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Public
Employee Press Budget
crisis looms: We need a friend in Albany By LILLIAN ROBERTS
Executive Director District Council 37, AFSCME In
the Sept. 10 Primary vote, all but four of the dozens of candidates DC 37 supported
won their races. At the top of the ticket, strong support from union activists
and his own compelling message helped H. Carl McCall come from behind to take
a commanding lead. I want to thank all our volunteers and staff for their
contributions to Carl McCall's magnificent victory. But we cannot pause to pat
ourselves on the back. We have to keep up our momentum all the way into the general
election on Nov. 5. To win, Mr. McCall will have to come from behind
again. We will have to work harder than ever, but we can make the difference in
this election. Have no doubts, sisters and brothers, this is a must-win
election for us. Public services and public jobs are on the line. The
State of New York is headed for its worst fiscal crisis in decades. Governor Pataki
will probably not reveal its true size before the election, but our economists
are predicting a deficit of more than $7 billion. State funds for schools, hospitals
and aid to the city will be on the chopping block. When tough decisions
are made, we will need a friend in Albany - a friend who cares about the education
our children and grandchildren get, a friend who cares about quality health care
for all New Yorkers, a friend who would never turn his back on the needs of our
city. We will need a friend like Carl McCall. The recession and the economic
fallout of 9/11 have hurt, but the biggest wound has been self-inflicted: Governor
Pataki's tax giveaways have cost the state $13 billion a year, according to the
Fiscal Policy Institute. Most of the tax breaks went to people who make over $185,000
a year, not to the working families of this state. Eighth
grade is NOT enough for city kids The last time the state faced
a big deficit, thousands of DC 37 members had to hit the streets with picket signs
to protest Gov. Pataki's inhumane effort to cut city Medicaid money by about $1
billion, lay off workers and close hospitals. He has done it before.
You and I know he would do it again. Gov. Pataki is trying to weasel
out of his responsibility for the ugly court decision that said an eighth-grade
education is enough for our children. The ruling canceled the $1 billion that
a lower court had ordered the state to give the New York City schools.
Now he claims he disagrees, but he ordered the appeal and sent state lawyers to
court. When judges he appointed denied city kids an equal share of state funds,
he said he was "pleased." Who does he think he is fooling?
To cope with the looming budget gaps, the city and state need to increase revenues
with some tax increases for those who can best afford to pay. Mr. McCall says
we should bring back the commuter tax of a few cents a day on suburbanites. This
is a justified and principled position, but it may cost him some votes outside
New York City. That means we will just have to work all the harder to put our
friend in the statehouse. On Nov. 5, vote for
our values and our jobs On Election Day, Nov. 5, we have a rare
opportunity to elect a governor who reflects us - our views and our values. We
can have a governor who cares about working people, our jobs and our communities,
but to win we will have to go all out: -
To
vote on Nov. 5, you must register by Oct. 11. Call the union's Political Action
Dept. at (212) 815-1550 if you need help. -
We
need more members to volunteer to make the phone calls over the final month of
the campaign and to get out the vote on Election Day. If you want to make a difference,
send in the coupon on page 8 of this newspaper. -
When
you go to vote, bring your family and friends. It's their city too. Help them
to make a difference for H. Carl McCall on Nov. 5. | |