Progressive Tax "Boot Camp" Concludes in Albany

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NEW YORK, NY (10/04/2011)(readMedia)-- Albany, NY: This afternoon over one hundred New Yorkers from around the state concluded a two-day boot camp on progressive taxation and the millionaire's tax, which is set to expire on December 31st. The participants will apply the new organizing skills to local struggles, including the burgeoning #occupywallstreet movement.

The boot camp equipped participants with tools to connect their own stories about layoffs, local school cuts, poor housing conditions, and loss of health coverage to state budget cuts. Participants dissected the latest data about the state's fiscal situation, including the damaging impacts of New York's decision to provide a tax break to the state's wealthiest households.

Sunshine Ludder of the Center for Working Families said, "Members and staff of community and service organizations from around the state can now expertly explain why bad decisions in Albany caused their child's teacher to be laid off or forced their public library to limit its hours. At the end of the boot camp, we affirmed the need to work together so all New Yorkers have the opportunity to build better, fuller and richer lives."

Anne Washington of the New Deal for New York coalition said, "I'm a resident of New York City and my grandchildren's schools are experiencing budget cuts. My daughter has a college degree but can't find a permanent job. It makes no sense that people who're already suffering must suffer even more in order to fix the economy. If we want a balanced budget we need to generate revenue to have strong services for the needy, good schools, job training for the unemployed and affordable health care for all."

Roger Markovics of United Tenants of Albany said, "For the past few decades, wealthy New Yorkers have gained while the rest of us have lost. That's reflected in increased foreclosures, evictions and poor housing conditions: issues that impact the constituency I work with. It's time for to invest in public infrastructure – like housing, highways and public transportation – that help put the American dream within reach for everyone."

Jim Anderson, Vice President of Citizen Action of New York and a community activist from Buffalo said, "Across New York and America, working families are struggling to make ends meet, workers can't find jobs, schools are losing teachers and programs - while the majority of this nation's wealth is concentrated in the pocket books of the very, very few. We're here today to join together as the other 99 percent who have had enough of corporate greed and political policies that have unfairly helped the rich."

Paula Hansen of Metro Justice said, "In Rochester we're seeing big cuts in city schools, including teacher layoffs and severe curtailment of art, music and gym lessons. This is in a city in which there are increasing rates of childhood obesity and decreased opportunities for kids to play in safe environments. We came to Albany to strengthen our movement for progressive revenues so we can educate our children and keep them healthy and safe."

Duane Diggs of VOICE-Buffalo said, "African American males in city of Buffalo suffer 51 percent unemployment and only one in four graduates from high school. My purpose in being here was to learn to more effectively to advocate for opportunities for these young people and make sure all our children have a fair shot at success."

Nikki Jones of the Alliance for Quality Education said, "It's embarrassing and hurtful to take ten thousand teachers as well as quality programs from school children in order to gift $5 billion to the wealthiest 3 percent of New Yorkers. This convening echoes the ongoing demand for Governor Cuomo and the Legislature to acknowledge the remaining 97 percent of New Yorkers by extending the Millionaire's Tax and making desperately needed restorations for public schools to ensure that all students to have an opportunity to learn."

Allison Sesso of the Human Services Council said, "HSC was here to bring the voice of the human services sector to the table. We are committed to working with our partners to show the world what's at stake in our budget fight. This work will help ensure that supports for struggling individuals and families are maintained."

Portia Armstrong of the NYC Coalition for Educational Justice said, "New York's future depends on our children receiving an engaging and well-rounded education. This has been jeopardized by Gov. Cuomo's painful $1.3 billion statewide cut to our schools. He has said that cuts don't hurt. Of course they do, especially schools that are serving struggling children. This boot camp helped me express a message about what's fair for our kids and families, and that taps into New York's progressive spirit and can help all of us reclaim the American Dream."

Michelle Chapman of New York Communities for Change said, "I am here because I want to fight for a state where every child has a quality education, every family has a home they can afford and low-income communities of color are involved in setting the very policies that affect them."

Loretta Manning of Community Voices Heard said, "In my city, Newburgh, crime is a huge problem. There aren't enough good jobs to go around. Our housing is in poor condition. I'm here because we need solutions that build a better New York for everyone. That means preserving programs for single moms, improving transportation so people can get to work and school, creating good jobs so people can support their families and have a good quality of life. Our governor and elected leaders need to include everyone, including low-income New Yorkers."

Ron Deutsch, Executive Director of New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness said, "Concerned citizens from all over the state are coming together to continue to push for a New York State we can all be proud of. We want to live in a state that treats the poorest of its citizens as well as its richest -- one that acknowledges that you don't give the wealthiest residents a $5 billion tax cut when our roads are crumbling, schools are laying off teachers and cutting programs, residents are devastated by flooding and the majority can't make ends meet."

John Park of Korean Americans for Political Advancement said, "The majority of Asian American children in New York City are born into poverty. The budget crisis is hurting this community which has already been disproportionally affected by the economy. This training comes at a critical time and provides the necessary tools to create a brighter future for New Yorkers in a way that is fair and benefits everyone."

Bobby Tolbert of VOCAL-NY said, "The budget cuts are hurting food pantries and nutrition support – I'm from a community of people living with HIV and AIDS and this has been devastating to us. This boot camp was a chance to learn how to more effectively advocate for our issues so we can build a state that gives everyone a chance to prosper."

Susan Lerner, Executive Director, Common Cause/NY said, "Common Cause/NY was glad to join advocates and good government groups from across New York State for a candid discussion about taxation, job creation and the distribution of government resources that will ultimately lead to enhanced government accountability and restore faith in government and the decision-making process."

Simon Tangney and Eirik Bjorkman of New York Students Rising released a statement reading, "The future of New York State is tied to its system of higher education. In working to ensure the quality and affordability of our colleges and universities, we are working to give opportunities for generations of young adults so they can learn to think critically and enact positive social change without becoming encumbered by debt. Yet we face problems similar to the ones that community groups gathered at this boot camp face. Budget cuts have resulted in SUNY and CUNY department cancellations, reduced student services and a tuition hike. NYSR is opposed to shifting the burden from the wallets of the privileged to the backs of public university students. That's exactly what will continue to happen if elected officials let the millionaire's tax expire on December 31st."

The event was organized by the New Deal for New York, the Center for Working Families and ALIGN: Alliance for a Greater New York, with funding from the Ford Foundation and training assistance from nationally recognized messaging experts Demos, Spitfire Strategies and the Center for Social Inclusion.

Participating organizations included Alliance for Communities Transforming Syracuse, Alliance for Quality Education, CAAAV: Organizing Asian Communities, Citizen Action of New York, Coalition for Economic Justice, Common Cause/NY, Community Voices Heard, Fiscal Policy Institute, Human Services Council, Korean Americans for Political Advancement, Make the Road NY, MinKwon Center for Community Action, Neighborhood Economic Development Advocacy Project, NYC Coalition for Educational Justice, New York Civic Engagement Table, New York Communities for Change, New York State Community Action Association, New York StateWide Senior Action Council, New York Students Rising, New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness, Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition, PUSH Buffalo, Strong Economy for All, Syracuse United Neighbors, United Tenants of Albany, VOCAL-NY and the Working Families Party.

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