomo.

"The Committee to Save NY members, led by Kathy Wylde, are raising millions to save themselves $5 billion in taxes down the road – cuts in taxes that will be paid for by cuts in services for everyone else," said Brenda McPhail, a Community Voices Heard leader from Newburgh. "Wall Street got us into this economic crisis by gambling with taxpayer money, yet people like Kathy Wylde are working hard to make sure they don't have to contribute to New York's economic recovery."

Some of Ms. Wylde's neighbors offered to share the flyer with other neighbors who were not home this morning.

This demonstration comes after weeks of action against the Committee to "Scam" New York and the Governor, most recently included 17 New Yorkers arrested for civil disobedience at the State Capitol Building.

Prior to this morning, the members of these groups were protesting against the governor's proposals at Cuomo's State of the State, filed a formal complaint with the state's lobbying authority calling for an investigation into the relationship between the Committee and the Governor's office, disrupted a posh Midtown gala held by one of the lead organizations of the Committee, and held a tongue-in-cheek "Bake Sale to Save New York" fundraiser outside a $15,000-per-person campaign fundraiser Gov. Cuomo held at Rockefeller Center in February.

"We're only gaining momentum in the battle against Governor Cuomo's devastating budget and the wealthy elite who are pushing for it," said Agnes Rivera, a board member with Community Voices Heard. "They might have all of the money it takes to push their agenda, but we have the majority of the people. The majority of New Yorkers do not support Cuomo's budget cuts, but they do support the millionaire's tax. We can't stop now."

CVH is also a member of the New Deal for New York campaign, which asked Buffalo's Public Accountability Initiative to research and produce, "The Committee to Scam New York: How the Committee to Save New York's Corporate Elites Dodge Taxes, Score Handouts, Get Bailed Out, and Still Want More." That report documented the many ways in which the Committee was actually working to structure the state government in such a way as to further "game" the system by accruing public benefits dismantling the few social responsibilities its members currently hold.

The protesters called on Gov. Cuomo to "put people first," urging him to protect public services New Yorkers rely on and focus on cutting the unemployment rate instead of tax rates for the richest 3%. While acknowledging the Governor's high popularity ratings, they noted that majorities of the public are opposed to key elements of his agenda, including giving tax breaks to millionaires and cutting healthcare and education spending.

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