Any Deal Must Put New York Families, Not Politics, First

On Tuesday, IDC leader Jeff Klein announced he has embraced Governor Cuomo’s proposed reunification deal. In response, community organizations across the state issued a joint statement. The statement can be attributed to the Alliance for Quality Education, Citizen Action of New York, Community Voices Heard Power, Make the Road Action, Metropolitan Council on Housing, New York Communities for Change, New York State Tenants and Neighbors, and VOCAL-NY Action Fund:

“Nothing has changed for working-class New Yorkers, immigrants, and people of color. The reunification proposal was a bad deal for our communities yesterday and it’s a bad deal today.

“The 2018 budget is shaping up to be a crucial test for New York. With potential Trump budget cuts bearing down on us, we need a progressive state government now to deliver a millionaires tax and close the carried interest loophole for hedge fund billionaires because the state needs these revenues to prevent cuts and invest in New York’s families. For Governor Cuomo and the Democrats in New York to take the mantle of progressive leadership, they must:

fully fund our public schools and the MTA;
strengthen tenant protections by ending the vacancy bonus and the preferential rent loophole and protect people on the verge of homelessness;
reform our election system to ensure voting rights for all and public campaign finance reform; and
pass a DREAM Act and restore access to driver’s licenses to all to open up opportunity for all New Yorkers.

“New Yorkers are in the crosshairs of the Trump administration, and need unified Democratic leadership to protect their interests from the first day of the 2018 legislative session to protect the rights and fulfill the needs of our communities. The Governor must ensure Democratic unity by January 1st, and he must call special elections by the first possible date in March to address these issues in the budget. And, most importantly, he must ensure that the budget be a vehicle for the bold progressive victories for which New Yorkers are clamoring.

“These are the steps that our communities need to ensure that New York leads the way and stands up for respect and dignity for all in the Trump era.”