Albany, NY — In response to the release of the Senate and Assembly one-house budgets, Ivette Alfonso, President of Citizen Action of New York, released the following statement:
“On Governor Cuomo’s watch, New York has steadily grown to crisis levels of inequality. For a decade, he’s used his influence to protect billionaires at the expense of the rest of us. That ends here. In a time of instability and crisis, we cannot count on Governor Cuomo. The budget proposals put forward this week by the State Senate and Assembly show that our legislators are listening and they have the power to hold the Governor accountable for years of divestment in Black, Brown and low-income communities.
“While the state Senate and Assembly budgets fall short of the $50 billion in new revenue needed to fully invest in health care, housing and public schools, they’re a bold step toward building New York back better than it was before the pandemic. Legislative leaders cannot allow Governor Cuomo to water down their proposals. They are a start, but certainly not the ceiling. The state legislature can follow Congress’ lead and match the scale of the crisis we’re facing by making major investments that prioritize the needs of everyday New Yorkers now and for years to come, not pulling back. That includes enacting the revenue enhancements bills that have already been introduced.”