WFP Challenges Bloomberg To Debate

Now that the courts have all but given the final go-ahead to Bloomberg for his re-election run, it is time for the candidates to make their case to the people on why they should be, or continue to be Mayor of New York City. So far media mogul turned mayor has spent more money on advertising than most people make in a lifetime. $7.5 million in ads, yet no debate. So the Working Families Party is calling him out on it.

From The Working Families Party:

In times like these, we need a real race for Mayor.

The NYC mayoral contest is already overloaded with 30-second TV ads and 15-second sound bites. Mayor Bloomberg alone has spent more than $7.5 million on advertising.

If it's not too soon to spend that kind of money, then it's not too soon to start engaging directly with the people of New York City on the issues that matter to us.

Candidates Bill Thompson and Tony Avella have accepted our invitation to the Amsterdam News / El Diario-La Prensa / Working Families Party debate. Mayor Bloomberg is the only one we're waiting on.

Go on and sign the petition so that Mayor Bloomberg realizes that the city is not going to just re-elect him because of his wealth. New Yorkers need to hear concrete ideas and a discussion between the people that seek to implement those ideas. At this critical time in our city, we must have a real discussion, not an ad war.

Paterson's Choice To Blow Off WFP Not Too Bright

Perhaps Paterson thinks (or at least says) that he's got the Democratic primary in the bag next year, but the reality of the situation is far from it. Paterson must deal with a very dissatisfied public following the Senate appointment fiasco and especially the budget debacle where Dr. Transparency morphed into Mr. Secrecy. The weekend before last the governor responded to the LCA with a skit that lampooned the efforts of the unions in the budget process and apparently that feeling goes beyond the stage he performed his skit on. The unions' fusion party, the WFP is being left out of the process by Paterson and he doesn't seem to care. What does that mean for Paterson's chances then?

From The NY Daily News:

The WFP is unlikely to endorse a Democratic challenger against the state's first black governor - if one emerges - and almost certainly wouldn't support Rudy Giuliani or any other Republican.

Still, an unenthusiastic WFP could hurt the governor when it comes to the get-out-the-vote operation for which the party is well-known. In addition, tensions between the WFP and Paterson could leave the party less inclined to help Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith widen his 32-to-30 majority - and more likely to back challengers against his members.

"[Smith] can't deliver for the governor," the source said. "[Paterson] has to help the Senate win more seats. The governor alienating some of the very forces central to helping Malcolm is not smart."

Paterson has very few friends left after his first year and this attitude of misplaced centrism (this is New York, not North Dakota) will not fool conservatives nor please the Democratic base that puts the man (or someday a woman) into the Governor's mansion. Working Families Party may not be the all-powerful constituency in the state, but if their focus is elsewhere, such as putting more labor-friendly Dems in office then Paterson may find himself getting an education far from the halls of power in Albany.

W.F.P. Dares Albany To Take On A.I.G.

Despite the half-hearted efforts of A.I.G. head Ed Liddy to return some of the bonus money, there will still be taxpayer funds used to make wealthy traders richer. Congress and Barack Obama have delivered a lot of tough talk, but so far they have not done all that they can to stamp out A.I.G.'s greed. So here's an idea care of Dan Cantor of the Working Families Party, have Albany tax every dime out of those bonuses.

From PolitickerNY:

The Working Families Party called today for a 100% state tax on the $165 million in announced bonuses at insurance giant AIG.

"If Washington can't find a way to get this money back, Albany should," said Dan Cantor, Working Families Party Executive Director. "The same people who helped wreck the economy are taking home millions in taxpayer-funded bonuses while classrooms, hospitals and homeless shelters here in New York face billions in cuts. It's disgusting in the extreme. AIG got its bailout. When will working families see theirs?"

Cantor continued: "Opponents of Fair Share Tax Reform like to talk about how much the rich have suffered from the economic downturn. But the real pain of this recession is being felt by millions of hardworking New Yorkers who bear no responsibility for the financial shenanigans that got us into this mess."

"The Governor proposes to balance the New York's budget through devastating cuts that would place the burden almost entirely on the backs of working families. Taxing AIG bonuses and asking those who can afford it to pay a little more in taxes is a far better solution."

Amen Dan! New York needs every spare penny we can find to help balance the budget this year. Further, not only should these bonuses be taken away, the entire wealthy class should be made to pay their fair share. I know Majority Leader Smith and Governor Paterson are sick of hearing about the Fair Share Plan, but until they approve it the working class will continue to fight tooth and nail for it.

Fair Share Tax Effort Needs Your Help Now!

The chances of the state budget having a fair share tax added to it just diminished last night when the Senate met last night. Malcolm Smith has apparently decided to go with more cuts and no tax increases for the wealthy despite a large contingent of Democrats supporting the Fair Share plan. Instead, it looks like the Majority Leader is more comfortable siding with a few in his caucus and the Republican side of the aisle instead of what the people voted for overwhelmingly in the November elections. With that, the unions and all those that support less cuts to the budget are reaching out to us so that the Senate is inundated with messages to support a tax increase on the wealthy as opposed to more burdens placed on the working class.

From The Times-Union:

Dear XXXXX,
We need your urgent help!
The New York State Senate is about to vote on a budget bill that would make devastating cuts to important services our state’s families and children rely on — services like education, health care, and community services.
There’s still time to keep these cuts from happening. But we’re down to the wire and need your help to tell Democratic state senators to speak out against these cuts. It will only hurt our communities during a time when New Yorkers need to rely on services more than ever.
Please take a moment to write your state senator and urge them to support a fair solution to the budget crisis — Fair Share Tax Reform:
http://www.fairsharereform.com/senatebill
This solution would ask our state’s wealthiest taxpayers to contribute their fair share to close the state’s budget gap — so that our state’s working families don’t have to bear the brunt of the burden.
We need additional revenue to help close the state’s $14 billion budget gap — not cuts that would hurt everyone.
Write your senator now:
http://www.fairsharereform.com/senatebill
Thank you so much for your urgent help.
In solidarity,
George Gresham
President, 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East

As the article by Irene Jay Liu prefacing the letter states, what the Senate decides on tomorrow isn't binding, but it does set the general direction of how they want the budget to look. The important thing to note here is that if both the Assembly and the Senate have some form of tax increase on the wealthy, the compromise will look a lot better than if one chamber has only cuts and the other has the increase. So get to the Fair Share website and then call and/or email your Senator so we get a budget that is fair to all New Yorkers.

WFP Connects Majority Leader Smith Back To His Constituents

Plenty of State Senators want to see a drastic change in the state's budget being considered for the coming fiscal year. Several forms of a millionaire's tax have been introduced in both chambers, but the Governor and Majority Leader Malcolm Smith have not warmed enough to the idea to moderate spending cuts with an additional tax on the wealthiest New Yorkers. So to bring a little fire to Malcolm, the Working Families Party is talking to the people that elect Smith into office every two years. WFPers are going door to door in Smith's area of Queens to deliver a message.

From Newsday:

“Governor Paterson, I’m willing to make sacrifices, but there’s no way I’m putting my little girl’s future at risk,” the flier reads. “There’s a better way. Tell Majority Leader Smith (to) Stop the Governor’s Budget Cuts.”

The flier has the logo of the Working Families Party and a tear-off, postage-paid postcard that can be mailed to the Healthcare Education Project, a venture of the 1199/SIEU union reprinting many health care workers and the Greater New York Hospital Association.

The postcard has a plug for the Fair Share Tax Reform, which the WFP and its allies say “would roll back tax cuts for the wealthiest New Yorkers... those making more than $250,000 would pay their fair share so we can balance the budget without devastating cuts... Over the last 30 years, New York has reduced income tax rates for the wealthiest New Yorkers by 50% and eliminated high income tax brackets, resulting in $8 billion of lost revenue each year.”

And it all comes back to the Governor's message of "shared sacrifice," only it really reflects the sentiment. WFP is absolutely right to mention how income taxes have been continually cut, reducing revenue to make government work for the majority of our state that makes far below $250,000 (or even if the bill starts out with people making $500,000, that still makes a big difference). Conservatives love to cry about run-away spending, but when you cut revenues, it helps them make the argument to say we can't afford those programs because they leave out all the facts.

WFP And Smith Talk About "Shared Sacrifice" In The Budget

After the Governor released his proposed budget today, plenty of people had a lot to say about all of the fees and oh so many budget cuts. Everyone gets hurt, from Medicare recipients to grade school children, college students and unions. Naturally constituent groups that are directly affected are going to be angry and seek to change what the Governor intends on doing.

Witness Dan Cantor at Working Families Party on the budget:

This is not shared sacrifice. The Governor proposes to balance the budget in an imbalanced way: by raising taxes on the middle class while simultaneously reducing the services we all rely on.

In this budget there's a tax on almost everything. Drinking, smoking, driving, food, health care, going to the movies, downloading music, clothes and haircuts. In total, it's billions in regressive taxes - "nuisance taxes" - that don't add up to a sensible approach.

There is a fair way to end the fiscal crisis. It's called the Fair Share Tax Reform plan. Prudent spending cuts will be necessary. But common-sense and fairness require that we also ask the state's wealthy to carry their fair share of the load. Right now, they don't, and the Governor is asking everyone to sacrifice except those who can most afford to do so.

That's what shared sacrifice must mean, and we hope Albany leaders will see that.

Well speaking of Albany leaders, or at least one that hopes to become Senate Majority Leader President Pro Tempore, Malcolm Smith had something to say as well. Of course, he was more neutral in his response, or so it seemed:

"We applaud the Governor for putting together an honest and courageous Executive Budget. Senate Democrats intend to thoroughly review its proposals and discuss them within our conference. From the Upstate counties to the suburbs of Long Island, Senate Democrats will help lead our state out of the worst fiscal crisis since the Great Depression, by funding a fair budget that will allow us to reduce spending without severely impairing the state's ability to provide essential services. Times are tough and so are the choices we have to make, but any cuts must reflect the principle of shared sacrifice among all sectors as we work together to return our state to fiscal solvency," said Senate Democratic Leader Malcolm A. Smith.

Both Cantor and Smith incorporate the words "shared sacrifice" into their press releases, but does it mean the same thing to each? Cantor doesn't want to see WFP supporters and a progressively-minded budget tossed aside just because of a large money gap to be filled. Hopefully Smith thinks the same thing, though you never know what you'll get with that dealmakerbreaker.

Like what I and many others have said, the income tax needs to be dealt with so that the rich shoulder more of the burden and not just with fees on luxury cars and what not. Paterson addressed those concerns by saying that the most a tax on the wealthy could do was fill $6 billion out of the total $15 billion deficit. Even if that is correct, six billion is still a large chunk of cash and would eliminate the need to make so many cuts and add an even larger amount of ridiculous fees. Perhaps the Governor should sit down with Cantor and bring along Smithjust so both elected men know what the true meaning of "shared sacrifice" is.

The Mayor Calls Himself A Disgrace

From his own mouth:



Funny how your words can haunt you, isn't it?

WFP On Term Limits: "Its Our Decision"

The Working Families Party has come out on the side of the voters who passed term limits. Whether you agree on the merits of term limits, it is wrong for the Mayor to push this through in the manner that he is. As the ad shows and people know, it was our decision to enact term limits and it is ours to take away, not the Council's.

WFP Supports Shelly Silver For Campaign Finance

Nearly every year, the New York State Assembly has generated some form of campaign finance reform, only to have it shot down in the State Senate. This year, with the persistent efforts of good government groups across the state the bill looked a little stronger than before. For this reason, the emblematic party of the uprising, the WFP, is supporting one of symbols of the Establishment, Sheldon Silver.

From The Daily Politics:

The Campaign Finance Reform Act passed the Democrat-dominated Assembly, but not the GOP-controlled Senate. The WFP is trying to drum up support with an on-line petition, noting that if the Senate Democrats take control this fall, the bill "has a good chance of being passed in both houses."

The e-mail, signed by WFP Co-Chairs Bertha Lewis, Sam Williams and Dan Master, as well as Executive Director Dan Cantor, explains how it works:

"The PFE bill passed by the Assembly does two things. It lowers how much a wealthy individual can give (from $3,800 to $2,000). Equally important, it makes low-dollar contributions (the kind powering Barack Obama's campaign) more valuable by matching up to $250 at a rate of $4 for every $1 raised - if a candidate can demonstrate geniune support in their community. Write a $30 check, the candidate gets an additional $120. It means that you don't need a rolodex full of wealthy contacts to serve in public office."

"It would make sure the real power behind political campaigns in New York is the grassroots power of ordinary people, not big corporations or the real estate industry."

"It would mean politicians would be able to spend their time legislating instead of fundraising."

Um, yeah, sure it would. Don't get me wrong, the bill is a step in the right direction, but anything Shelly does will not loosen the grip on how he controls the Assembly. I just finished the chapter in David Sirota's latest book concerning the WFP and I am all for getting the ends accomplished even if that makes the means a little uncomfortable. So perhaps that is why they are supporting this stalwart of change.

Still, the statement about politicians being able to legislate instead of fund-raising is a hard one to swallow. If we had a true clean elections bill and enact a system comparable to Maine and Arizona that would be another thing, but as for NY circa 2008, I'd pick Newell or Henry over Shelly if I lived in the district. I'll certainly be doing my part to help them regardless.

Protest John McCain In NYC Tomorrow!

John McCain is coming to town tomorrow to do the only thing Republicans are good at here, raising money. While individuals can only give him $2,300 for the general election, those in attendance at the 21 Club are chocking up $28,500 for lunch with the Republican nominee. Now the first thing I have to ask is what kind of people are willing to give a failure like McCain all that money (not to him directly of course)? Well the host of the event is none other than Mr. Henry Kravis, one of the nation's most despicable buyout barons America has ever seen. Democratic groups in New York aren't taking this lying down and are protesting the event to show just how much we mean business.

From Yahoo News:

To: STATE EDITORS

Contact: Evan Thies of Service Employees International Union, +1-917 715 9265

Controversial buyout baron Henry Kravis to host event

NEW YORK, June 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Advocates for a fairer, better economy, workers, and political improv troupe Billionaires for Bush will gather in front of the posh 21 Club in Manhattan on Tuesday to protest John McCains support for tax loopholes for some of the wealthiest buyout executives in the country. The $28,500 a ticket luncheon is being organized by some of the most controversial names in business, including buyout baron Henry Kravis.

John McCain has said he does not support closing tax loopholes for hedge fund managers and buyout industry executives such as Kravis, who have pocketed billions of dollars by paying a lesser percentage of their income to taxes than many regular working Americans. Besides helping to organize Tuesdays event, Kravis has been a major fund-raiser for John McCain throughout his campaign for president.

McCains tax plan also includes two huge tax cut giveaways for American corporationslowering rates from 35% to 25% and adding other new deductions. KKR companies stand to make millions of dollars off the new cuts. According to the Center for American Progress, The centerpiece of Sen. John McCains (R-AZ) tax plan is two huge tax cuts for American corporations, including utility and energy companies. A CAP analysis finds that McCains tax policywhich lowers corporate tax rates from 35 to 25 % and makes equipment and technology investments immediately deductiblewould give a single KKR portfolio company, Energy Future Holdings (formerly TXU), a $49 million tax cut.

The countrys fastest-growing union - the Service Employees International Union - recently launched a multi-tier global campaign directed at world leaders and legislators, pressing for fairer taxation of the multi-trillion-dollar private equity industry, with an eye toward shaping the debate during the U.S. presidential race.

WHAT:

Dozens of protesters fighting for a fair economy; performances by the Billionaires for Bush.

WHEN/WHERE:

June 10 - 6:30 PM

The 21 Club -- 21 West 52nd St.

New York City, NY

SOURCE Service Employees International Union

If I didn't have a prior commitment tomorrow night, I'd be there, even if it is a 100 degrees outside. I hope plenty of people show up so that McCain can hear the citizens of New York protest him, his candidacy and Henry Kravis as well.

Working Families Party Reasserts Tax Proposal On The Wealthy

Although the tax hike on New York's wealthiest failed during the budget process this year, there is new hope for implementation of it yet again. It doesn't look exactly like what it did two months ago, but a redistribution of income for those that have less is definitely a good thing considering all of the corporate welfare that has been going on in New York and the country in the last few years decades.

