Win Tickets to Attend the First NYC Mayoral Debate with All Three Candidates Present.

You voted by the thousands on which questions we should ask the Mayoral candidates who are seeking our endorsement.

Now, here's your chance to get some answers, live. On Thursday night, the WFP is hosting this election year's first open Mayoral Forum with Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Comptroller Bill Thompson, and Councilmember Tony Avella. We're going to ask them the tough questions, and we want YOU to be there.

We're giving away 50 tickets to our best online activists (that's you!)

For your chance to win 2 tickets, enter the ticket drawing here by Tuesday, 8 pm.

We'll let you know Wednesday morning if you've won. The WFP's forum will be 2009's first open Mayoral Forum with all three candidates. We'll be interviewing them one after another, and we will be focused on the issues that matter to New York City's working families.

Here are the details:

Date: Thursday, July 2nd, 5:00-8:00 PM
Location: Hotel Trades Council, 305 W. 44th St. Who: Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Comptroller Bill Thompson, Councilmember Tony Avella... and you?

Enter the drawing for your chance to win 2 tickets: http://action.workingfamiliesparty.org/t/3865/signUp.jsp?key=2339 I really hope you can join us.

Sincerely,
Dan Cantor

PS: If you can't attend in person but still want to see the debate - don't worry, we've got you covered! This event will be broadcast live on our website - details will be sent separately.

LET THE REVOLUTION BEGIN!

Thanks for all you do!
Live your values. Love your country.
And, remember: TOGETHER, We can make a DIFFERENCE!

FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog may contain copyrighted material. Such material is made available for educational purposes, to advance understanding of human rights, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. This constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Working Families Party Readies Green-Jobs Push.

May 12, 2009.
by: Daniel Massey

Labor-backed political group will announce program to retrofit 120,000 New York homes for higher energy efficiency.

The labor-backed Working Families Party—known for its campaigns advocating taxes on the rich and protesting against subway fare increases—is now looking to conserve a little energy and create jobs in the process.

The group’s policy arm, the Center for Working Families, will unveil a strategy Friday for New York state to achieve wide-scale, energy-efficient retrofits of 1 million housing units during the next five years. The program would create more than 14,000 full-time jobs over its five-year life. Pay would be pegged at living wage in the different areas where work will be performed, and contractors would receive preferences for local hiring.

It would be the largest residential retrofit program in the country’s history and could serve as a nationwide model on how to achieve the much-talked-about economic potential of green jobs. Municipal programs exist in places like Babylon, N.Y., and Berkeley, Calif., but thus far nobody has replicated the idea on a statewide level.

The announcement will be made along with the Center for American Progress and Half in Ten, both liberal policy groups. Van Jones, President Barack Obama’s special adviser on green jobs, is expected to give the keynote address at a launch event in Washington D.C. Friday.

The program would leverage $5 billion in private investments to pay for retrofits through the creation of a new homeowner financing model. That model would provide investors guaranteed returns of about 7%, based on projected homeowner savings that result from the green technology. Potential investors include the city and state pension funds and other institutional investors.

“With a relatively simple and small investment, we can make an intervention that has a huge impact,” said Emmaia Gelman, director of green policy for the Center for Working Families.

Residential buildings account for 21% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, a figure that can be lowered substantially through simple retrofits, Ms. Gelman contends.

The state Energy Research and Development Authority would run the program, but legislation is first needed to establish the investment fund and worker protections. The Center hopes to have Albany’s approval by the end of the current session in June.

LET THE REVOLUTION BEGIN!

Thanks for all you do!
Live your values. Love your country.
And, remember: TOGETHER, We can make a DIFFERENCE!

FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog may contain copyrighted material. Such material is made available for educational purposes, to advance understanding of human rights, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. This constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Out of Control Rents in NYC.

May 12, 2009.

Everybody's talking about the foreclosure crisis. Why aren't we hearing more talk about the rent crisis?

In New York City, rent has been going up at nearly double the rate of family incomes.¹ The result? As rents skyrocket, more and more New Yorkers find they can no longer afford the neighborhood they call home.

