VOICE-Buffalo Puts Governor Cuomo on Watch

NEW YORK, NY (02/26/2011)(readMedia)-- VOICE-Buffalo today hand delivered a letter to Governor Andrew Cuomo's local office in Buffalo stating support for the striking Wisconsin workers and their right to organize and have collective bargaining agreements. VOICE-Buffalo's religious leadership lifted up their endorsement of a new report -- "The Committee to Scam New York," released today by Buffalo's Public Accountability Initiative -- which links Governor Cuomo to New York's Millionaires and the Committee to Save New York, much like Governor Walker in Wisconsin has been linked to the Billionaire Koch Brothers.

The faith leaders delivered the letter stating that, "All of us - lay and religious leaders alike-stand with the tens of thousands of workers in Wisconsin who are fighting for the right to collectively bargain. The dignity of work and the rights of workers are sacred things."

Entering the Governor's Court Street offices, the leaders provided the letter to senior staff, which put him "on watch". They reminded the Governor that labor organization and collective bargaining has been a staple of Catholic social teaching since Pope Leo XIII in the 1890's.

"Regardless of the outcome in Wisconsin the call is very clear," the leaders explained. "We cannot balance the budget on the backs of the poor. There is real pain that will be felt by New Yorkers, and all we are asking for is shared sacrifice. It is time to cut unemployment, not taxes for the wealthiest among us."

VOICE has been organizing religious communities in Erie County in order to develop new job creation programs, to ensure local corporations are held accountable to the communities they work in, and been organizing with groups around the state to develop innovative solutions that will help the hardest hit communities not only weather this economic downturn, but come out even stronger than they went in.