NYS Senator Stewart-Cousins Announces Legislation to Bar Discrimination Against Unemployed | New York State Senate

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Bill Would Level the Playing Field for Unemployed Job Seekers

Today, Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins (35th District- D/WF/I) announced at a press conference in her district office, the introduction of Senate bill 5316. The bill would make the unemployed a "protected class" in New York and make it illegal for employers to deny out-of-work applicants an interview or position solely because they are jobless. It would also prohibit employers from posting job advertisements that discourage the unemployed from applying to vacant positions.

The bill is co-sponsored in the Assembly by Assemblyman Keith Wright.

Joining Senator Stewart-Cousins at the press conference were several unemployed Westchester residents who said they had all experienced discrimination in some form because they are unemployed. Senator Stewart-Cousins says their experiences are representative of an increasingly common hiring practice throughout New York and the nation.

“It is fundamentally unfair for employers to refuse to hire, or even accept applications from individuals who are out of work. With the unemployment rate in the State still at staggeringly high levels, this prevents people who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own from getting back on their feet. It is discriminatory, it is wrong and it must not continue,” said Senator Stewart-Cousins.

This announcement came on the same day that the New York State Department of Labor is set to release its latest unemployment statistics. Last month, the Department of Labor reported that the unemployment rate in New York State was 8%.

“This legislation levels the playing field in the job market and makes sure that those who have been hit hardest by the recession are not at a disadvantage in the hiring process,” she continued.

On display at the press conference were several job advertisements by New York employers that expressly stated that applicants would only be considered if they were employed. In one case, a Craigslist ad for a building superintendent position in the Bronx stated “You MUST currently be employed as a Superintendent- This is a REQUIREMENT.” Senator Stewart-Cousins’ legislation would make these discriminatory job ads illegal in New York, similar to a law signed by the Governor of New Jersey in April.

“We have an obligation as legislators, to do what’s right and make sure that the unemployed have a fighting chance at being a part of this economic recovery," the Senator added.

A recent study by SUNY Stonybrook Professor Todd Pittinsky and UCLA M.B.A. students Geoffrey C. Ho, Margaret Shih and Daniel Walters also shows that discrimination against the unemployed is a significant issue. The study found that unemployed job applicants are less likely to receive interviews than employed applicants with the same qualifications.

"Our research suggests that the unemployed may have very legitimate concerns about bias against them,” said SUNY Stonybrook Professor Todd Pittinsky in a statement. “Perhaps most surprising was that these more negative evaluations occurred even when we clarified for research participants that while the worker was unemployed, it was for no cause of his or her own doing.”

The issue has also received nationwide attention. News reports by national sources such as CNN, ABC News and HuffingtonPost have pointed to the growing trend of unemployment discrimination in the job market around the country.

In February, the Equal Employment Opportunity Center held a public meeting on the subject after receiving a letter signed by several members of Congress (including five from New York) urging them to investigate the matter. Several presenters at the meeting confirmed that unemployed job applicants around the country are facing discrimination in the hiring process.

Senator Toby Ann Stavisky co-sponsors the legislation. In a statement, she said: "In this difficult economy it is unconscionable that an unemployed job seeker faces discrimination from potential employers. I am proud to be a co-sponsor of this bill because people seeking work should be on equal footing -- regardless of employment status -- with all other applicants."

Senator Velmanette Montgomery, also a co-sponsor of S. 5316, released this statement: “In these difficult economic times, when wonderfully capable people have been laid off through no fault of their own, and are not able to immediately find other employment, it is imperative that New York State make a clear statement that discrimination in hiring based on current employment status is illegal and will not be tolerated. I thank and applaud my colleague, Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, for drafting this important and compassionate piece of legislation. I am proud to be a co-sponsor."

Senator Jose Serrano, who co-sponsors the bill, said: "Considering the high rate of unemployment in New York, excluding a job applicant based on their unemployment status is not only discriminatory, but nonsensical. This bill will level the playing field, giving those who were laid off for reasons unrelated to job performance the opportunity to compete for and obtain any position that they’re fully qualified to hold. I commend Senator Stewart-Cousins for advocating on behalf of unemployed New Yorkers seeking to make positive contributions to our great state."

Another co-sponsor, Senator Michael Gianaris, said: “New Yorkers need jobs and we must do what we can to make it easier for the unemploiyed to find work. Denying the unemployed the opportunity to find a job turns the world on its head and will only prolong the difficult economic climate we face today. Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins deserves our thanks for championing this proposal and I look forward to seeing it enacted.”