But we can do something about it. It's time to speak out.
Add your voice to the call for genuine, specific legal changes that all tenants need.

The result of rapidly rising rents? Displacement of hundreds of thousands of residents from their own neighborhoods and an increasing share of the economic pie going to landlords and real estate investment companies.

Elected officials are definitely getting the message. Earlier today, elected officials and tenant leaders gathered on the steps of the Capitol in Albany to demand stronger rent laws² so that you don't have to be a millionaire to continue living in the city. Add your voice to those of hundreds of others in demanding change.

Millions of New Yorkers from the city and suburbs have been losing out because of weak rent laws. Hundreds of WFP supporters have already signed our petition to Albany and written about how the rent crisis is affecting them: Jeanine wrote: "Manhattan should not be allowed to become a playground for the privileged."

It's fairly common for working families in New York to spend upwards of half their income in rent, like Rosa tells us: "We are already spending half of our salary in rent. If we pay more we are not going to be able to pay for food."

New York is an amazing place to live because of its diversity. We don't have to stand by and simply let landlords and 'the market' remove a major support system for middle- and working-class families.

Tell Albany - we support stronger rent laws that strengthen our economy.

Today marks the start of a campaign to pass stronger rent laws in Albany that will help keep people in their homes. A package of long-overdue reforms³ is now possible because the Republicans are no longer in control of the State Senate.

But with the landlords throwing money around to sabotage average New Yorkers, it's going to be a tough fight. Will you join us?

Take action here:

http://action.workingfamiliesparty.org/t/3865/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=537

Thank you!

Charles Lenchner

Working Families Party

Sources: 1. According to a study by the Community Service Society, between 1996 and 2005, median market rents rose by 50%, while renter incomes only increased 31%. 2. See report on today's Albany action here: http://www.workingfamiliesparty.org/2009/05/push-for-stronger-rent-laws-kicks-off-in-albany/. 3. List of bills WFP is supporting can be seen here: http://www.workingfamiliesparty.org/2009/05/bills-in-support-of-tenants-and-affordable-housing/

LET THE REVOLUTION BEGIN!

Thanks for all you do!
Live your values. Love your country.
And, remember: TOGETHER, We can make a DIFFERENCE!

FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog may contain copyrighted material. Such material is made available for educational purposes, to advance understanding of human rights, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. This constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

MTA Fare Hike Hits Roadblock.

April 21, 2009.

Dear fellow New Yorkers,

The point of no return for the 25% fare hike on all NYC-region public transportation is getting closer. The MTA has already started the process of reprogramming fare machines and changing their signs and brochures.

Here's the good news. State legislators in Albany are feeling the heat and finally getting close to an alternative funding plan that would stop the massive fare increases and service cuts. [NYT, 4/21/09]

We got this far because of you - but we've got to keep the pressure on. Together, we've sent more than 10,000 messages to our legislators in Albany. If we can meet our new goal of 20,000 by the end of the week - we can win this fight.

Can you take a moment right now to send our message to five friends who ride the subways, buses, Metro-North or LIRR? Send mail using your own address book.

Or email your friends using our online form.

The New York State Senate, which has been the biggest sticking point in the fight to halt the hike, just released their own alternative funding plan for the MTA. The details are still emerging and the plan may not be ideal -- but the fact that they're taking action at all shows that the pressure is working. Now we need to turn up the heat. There are millions of us. That is, millions of transit riders in the NYC metro region. If enough of us speak out, politicians will listen, because we don't just ride, we also vote. http://action.workingfamiliesparty.org/t/3865/tellafriend.jsp?tell_a_friend_KEY=1331 The clock is ticking. Let's make sure Albany hears the voice of transit riders.

Thank you, Dan L.

- Working Families Party

LET THE REVOLUTION BEGIN!

Thanks for all you do!
Live your values. Love your country.
And, remember: TOGETHER, We can make a DIFFERENCE!

FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog may contain copyrighted material. Such material is made available for educational purposes, to advance understanding of human rights, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. This constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Tell Congress to Stop Taking Wall Street Money.

March 26, 2009.

