People's Budget Hearing to Urge Leaders to Get Some CLASS (Close Loopholes Aid Social Services)

ALBANY, NY (02/26/2013)(readMedia)-- Hundreds of low-income New Yorkers, community activists, union members and faith leaders will gather at the State Capitol at Noon on Wednesday, February 27th for a People's Hearing on the State Budget. The event will take place at the State Street entrance.

The hearing is part of the annual legislative action day by Hunger Action Network of NYS, Empire State Economic Security Campaign, New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness, and many others. The People's Hearing is designed to highlight the need to restore millions in lost funding to programs and services for struggling New Yorkers hat have been left out of the budget.

Speakers will address the need to raise the state minimum wage as part of the state budget deliberations despite Governor Cuomo's suggestion that it should be done later in the session. Low-income workers have seen their pay raise delayed for more than a year despite the support of 80% of New York voters and many business leaders.

Speakers will also address the need for increased funding for jobs programs and human service programs, as well as the proposal by Governor Cuomo to eliminate direct funding in the state budget for anti-hunger programs such as HPNAP (for emergency food programs). The groups believe that in light of the lack of job creation three years into a so-called recovery from the Great Recession, lawmakers should reject the Governor's effort to enact yet another austerity budget.

Speakers at the hearing will address the need to increase state revenues through closing various corporate tax loopholes that allow many large and profitable companies to avoid paying taxes in NYS. The "Billionaires for Loopholes" trio will also be on hand to discuss why they feel they need more corporate tax loopholes to survive.