District Council 37 insists "Enough Is Enough!" as part of
coalition protesting Governor's proposed budget cuts

Union members join 1,200 activists urging State lawmakers to stop balancing the budget
on backs of New York's working families and the poor.

Members of District Council 37 were among 1,200 activists descending on Albany during the Special Session, Tuesday, November 18, to call on Governor David Paterson and the New York State Legislature to abandon a budget policy that places the burden of the proposed $2 billion budget cuts on the backs of working families and the poor.

The union members also participated in a noon rally on the steps of the State Capitol.

DC 37 is one of more than 200 non-profit, advocacy groups, labor unions and service providers participating in the One New York: Fighting for Fairness coalition and the Better Choice Budget Campaign. The coalition insists that instead of asking poor and vulnerable New Yorkers to bear the brunt of the state's fiscal crisis, lawmakers should make sure that the pain is shared by the wealthiest New Yorkers.

DC 37 Political Action Director Wanda Williams pointed to the governor's health care proposals to limit Medicaid funds to the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) and reconfigure the reimbursement rate for hospitals and nursing homes. "These cuts would have a disproportionate impact on HHC, which is mandated to care for our most vulnerable populations, such as seniors, children, the homeless, the mentally ill, and people with AIDS." Williams said.

Noting that many New York City agencies, which have already sustained significant cuts and will again in Mayor Bloomberg's November 2008 budget modification, are also facing a $41 million dollar shortfall in aide to New York City, Williams added, "These proposals are not necessary at this time. This year, as a part of two rounds of cuts alone, HHC has suffered more than $40 million in funding cuts that impacted the Corporations operations."

Instead, Williams said DC 37 proposed, "a more progressive tax structure that would include a millionaire's tax, as well as a general corporation tax, eliminating the contracting out of jobs that can be performed at lower cost by trained civil servants, the reduction and withdrawal of business tax abatements and exemptions, and the use of the state's Rainy Day Fund."

Williams applauded Governor Paterson for going to Washington to pressure Congress for more aid for New York saying, "DC 37 continues to work with our parent union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, to lobby Congress for another stimulus package that includes assistance to state and local governments. Before any major budget deficit reduction takes place we should await the Governor's Executive Budget Proposal on December 16 and an economic stimulus package from Congress at the end of this year or as a part of the actions of the new administration."

DC 37 is NYC's largest public employee union with 125,000 members and 50,000 retirees.