Dear Fellow Americans,

During the Great Depression, Congress passed laws designed to ensure that our economy would never collapse like that again. Regulations were enacted to keep banks and insurance companies separate, to establish regulatory bodies with real oversight, and more. Unfortunately, over time Congress succumbed to Wall Street and repealed those laws¹ and sowed the seeds of the current crisis.

Tell Congress to stop taking Wall Street money.

Why did they do this? One answer is the need for ever increasing amounts of money to pay for expensive political campaigns. Some Democrats² wanted to compete with Republicans over who can be more 'business friendly' by loosening the controls that kept our financial system stable.

The result? A Dow Jones index nearly half what it was a year ago. Trillions of dollars in bank bailouts, loan guarantees and stimulus packages. Unemployment is up, retirement funds have been decimated, and there's a tidal wave of foreclosures and bankruptcies. And we might not have hit bottom yet.

Why did this happen? Because Wall Street got enough political power to set aside the regulations that kept them in check. They used it to earn obscene compensation totally unrelated to the real economy of goods and services that people need. And now we're the ones paying the price.

We hope President Obama can make a difference - and soon. But we also need to make sure this never happens again. Our idea? Tell your Representatives and Senators to make the pledge: No more Wall Street money!This isn't all we need to do, but it's a good start.

http://action.workingfamiliesparty.org/t/3865/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=2646

You might have heard about our successful tour of the homes of AIG executives' homes and the AIG headquarters in Wilton, CT. See a great video about it here and read what other WFP supporters had to say to AIG. Are we standing on the verge of a new progressive era for New York and America? Make it happen by signing up to join us as a campaigner.

Sincerely,

Charles Lenchner
Director of Online Organizing

¹Two great articles on this process: Thomas McCraw at The New Republic and Matt Taibbi at Rollingstone.
²Hillary Clinton leads the pack of New York politicians with $6.7 million from Wall Street, including $37,965 from AIG (in 2009). But Charles Rangel, Kirsten Gillibrand and Joseph Crowley have taken hundreds of thousands of dollars each as well. Learn more about the nexus of Wall Street and political donations here.

Help Working Families fight for the little guy: We can't count on Wall Street. We rely on contributions from ordinary people like you to keep the WFP going. If you'd like to support our work, visit:http://www.workingfamiliesparty.org/contribute.php

LET THE REVOLUTION BEGIN!

Thanks for all you do!
Live your values. Love your country.
And, remember: TOGETHER, We can make a DIFFERENCE!

FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog may contain copyrighted material. Such material is made available for educational purposes, to advance understanding of human rights, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. This constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Do you pay the same taxes as Trump? You Might be Surprised.

How much do you have to make to be in the top tax bracket in NY?
Watch the video to find out:



Shocked? You should be.

Because while President Obama works to make America's taxes fairer, New York's tax code is anything but. Over the last 30 years, the rich have seen their state taxes cut in half. Today, nurses and firefighters pay the same state tax rate as Wall Street tycoons.

It's more than unfair--with the state facing a $14 billion budget gap, it's just madness.

By asking the wealthy to pay their fair share in taxes, we could help balance the budget in a “balanced” way and prevent billions in cuts to classrooms, hospitals, and the elderly and disabled that Gov. Paterson has proposed.

The Facts:

Today, for a single filer, the top New York State personal income tax rate of 6.85% starts on adjusted gross income over $20,000 per year. That means a NYC police officer making $40,361 is in the same tax bracket as former Merrill Lynch CEO John Thain, who made $83.1 million in 2007. You can see the complete New York State personal income tax schedule from the department of taxation here (pdf)

Over the last 30 years, New York has cut its top income tax rate more than 50%, the majority of which went the wealthiest New Yorkers who needed tax relief the least. In the 2008 - 09 budget year, those cuts will cost the state nearly $20 billion in revenue - money we could use to keep hospitals open and schools thriving in tough times (Source: Fiscal Policy Institute).

There's a better way. The Working Families Party and our allies in the Fair Share Tax Reform coalition are fighting to modestly raise income taxes on those who can most afford it to help offset some of the Governor's most painful cuts.