New York State Senator Joe Addabbo is a co-sponsor of S. 5316 and the ranking member of the Senate’s Labor Committee. In a statement, Senator Addabbo said, “The unemployment rate in Queens, the city and the state, even the nation overall, is between 8.5 - 9 percent. While some pundits have noted that the worst of the long recession has ended, many of my people have been seeking jobs for the past year or even 18 months. Those who want to work and weren't laid off through their own fault, but only due to budget cutbacks, must have a level playing field to compete for jobs. Employers who are allowed to advertise for new hires that make jobs available only to those ‘currently employed’ will just keep our unemployment rate and length of time to find a new job at current all-time high levels. That's why I support Sen. Stewart-Cousins' efforts to change the current New York law that for too long has allowed employers, employment or licensing agencies to continue such an arbitrary, discriminatory practice as targeting the jobless by refusing to hire them."

Rep Joe Crowley Fights Republican Effort to Cut Unemployment Benefits for Millions of Americans

Today, Congressman Joe Crowley (D-Queens, the Bronx), a Chief Deputy Whip in the U.S. House of Representatives, spoke out during the Ways and Means Committee’s consideration of Republicans’ H.R. 1745. This legislation would end the guarantee of federal unemployment insurance, resulting in over 4 million Americans losing their extended benefits this summer unless states provide coverage for them. Over 270,000 workers in New York are currently receiving these emergency benefits.

Crowley’s remarks as prepared are below:

“For over 100 days of the Republican majority in the House of Representatives, we have heard nothing but tick-tock as we awaited a jobs bill.

“And now, they tell us they have a bill – it’s even named the JOBS Act.

“Well, the tick-tock is being replaced by a cuckoo clock, because I’m not seeing the jobs in here.

“What is their great plan to help the economy? Cutting off emergency unemployment benefits.

“I’m not sure how that is supposed to create jobs or grow the economy, especially since economists have repeatedly shown that unemployment benefits help stimulate the economy.

“But the Republicans would end these benefits.

“Now, they say that States can choose to keep funding unemployment insurance, on their own, if they want to.

“But some states are cutting even the standard 26 weeks of benefits – do we really think states are going to be able to shoulder the federal government’s responsibility?

“That’s too much to burden the states with during these difficult times.

“This is a federal program that Congress has consistently voted to extend in order to help those out of work through no fault of their own.

“Many of my colleagues on this committee voted for the law that extended these benefits through the end of this year.

“And now, you want to cut short that promise.

“You might remember this law as the one that also extended tax cuts for the richest Americans – as long as Republicans are looking to break their promises, maybe we should cut short the extension of the tax cuts, too.

“So I ask my colleagues, what will you say to those unemployed workers in your district who will find their benefits cut off much sooner?

“Are you going to tell them that they’re not trying hard enough to find work, and that’s why you’re adding in redundant job search requirements?

“Are you going to tell them that they have to stop ‘living large’ on the federal government’s dollar, since as I’m sure we’re all aware, the average unemployment benefit reaches a whopping 70% of the poverty line for a family of four?

“I don’t know about you, but I can’t tell that to my constituents, because it’s just not true.

“Every week, I hear from workers in my district who have been looking for work, who rely on these federal benefits and who continue to face the difficulties of an economy that is just beginning to recover.

“The policies put into place by President Obama and Democrats in Congress have created 2 million new private sector jobs over the past 14 months, but there are still fewer jobs than before the recession began in 2007.

“At the same time, Republicans have cut job training programs, assistance to dislocated workers, and job creation programs like the TANF Emergency Fund for states to use.

“How are these cuts helping workers? I suppose just like this bill does – it only helps them know who is on their side and who is not.

“This is not a jobs bill.

“I guess we will continue the tick-tock of waiting for a true jobs bill, but in the meantime, this bill is just cuckoo.”

NYS Comptroller Tom DiNapoli: Economic Recovery Uneven Across New York State

New York State has taken the first steps down the road of economic recovery, but that recovery has been slow going and uneven across the regions of the State, according to a report issued today by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.


“The recession didn’t hit New York as hard as other states,” DiNapoli said. “But there’s still a lot of pain. Our economic recovery is headed in the right direction, but the road out of recession is still winding and potentially perilous.”


“The recovery so far has been a mixed bag. Private sector employment is up while public sector employment is down. Home values in the major metropolitan upstate areas rose sharply in the fourth quarter of 2010, but have begun to decline again in the New York City metropolitan area. Rising oil and gas prices, disruptions due to the crisis in Japan, and
low consumer confidence could hold back economic activity. Our economy is improving, but the pace of the recovery is clearly slower than we’d like.”


New York’s Gross State Product grew at an annual rate of 2.2 percent during 2010, after two consecutive years of decline. Economic output in all metropolitan areas rebounded in the past year, with Ithaca leading the way with a 3.3 percent change, followed by the Mid-Hudson Valley at 3.1 percent, Buffalo at 2.9 percent and Rochester and the Utica-Rome regions at 2.4 percent. IHS Global Insight predicts that the Gross Metropolitan Products of most New York cities will slow during 2011.


Job losses during the recession were less severe in New York State (3.8 percent) than in the nation (6.1 percent). Despite this, New York State lost nearly 336,700 jobs. Overall, unemployment in New York State doubled during the recession, and by March 2011 had only eased to 8 percent from a recent peak of 8.9 percent in September 2009. DiNapoli
noted that private sector employment, led by tourism, health services and education, grew by 95,100 jobs during 2010 and by another 27,600 jobs in the first quarter of 2011. Public sector employment declined by 28,200 jobs (1.9 percent) between December 2009 and March 2011.


Personal income rose by 4.1 percent during 2010, the second-highest rate of growth among the states behind only New Mexico, which reflects modest job growth and higher Wall Street bonuses. Wall Street, which earned $27.6 billion in 2010, the second-best year on record, has regained 9,700 of the 28,200 jobs the securities industry lost during the
recession.


Home values in the downstate region have begun to decline again and foreclosures will continue to hold down prices. Home values in the New York City metropolitan area peaked in May 2006 and fell by more than 20 percent through April 2009. Between October 2009 and February 2011, home values in the New York metropolitan area fell by 4 percent.
However, median home values in the five major upstate metropolitan regions rebounded strongly in the fourth quarter of 2010 over their values in 2009 with Binghamton (15.6 percent) leading the way, followed by Buffalo (14.3 percent), Syracuse (7.9 percent), Albany (7.6 percent) and Rochester (5.2 percent).


While the share of mortgages that are at least 90 days delinquent eased to 3.6 percent in the fourth quarter of 2010, the share of mortgages in the foreclosure process has continued to rise, reaching 5.2 percent in that same time period.


For a copy of the report visit: http://www.osc.state.ny.us/reports/economic/nys_econ_rpt2-2012.pdf

News & Notes from NY Senator Joe Addabbo - 15th Senate District

SENATOR ADDABBO STATEMENT ON ACTING CHANCELLOR DENNIS WALCOTTAPPEARING BEFORE SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE

NYS Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach), a member of the Senate’s Education Committee, released the following statement:

The visit by Acting Chancellor Dennis Walcott to the NYS Senate Education Committee was both promising and encouraging for the Department of Education and the children in the school system. I stated at the meeting that I look forward to working with Mr. Walcott through the fiscal, policy and administrative challenges that face our public schools. I have known Mr. Walcott for over 15 years and have always found him to be professional and dedicated to public service.

SENATOR JOSEPH P. ADDABBO, JR. STATEMENT ON PIA’S ELIMINATION FROM AMERICAN IDOL

NYS Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach) released the following statement on last week’s elimination of contestant and Howard Beach resident Pia Toscano from the popular TV show:

“Pia’s elimination from American Idol was shocking and premature. If I had the chance to give Pia a message, it would be to express my appreciation for her God-given talent, for exciting a community and for touching the hearts of millions of people around the country. I am so proud to have Pia within my district.”

ADDABBO: WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO IN SECURING AREAS TEN YEARS AFTER 9/11

Senate Revisits Public Protection Concerns

NYS Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. (D-Queens), who serves as ranking Minority member on the Senate’s Veterans, Homeland Security, & Military Affairs Committee, participated in this past Friday’s public hearing on Homeland Security 10 years later after September 11, 2001, to listen and respond to testimony on public protection since the terrorist attacks. Among the attending witnesses were Peter King, United States Congressman and Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security; Michael O’Meara, Executive Vice President of the Metropolitan Transit Authority Police Benevolent Association; Richard Daddario, NYPD Assistant Deputy Commissioner for Counter-terrorism; and Douglas Zeigler, Director of Security for the Metropolitan Transit Authority.

While the hearing became increasingly contentious when the topic of religious sects were being discussed, the first half of the hearing included testimony from the NYPD, MTA, the Port Authority and other public safety personnel. “The critical issues were the lack of funding allocations for improved security measures and the need for upgrading the communication systems between our safety-related agencies,” stated Senator Addabbo. It was mentioned at the hearing that some of the radios and means of communicating among the agencies were over 20 years old. Addabbo said that he intends to discuss with the Port Authority the issue of security at JFK Airport and on the Airtrain.

Congressman King spoke at great length as to how terrorist threat levels are as high as 9/11, and reiterated that these are very real threats as we approach the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

Michael O’Meara gave insight as to the issue of communication between the Metropolitan Transit Authority Police and the ongoing discussions with the MTA to correct and improve radio frequency communications between MTA Police and the MTA. The radio system, according to Mr. O’Meara, has not worked since its implementation some 20 years ago.

The use and placement of security cameras on New York State tunnels, bridges and pedestrian areas was explained by Douglas Ziegler. Currently, almost 4,000 cameras have been placed within the MTA system, with the intention of more to come.

A future similar Senate hearing concerning the status of security measures since the 9/11 tragedy is being scheduled in Albany.

Together with above release, here are two complementary statements from the Senator:

Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr., released the following statement on NYS Senate Homeland Security Hearing held on Friday, 8, 2011:

It was my intent to participate in a focused hearing which was to examine the security of the New York City residents, and surrounding areas, ten years after the tragedy of 9/11. Based on the testimony of witnesses and my questioning of those witnesses, my main concern continues to be the governmental funding and interaction of the entities involved in maintaining the safety of individuals, namely the NYPD, FDNY, MTA and Port Authority. I intend, as the ranking member of the Senate Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs Committee, to continue my efforts in finding the means available to improve the safety and security of people locally and throughout the city and state.

Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr., released the following statement on the witness list for the NYS Senate Homeland Security Hearing held on Friday, 8, 2011:

As I have previously stated, I intended to participate in a NYS Senate hearing focused on the public safety of individuals in New York City, ten years after the 9/11 tragedy. In my opinion, there should have been separate hearings with one having witnesses from governmental entities who would testify as to their plans to secure people and another, separate hearing with witnesses of all backgrounds giving testimony on their cultural and ideological theories toward their views on Americans. The global issue of terrorism as it pertains to our safety is so complex and intricate, that I believe separate Senate hearings were warranted.

ADDABBO: STATEMENT ON SAFETY OF AIRTRAIN & JFK AIRPORT

Generally, I have a daily concern for security in and around the JFK Airport property, including the Airtrain. The gateway to millions of visitors to New York is right in our backyard and therefore, my interest in the airport’s safety measures, which are a high priority for me. I intend to continue my working relationship with the all aspects of the Port Authority to ensure the safety of my constituents. In a recent conversation with the Port Authority regarding the inoperable radio usage near the Jet Blue Terminal, they advised me that the situation is being addressed and should be resolved shortly. I plan on having advanced discussions and meetings with the Port Authority about their vision for improved security at JFK.

SENATORS INTRODUCE CLEAN WATER LEGISLATIVE PACKAGE AND VOW TO KEEP NEW YORK’S WATER SAFE & CLEAN

As new information continues to surface on the dangers of horizontal hydraulic fracturing, particularly in relation to the wastewater produced during the hydro-fracking process, Senators Liz Krueger (D-Manhattan), Ranking Member of the Environmental Protection Committee Tony Avella (D-Queens) and Joseph Addabbo (D-Queens) have introduced a package of bills that aim to keep New York’s water clean against the effects of hydro-fracking. First and foremost, the package calls for a ban on hydro-fracking. While working towards this goal, the package installs a series of necessary, common sense measures that would implement stronger regulations and heightened scrutiny that will keep New Yorkers, and their water, safe.

A series of articles produced by the New York Times has revealed that studies conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency show that the wastewater produced in hydro-fracking is far more dangerous than previously reported. Even before it enters the ground, the frac fluid used in drilling poses serious threats to the environment and human health, as it is made of a combination of undisclosed chemicals that often contain carcinogenic materials. However, as reported by the New York Times, wastewater produced in hydro-fracking grows even more dangerous once it’s blasted through rock thousands of feet below ground. There, the frac fluid picks up salts and radioactive elements, like radium, that are naturally embedded in the Earth.

