Groups Protest Cuts Outside The State Capitol
More than 1,000 people rallied outside the Capitol today to ask the Legislature to execute “fiscal fairness” when developing next year’s executive budget.
GNS intern Heather Senison was there and offers this report:
The rally, composed of One New York Fighting For Fairness Coalition and the Better Choice Budget Campaign, a coalition of more than 200 organizations throughout the state, took place on the day when Gov. David Paterson had planned to call a special session among legislators.
“Two weeks ago, we voted for a new, more democratic, more equitable, more humane America,” Robert Master, co-chairman of the state Working Families Party said.
“Now it is time to demand a fair, more equitable, more humane New York.”
Kenneth Brynien, president of the Public Employees Federation, said the state government is wasting billions of dollars hiring private contractors and public relations specialists to cover up its excessive monetary expenditures.
“We see up-close what the state is doing with our money,” Brynien said.
“The waste is in the billions and what we need to do to tell the governor and tell the legislators in that building behind us, cut the waste, not the people.”
One area of the state Paterson has targeted for cuts is education.
“This should not be a time to look at those who have already suffered as part of this economic crisis,” Richard Ianuzzi, president of the New York State United Teachers said. “This is not a time to look at the schoolchildren who are suffering … it is a time for us to say, stop and think about the future of the state.”
“We’re here to talk about fiscal fairness, responsibility, and our future. And the State University of New York is part of that future,” Phillip Smith, president of the United University Professions said.
“We educate students who become productive workers and faithful taxpayers,” Smith said. “Already … students are denied access, and students are having difficulty getting the courses they need to graduate.”
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well there you have it…the unions line up to make
sure that the state goes broke, looses its credit
ratings so it can’t sell bonds..and HAS TO RAISE TAXES
ON ALL THE ‘RICH PEOPLE’ living in westchester…
The auto companies, on the other hand, will be forced
into bankruptcy so that the union contracts can be
RENEGOTIATED..AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT THE STATE SHOULD
DO…stop the pension fraud, cut the cost of living out
cut employees like Citigroup had to do..and deal with
the worst economic crisis since the great depression
Ditto
No cutsn shorter hours odf work for higher. The voters have voted for a fairer government. One that is for the working people not the rich bosses. There should be no cuts infact there should more seervices for the people. We put new leadership in office. Leasership who will be for the people.
the rich bosses! you have to be kidding..the bosses are the
taxpayers and we say enough extortion by the unions
this is a democracy.you get paid according to your
contribution .;;its not from each to each…if you
have low skills and low education thats what you get
paid…maybe your kids will want to better themselves
you did not elect a socialist president…got news fo
U…Obama is harvard educated and self made…so
suck it up
It is a democracy and we voted for democrats because they are for the working people not the wealthy. We did not vote for Republicans.
Extortion it is the weathly who are
extorting from the working man. Just look at how many people are unemployed.
The working people built New York and America not the weathly who spend all day in the country club.
No cutd. What we need is more money for Healthcare.
Learn how to spell. It is “lose” or “loses” not “looses”.
Oh, well…time to re-write that old commercial jingle.
Look for…the union label
It shows they broken down the U.S.A.!
“It is about time
November 18th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
No cutsn shorter hours odf work for higher. The voters have voted for a fairer government. One that is for the working people not the rich bosses. There should be no cuts infact there should more seervices for the people. We put new leadership in office. Leasership who will be for the people.”
“IIAT” You are going to be deeply disappointed-Yeah, the people voted for more services…it is not going to come out of the “rich bosses” pockets, it is going to come out of your pockets and my pockets because the business owners pass on their costs to consumers. So if you tax the Chiquita Banana rich bosses more-you are going to either pay more for you bananas or have no bananas to buy and unemployed workers.