Polls show it's a popular idea, especially once people realize how regressive New York's taxes have become. In the meantime, please vote on where YOU think the top tax rate should begin & we'll send the answers to Albany. Cast Your Vote HERE.

To learn more, check out our resources page.

LET THE REVOLUTION BEGIN!

Thanks for all you do!
Live your values. Love your country.
And, remember: TOGETHER, We can make a DIFFERENCE!

FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog may contain copyrighted material. Such material is made available for educational purposes, to advance understanding of human rights, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. This constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Class Warfare: The Rich Strike Back.

The Business Council. The Real Estate Board. The Rent Stabilization Association. Ever hear of these groups? Probably not - they prefer to operate behind the scenes to keep taxes low and rake in the dough. Their latest move is to go on the offensive against the Working Families Party. It's a two pronged assault on our hard work: First, with a political mailing, as reported in the Daily News¹, and second with a top-secret political memo written by Montgomery Burns.

That's right. A fictional character from The Simpsons is now crafting strategy for opponents of Fair Share Tax Reform.

It's simple, really. We either fix the tax code so that the wealthiest New Yorkers pay a little bit more, or we ask the middle- and working classes to shoulder the burden. The second choice will mean more crowded classrooms, hospitals closures, an even tougher life for our elderly and disabled citizens and hundreds of other essential public services starved of funds. We support the first option - shared sacrifice.

On Thursday, we're taking it to the streets. Tens of thousands of New Yorkers will march in cities from Long Island to Buffalo to demand that the wealthy share the burdens of the economic crisis.

Rallies are taking place across the state. Can you attend?

I want the details.
No, I can't make it.

Our campaign is gaining steam, with huge majorities supporting our Fair Share Tax Reform.² To win though, we need to see you at the rally this Thursday, March 5th. Read what Montgomery Burns has to say about it:

Date: 2/26/09 From: Montgomery Burns To: Fellow Fatcats Re: Fair Share Tax Reform Rich people didn't get us into this mess. Ok, maybe we did. But that doesn't change the facts: Taxes are for the little people. New York is facing a $14 billion budget deficit. To close it, the Governor proposed shutting down hospitals, laying off thousands of teachers and shredding social services. It's a fine plan. But now, the commoners think they have a better idea. According to our sources, tens of thousands of them will 'rally' across the state demanding that (I can hardly type it!) the rich pay their fair share in taxes instead. They must be stopped. It's our duty to ensure no one attends or hears about these rallies. We are calling on you, our most loyal supporters, to do all you can to keep attendance down and press coverage nonexistent. If the media reports that people are angry, their legislators may start asking dangerous questions, like: why does the state's highest tax bracket start at just $20,000 a year? So, my friends, I'm counting on you. Keep attendance low at the rallies with the help of a media blackout, don't let your chauffeur take the day off, and consider throwing more money at politicians to get them to see things our way. Sincerely, Montgomery Burns Billionaires Against Really Fair Taxation (BARF-Tax)

We hope you can join us this Thursday and help defeat Mr. Burns and his corporate lobbyist friends. Either way, let us know:

I want the details.
No, I can't make it.

Thank you,

Charles Lenchner
Director of Online Organizing, WFP

* The rally in Melville, Long Island is taking place on Friday, March 6th.

Notes:
¹ http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2009/02/anti-millionaires-tax-mail.html ² "Voters continue to overwhelmingly support increasing the personal income tax on millionaires - 77-19 percent - to close the budget gap, and 59 percent support an income tax increase on those making more than $250,000 a year," The Siena Institute, 2/24/09 http://www.siena.edu/uploadedFiles/Home/Parents_and_Community/Community_Page/SRI/SNY_Poll/09%20February%20SNY%20Poll%20Release%20--%20Final.pdf

LET THE REVOLUTION BEGIN!

Thanks for all you do!
Live your values. Love your country.
And, remember: TOGETHER, We can make a DIFFERENCE!

FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog may contain copyrighted material. Such material is made available for educational purposes, to advance understanding of human rights, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. This constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.