New Report Exposes Corporate Elites Behind Cuomo "Secret Slush Fund"

Committee to Save New York Backers Funding Cuomo Public Relations Campaign Benefit from Favorable Policies Worth Billions

ALBANY, NY (06/18/2012)(readMedia)-- A new report being release today shows that the powerful forces behind a big business lobbying group reap billions from policies that have been continued, implemented, or proposed during the Cuomo administration.

The report, "The Committee to Save New York's 1%," examines the key forces behind the Committee to Save New York, a coalition of big business interests closely aligned with Governor Cuomo, which has spent historic sums on a public relations effort designed to push the Cuomo agenda. The report will be released tomorrow by the Public Accountability Initiative, a Buffalo-based non-profit research organization focused on corporate and government accountability.

The report examines how the potential policy payoffs for Committee backers go far beyond casino gambling legalization, pushed by gambling interests that were recently revealed to have given heavily to the Committee. Committee backers, including the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) and the Partnership for New York City, benefit from a range of policies continued, implemented, or proposed by the Cuomo administration, including low corporate tax rates, subsidies, pension reform, and real estate development plans.

WHO:

 Kevin Connor, Public Accountability Initiative

Ron Deutsch, New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness

Agnes Rivera, Community Voices Heard

Bobby Tolbert, VOCAL-NY

Ryan Lennon, Occupy Albany
WHAT:

 The report, "The Committee to Save New York’s 1%," examines the key forces behind the Committee to Save New York, a coalition of big business interests closely aligned with Governor Cuomo, which has spent historic sums on a public relations effort designed to push the Cuomo agenda. The report was authored by the Public Accountability Initiative, a Buffalo-based non-profit research organization focused on corporate and government accountability and released in partnership with New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness, Community Voices Heard and VOCAL-NY.
WHEN: Monday June 18, 2012 at 12:00PM Eastern Time (US & Canada)
WHERE: 3rd Floor Capitol
Outside Senate Chambers
Albany, New York
NOTES: