The Link Between a People’s Recovery and the New York State Budget

Last night was the third of five People’s Recovery Town Halls. The purpose of these town halls is to focus on a specific issue exacerbated by Coronavirus and discuss how we get the recovery we the people need at every level of government but especially at the federal level in stimulus four. Specifically a stimulus four package for people not big corporations.

This is incredibly incredibly important, but I am again struck by how important the role the New York State austerity budget passed last month and potential cuts to come play in getting a People’s Recovery in New York.

Last night’s town hall was hosted by VOCAL-NY and focused on homelessness and incarceration. At the start of the town hall, Assembly Member Yuh-Line Niou questioned how an austerity state budget without raising taxes on the wealthiest could be passed in this time of crisis. She answered herself, “the system isn’t broken…this is the system…”

It is worth saying again and to keep saying that in a time of crisis Governor Cuomo demanded and our state legislature passed an austerity state budget without any revenue drivers — even obvious ones like taxing the ultra wealthy. And now more cuts are proposed.

This at a time where we should be making choices of how we help all New Yorkers especially the most vulnerable — not how we protect the wealthiest New Yorkers from taxation. This at a time when every way we have to save lives and help people should be utilized.

Yes, the federal government must do its part and we must demand our congressional delegation fight like hell for a Peoples Recovery. But we must also demand our state elected leaders:

➡️Pass the bills needed to help New Yorkers and fill in the gaps of the federal stimulus

➡️Reject our governor’s budget cuts

➡️Pass revenue measures taxing the ultra wealthy

➡️Hold them to account and vote them out if needed

There is more information and specific calls to action here: https://www.empirestateindivisible.org/actionhub.html

Near the end of the town hall, Jawanza Williams from VOCAL-NY called for “a caring and compassionate new deal and for a government that understands that their role is to make sure that humans can access their god given and human given human rights.”

This is what I expect, demand, hold my elected leaders to account for, and it is why I am running for New York Assembly. For a humanity state budget not an austerity state budget. For a caring and compassionate new deal. For a government that understands and commits to its role. For a true People’s Recovery.