Public Employee Press

Cuomo budget proposals underwhelming

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced his proposed executive budget for fiscal year 2015 on Jan. 21, and gave the State of the State address in Albany.

The budget calls for raising the minimum wage to $11.50 an hour, which lags behind the standard set by several major U.S. cities, in particular Seattle, Chicago and San Francisco, and is inadequate for the current needs of lower-wage working families in New York City.

The state has a multi-billion dollar surplus, and the governor's budget could do more to level the playing field for working people. "There is so much more that can be done for the hardworking families of the state during this time of unprecedented economic inequality," said DC 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido of the proposed budget.

New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer pointed out that the state budget continues to shortchange city residents on infrastructure spending despite its having 43 percent of the state's population. According to Stringer, his office found that New York City is down a total of $7 billion to $10 billion in state aid over the last five years.

Writing in the NY Daily News, Stringer took the governor to task on his minimum wage proposal: "While the current budget rightfully acknowledges New York City's high cost of living by raising the minimum wage to $11.50 (and to $10.50 elsewhere in the state), that is still not enough for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers who have struggled to absorb the one-two punch of soaring rents and stagnant wages."

He called on the state Legislature to grant the city the power to establish its own minimum wage.

While the budget proposes an investment of $1.1 billion in education aid, that include tringent teacher evaluation and expanding the limit of charter schools by 100. While increasing funding for education, the proposals are viewed by many as a direct assault on teachers and the public school systems. "This is both unfair and unproductive," said Garrido. "The governor also seems far too comfortable privatizing the public schools."

The state budget for fiscal year 2015-2016 should be finalized by April 1, giving the legislature eight weeks to debate and make amendments.

— Alfredo Alvarado