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Public
Employee Press New
governor listens to labor, funds health care and schools Under
the leadership of Gov. David Paterson, Albany legislators pulled together to enact
a $122 billion budget for 2008-09 that expands Child Health Plus to cover 400,000
uninsured children across the state. The fiscal plan also increases state aid
to New York City schools, hospitals and transportation as it tightens the belt
on state spending and includes federal and state funds to help close a $4.6 billion
gap.
By all estimates, this governor has listened to us, said
DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts.
New Yorkers have paid out hundreds
of millions of dollars in state taxes in recent years without getting a fair share
of aid from Albany, but the new budget finally includes steps to do more for residents
of New York City. After longstanding pressure from the union and the Campaign
for Fiscal Equity to comply with the landmark DeGrasse decision, this year the
state will raise aid to city schools to $8.33 billion, $1.4 billion more than
in 2006-07.
The budget expands Child Health Plus by fully funding the program
to provide access to health care for all 400,000 uninsured children in the state.
Legislators expanded eligibility requirements to 400 percent of the federal poverty
level to cover more children.
The budget shifts $200 million from inpatient
to outpatient care, redirecting Medicaid funds to physicians offices, and
community-based clinics. The budget includes an additional $5.3 million for the
Staten Island Ferry and the city Dept. of Transportation and provides $7 million
for the Consolidated Highway Improvement Program.
DC 37 unionists have
lobbied state lawmakers to raise revenues by closing gaping tax loopholes. This
year legislators responded by ending the Personal Income Tax credit for the Big
Apples richest residents, who earn more than $250,000 a year; forcing financial
institutions to begin to pay their fair share, and reinstating the quarter-cent
local sales tax. By collecting sales tax on New Yorkers purchases from Web
sites like Amazon.com, the state expects to recover $50 million and bring in $26.5
million in 2009.
Despite our challenging economic circumstances,
New York City is a vital fiscal engine for the state and a strong partner,
said Gov. Paterson in a statement. The state tightened its own belt so it
could continue critical support to local governments like New York City.
The
governor and our friends in Albany worked out a budget that, while not perfect,
funds the vital services our members provide, said Roberts.
School
kitchens Local 372s long campaign for health and safetyimprovements
in school kitchens resulted in a state budget appropriation of $4.9 million. The
union is working to ensure that the Dept. of Education performs neglected maintenance
on ventilation equipment with current funds and devotes the new $4.9 million to
air-conditioning the kitchens.
Based on inspections of selected kitchens
in each borough by the union and experts from the state Labor Dept., the state
Commissioner of Labor issued a report showing that many workers suffer migraines,
nausea and lightheadedness when heat levels reach their highest. The report helped
the union win the $4.9 million in the budget.
Now we have to make
sure this money is used to provide as much relief as possible for our members,
said Veronica Montgomery-Costa, president of Local 372 and of DC 37. | |