Who pays? Hudson Valley Residents or the Wealthiest 2%

NEWBURGH, NY (11/08/2012)(readMedia)-- Now that the elections are over, Congress' focus will turn to massive across-the-board budget cuts through sequestration are currently set to begin in January, resulting in $1.2 trillion in spending and investment cuts over the next 10 years. This is further complicated by the potential extension of the Bush Tax Cuts for the wealthiest 2% in December that would result in billion dollar handouts to the wealthiest Americans and billions of dollars in lost tax revenues. Major decisions could take place during the lame duck Congress in November or December, potentially resulting in the loss of millions of jobs and massive cuts to health care, education, aid to state and local governments, and other vital programs. Especially while New York is in the midst of rebuilding, we can't keep giving tax cuts to the 2% that our country can't afford.

Local leaders will call on Nan Hayworth – who was upset in Tuesday's elections by Democrat Sean Patrick Maloney – to fight for a fair deal that protects jobs, protects social services, and ensures the wealthiest 2% pay their fair share when she returns to Washington for the "Lame Duck" session. They will also call on Maloney to do the same when he begins his term in January. This will take place in coordination with dozens of actions around the country, including actions in New York City, Rochester, Binghamton, Albany and Syracuse, spearheaded by groups affiliated with National People's Action, Americans for Tax Fairness, Citizen Action, AFL-CIO, SEIU and many more.

What: Press conference with a diverse set of community leaders -- including some who were arrested for acts of civil disobedience during last year's "debt ceiling" debate -- calling on their federal officials to demand a fair deal that protects jobs and services and ensures the wealthiest pay their fair share. After speaking about how the cuts will devastate their families and communities, they will travel to the campaign office of Sean Patrick Maloney in Beacon and the Fishkill office of Nan Hayworth to demand they sign a pledge to give Americans a "Fair Deal."

Who: Community Leaders from Community Voices Heard, Citizen Action of New York, Mid-Hudson Valley 99%, Hudson Valley Area Labor Federation, AFL-CIO

When and Where:

Thursday, November 8 at 12:00pm

Department of Social Services

141 Broadway (at Johnston St), Newburgh, NY

Why: When Tea Party Republican Nan Hayworth returns to Washington for the lame duck session, she will need to consider who should pay for investments in our country's future. She will have the opportunity to ensure wealthy Americans and big corporations pay their fair share when the Bush-era tax cuts end in December, providing Congress and the Administration a critical opportunity to raise much needed revenues from the wealthiest 2%. Even though Sean Patrick Maloney was only elected to Congress two days ago, local leaders will call on him to make a commitment to his new constituents that he will fight for them when he begins his term in January, not the wealthiest 2%. A list of events coordinated across the state and around the country is available at

http://www.npa-us.org/node/1868 and at http://local.americawantstowork.org/all#state/NY.