From The NY Sun:

Under a plan advanced by the labor-backed Working Families Party, the wealthiest New Yorkers would see their state personal income taxes more than double.

Marginal income between $500,000 and $1 million would be taxed at a rate of 9.35%. Between $1 million and $5 million, the rate would go up to 10.35%. From $5 million to $10 million, the rate would be 11.85%. Income above $10 million would be taxed at $13.85%, which is more than double the current rate of 6.85%.

Party officials said the tax hike would generate $6.5 billion a year for the state and would apply to just fewer than 100,000 filers.

The money would be used to pay for a property tax break for households with up to $250,000 in gross adjusted income. The plan would give rebates to homeowners when their taxes consume a certain percentage of their income. The rebate would cover 70% of the taxes owed above the percentage cap, which would range between 5% and 9% of income.

It is time for legislation on local, state and federal levels to have some progressive threads in it. This bill would do just that for the Empire State. Even though Speaker Silver hasn't come out for it yet, I doubt it matters until Joe Bruno is no longer one of 'three men in a room'. Despite that, we must continue to push for these issues so that New York weeds out the politicians who side for the wealthy and not the people.

Getting rid of Bruno's majority this November will go a long way in starting that process.

The Case For Shelly Silver?

The Working Families Party is a great asset in New York. They fight hard for progressive issues in Albany, even if many do not succeed (thanks in part mostly to Joe Bruno). Dan Cantor leads that fight as their Executive Director and has done a lot of good in that post. Unfortunately the ways of Albany may have clouded his vision just a little bit. He has come out in favor (though short of a WFP endorsement) for Shelly Silver's re-election.

From OpenLeft:

The reason is simple: on every one of the issues noted above, and others that are unmentioned, the most reliable force in state politics for progressives over the last decade has been the Assembly Democrats led by Silver. He may be among the more uncharismatic politicians in world history, but it would be folly to mistake his lack of glitter for a lack of nerve.

Context is important. Over the 12 long years of drought otherwise known as the Pataki Administration, when the Governor and the Republican Senate Majority Leader (Joe Bruno) would combine to offer ever more right-wing answers to New York's problems, only Silver had the backbone to say no. Unlike some Democrats at the federal level, he refused to blink. He was an obstructionist of the best kind - holding out, month after month and year after year - not only standing in the way of the right, but forcing Pataki and the Senate to make concessions to the left.

His batting average has not been perfect - nobody's is. But he prevented more harm and accomplished far more good than anyone could have expected during an era when Democrats were a minority party among Albany's power centers.[...]

He then goes on to talk about a number of issues that Silver has been helpful on, such as laws to help unions, thwarting the Pataki Administration and boosting the minimum wage. The millionaire's tax proposal is also noted, but Cantor conveniently forgets that Silver went along with Governor Paterson and Joe Bruno in scraping it. Then there's this:

Put this all together and I just think that an attack on him from the left is, well, intellectually shallow and politically naive.

The real reason more good progressive legislation - public financing of elections is one such piece, and there are many others - the real reason these do not see the light of day in New York State is not because of legislative "dysfunction" but rather because of Republican intransigence. They disagree with us, and the Rs still have control of the Senate floor.[...]

Paul Newell and Luke Henry are running principled campaigns, and they have every right to do so. Primary challenges are not just appropriate, they are healthy. They keep everyone on their toes, and that keeps democracy vital. I urge the netroots to meet with tenant and union leaders, with the public financing of elections crowd, with LGBT advocates. If that happens, and you're still persuaded that Silver deserves the attacks that the corporate press heaps on him, so be it.

Here Cantor completely contradicts himself. How can two challengers run against Silver and be both "intellectually shallow and politically naive" while at the same time, "are running principled campaigns and they have every right to do so" go together even if they are four paragraphs apart? Well Cantor is right on that last one, Newell and Henry have every right to challenge a Speaker that has been in office for over thirty years, hides what he makes and what he does at his other job and abides by a system of government where he is one of three people that makes decisions for our state.

I salute Dan Cantor for all of his progressive activism, but using words such as "shallow" and "naive" is not something we do to fellow progressives unless they truly deserve it. Newell and Henry want to change the system, Sheldon Silver is the system.