Albany, NY — In response to the legislative package introduced this week by the State Senate and Assembly, Stanley Fritz, Political Director of Citizen Action of New York, released the following statement:
“In Governor Cuomo’s “zero sum game” of austerity, it’s private yachts and mountain hideaways for the ultra rich and shuttered schools and mass evictions for the rest of us. U.S. billionaires got $434 billion richer during this pandemic, but day in and day out Governor Cuomo talks about budget shortfalls and cuts to the services that keep our communities healthy and functioning.
The state legislature has a moral obligation to respond, but the legislative package they’ve put forward this week doesn’t come close to addressing the real-life needs of everyday New Yorkers. Millions are out of work, tens of thousands of tenants face eviction, Covid-19 is running rampant in New York’s jails and prisons and public schools are preparing to make unprecedented cuts to staff and programs that’ll impact student learning for decades.
The legislature needs to reject the governor’s austerity tactics and tax the rich to invest the resources needed for New York’s recovery and long term health. Protecting the health of our families and neighbors requires us to come together as a community and invest the resources needed to recover.”