For some time now, we’ve been hearing the term shared sacrifice being thrown around as cuts and concessions are made to health care, education, and other essential services.  However, the sacrifice is far from shared. While middle class families and working families – 99% of our population – are forced to continually tighten their belts and find ways to scrape by, millionaires and billionaires – the upper 1% of our population – enjoy preferential treatment by a flawed and biased financial system.

How can you justify using the term shared sacrifice while giving New York’s wealthiest a $5 billion tax break? 

Millionaires don’t need the tax cut. The money can be invested in infrastructure, transit, energy efficient retrofits, and conservation projects. This would create hundreds of thousands of jobs that we desperately need.

After Wall Street destroyed the economy, State and city politicians cut from students, senior citizens, lower income people, disabled people, and homeless people. These cuts have led directly to the loss of over 100,000 public-sector jobs, and thousands more at non-profits and local businesses. If we stop the tax cut for the rich, we can restore the worst of the cuts.

Almost three quarters of New Yorkers support a tax on millionaires. It’s time.

Today, community leaders, labor organizations, activists, and concerned citizens converged at the state capitol to call on elected officials to prevent the proposed millionaires’ tax break. Organizations represented included New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness, GrowingTogetherNY, the Strong Economy for All Coalition, Alliance for Quality Education, Citizen Action of New York, 1199 SEIU, NYSUT, the Capital District Area Labor Federation, Save Our SUNY, Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood, Statewide Senior Action Council of NYS, Empire Justice Center, supporters of SNUG, Coalition for the Homeless, and the Fiscal Policy Institute.

Here’s a video of Citizen Action of New York’s board president Ivette Alfonso speaking at the press conference:

For the full text of the press release, click here

[toggle title=”Press Coverage”]Albany coverage:

Capital Tonight Interview
http://www.capitaltonight.com/2011/10/deutsch-talks-support-for-millionaires-tax/

Public Radio:
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wxxi/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1864535

AP
http://news.yahoo.com/demonstrations-poll-fuel-ny-millionaire-tax-push-193921555.html

also in USA Today:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/taxes/story/2011-10-17/new-york-millionaire-tax/50804592/1

Buffalo News:
http://www.buffalonews.com/city/politics/article597809.ece

VIDEO: CBS 6: Millionaires Tax Story
http://www.cbs6albany.com/video/c/1143371293/local-news/1223270534001/wrgb-localnews

VIDEO: Channel 13 NBC
http://wnyt.com/article/stories/S2332075.shtml?cat=300

NY Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/18/nyregion/cuomo-says-he-will-not-renew-millionaires-tax.html?_r=1&ref=nyregion

Albany Times Union
http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Surcharge-on-rich-gains-local-ties-2223525.php

Capital Confidential:
http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/84153/99-new-yorek-old-miltax-wine-in-new-miltax-bottles/

Politics on the Hudson:
http://polhudson.lohudblogs.com/2011/10/17/groups-push-for-millionaires-tax-cuomo-says-no/

Legislative Gazette:
http://www.legislativegazette.com/Articles-c-2011-10-17-80938.113122-Cuomo-Millionaires-tax-will-expire.html

Democrat and Chronicle Blog: Rochester
http://blogs.democratandchronicle.com/voteup/2011/10/17/groups-push-for-millionaires-tax-cuomo-says-no/

WNET:
http://www.thirteen.org/metrofocus/news/2011/10/wall-street-protests-renew-calls-for-state-millionaires-tax/

Ithaca Journal:
http://www.theithacajournal.com/VideoNetwork/1223228272001/Ron-Deutsch-head-of-labor-backed-group-talks-about-taxing-rich

NYC Coverage:

Crains New York
http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20111017/POLITICS/111019892/1072/newsletter

Daily News
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/brooklyn/2011/10/18/2011-10-18_unions_push_to_tax_states_wealthy.html

City Hall News
http://www.cityhallnews.com/2011/10/occupy-wall-street-and-unions-so-close-and-yet-so-far/

EpochTimes
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/united-states/millionaires-tax-hot-issue-62928.html

WNYC New York
http://www.wnyc.org/blogs/wnyc-news-blog/2011/oct/17/groups-call-ny-continue-its-surcharge-millionaires/

Buffalo Coverage:

Buffalo News:
http://www.buffalonews.com/city/politics/article597809.ece

Long Island Coverage

Fios News:
http://fios1news.com/longisland/node/8721

http://fios1news.com/longisland/node/8729

 

 

 

News 12:
http://www.news12.com/articleDetail.jsp?articleId=295455&position=1&news_type=news

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