Freezing rain didn’t stop more than 5,000 New York state employees from converging at the Capitol in Albany on Jan. 7 to protest Gov. David Paterson’s proposed budget for 2009-10.
The “March to Main Street,” organized by several public sector unions, including the AFT’s New York State Public Employees Federation (PEF), was held in conjunction with Paterson’s State of the State address. The unions, which cumulatively represent 1 million working New Yorkers, say Paterson’s budget priorities are misplaced, and that he is disproportionately trying to balance the budget on the backs of the middle class.
“Cut the waste, not the workers,” and “Governor: It is raining,” a reference to Paterson’s failure to tap the state’s $1 billion rainy day fund, were among the chants. The state’s projected deficit for the coming fiscal year is $13.7 billion—a number that, as Paterson has noted, “has been growing by millions of dollars a day.”
“The governor’s proposed 2009-10 budget includes destructive cuts in state services and the state workforce, while ignoring cost-cutting options that can save the state billions,” says PEF president Kenneth Brynien, who also is an AFT vice president. “Our members are already doing more with less, having endured $1.5 billion in cuts to state agencies. It’s time our legislative leaders look elsewhere to balance the budget and start cutting the waste, not the workers, and start taxing millionaires, not the middle class.”
Estimates are that the governor’s budget will cost the average family of four more than $3,800 a year in new taxes and fees, according to PEF. But Paterson’s proposal will cost the average public employee more than $6,600. Paterson wants to eliminate the 3 percent collectively bargained salary increase scheduled for April 1, 2009; defer five days of salary payments until an employee leaves state service; and require employees and retirees to start contributing toward their Medicare Part B premiums.
Paterson also proposes a sliding scale for retiree health insurance premium contributions for new retirees based on years of service, and the creation of a new pension tier for new employees.
PEF is promoting alternative solutions to raise revenue, including increasing income tax rates for people making $250,000, $500,000, $1 million, $5 million, and $10 million or more. Currently, a household earning $40,000 a year is in the same tax bracket as one earning $4 million: the 6.85 percent bracket. An estimated $6 billion in revenue could be generated annually by creating new tax brackets for New Yorkers with higher incomes, according to PEF and other groups.
PEF also is lobbying for cost-cutting solutions, including reducing the use of private sector consultants in state government.
This is the second time in two months that state employees in New York have responded to their unions’ calls to gather at the Capitol. In November, PEF members were among a 2,000-strong rally coinciding with the Legislature’s special budget-cutting session for the current fiscal year, which ends March 31.
“The governor’s budget proposal makes some very dangerous choices,” says New York State AFL-CIO president Denis Hughes. “Some of the cuts proposed will permanently damage this state and make a deepening recession even worse. The future of our state depends on a comprehensive, balanced approach including a fair and progressive state income tax system.” [Kathy Walsh, PEF/photo by Timothy Raab]
AFT Press Release