To address these issues, the first three bills in the Clean Water Package will implement tighter regulation and ensure transparency so the public can be assured that proper precautions are in place to monitor both frac fluid and the resulting wastewater. The bills providing for increased regulation are absolutely necessary to provide immediate and necessary oversight to keep the public and environment safe while ample political support is gathered to establish an all out ban, which has been proposed by Senator Avella. Senator Krueger’s bill (S.425) is currently on the agenda to be voted on in the Environmental Conservation Committee on Tuesday, the 12th.

The bills in the Clean Water Package are:

• S.425 (Krueger) - Would provide greater regulation of the use of hydraulic fracturing fluids used for oil and gas drilling, including prohibiting the use of frac fluids containing chemicals that pose a risk to human health.
• S.2697 (Avella) – Would provide for comprehensive regulation of oil and natural gas operations.
• S. 4251 (Addabbo) – Would require treatment works to test waste from hydraulic fracturing operations for radioactivity.
• S.4220 (Avella) – Would prohibit the use of hydraulic fracturing in the process of drilling for natural gas and/or oil.

Senator Liz Krueger said, “I don’t see it as that great of a request to require these gas companies to inform the public on what chemicals they’re blasting into the Earth. They want us to just fall into line and not ask any questions, to just ‘trust them.’ Well, we saw what they did with Pennsylvania’s trust, and I say no. Not here, not in New York. I tend to believe that if you guard a secret with your life it’s not because you’re hiding something good or harmless, it’s because you know that whatever you’re hiding will bring negative consequences for you if it comes to light.”

Senator Avella added, “Perhaps our greatest resource as New York City residents is the clean, unfiltered and refreshing water we receive every time we turn on our faucets. It is clear to me, that until we can be assured that the practice of hydro-fracking presents absolutely no threat to New York’s residents and their drinking water, we must completely ban fracking.”

Senator Addabbo said, “Today, I join my Senate colleagues, Tony Avella and Liz Krueger, to support their respective bills, which together with mine, would amend the environmental conservation law, requiring new regulations from the DEC. My new bill authorizes the DEC Commissioner, after hosting a public hearing, to force regulations requiring treatment facilities handling wastewater to test for radioactivity levels. The DEC will identify tests to be performed on the water, including ingredients found within the hydro-fracking fluids, and would prohibit the acceptance, treatment or discharge of hydro-fracking-produced waste. This was in response to EPA and drilling industry studies that concluded radioactivity in drilling waste cannot be fully diluted in rivers and other waterways.”

There are many ways this wastewater puts human health and the environment in danger. In other states, wastewater is often stored in open pits until transported for ultimate disposal, but chemicals evaporate from these open pits, contributing to air pollution. Even prior to fracking, the trucks are carrying the fluids in high concentrations, and are subject to leaks and spills, causing contamination of surface waters. The fracturing fluid left underground can migrate or seep through fractures in underground formations, cracks in well-bore casings or through abandoned wells, polluting groundwater.

As has been made clear by a number of incidents related to natural gas drilling in Pennsylvania and elsewhere, high-volume hydro-fracking continues to present unacceptable risks.

ADDABBO: GOVERNOR SIGNS BILL INTO LAW EXTENDING UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE BENEFITS THROUGH 2011

Extended Benefits Will Provide Relief for 166,000 New Yorkers

NYS Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. (D-Queens), a member of the Senate’s Labor Committee who supported the measure, is pleased to report to his constituents that Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law a measure that extends federally funded unemployment insurance benefits throughout 2011. This bill, S.3928, amends the Labor Law to allow New York to take advantage of provisions contained in the recently enacted Federal Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization and Job Creation Act of 2010 by modifying provisions concerning unemployment insurance extended benefits.

The extension would have expired early this spring, giving people who lose their jobs up to 80 weeks of unemployment checks instead of up to 93, for people now on the unemployment rolls, said the Senator. Without this new law, the state would not be able to continue to pay a total of 93 weeks of benefits and would have forfeited $620 million in federal payments to the unemployed, negatively impacting approximately 166,000 New Yorkers.

Since 2009, New York State has participated in a two-year, federally funded unemployment insurance program. In December 2010, the U.S. Congress extended the federal program by an additional year. The governor’s legislation amends New York State law to allow the state to qualify for the additional third year of the program.

Under the program, benefits for all private sector and nonprofit employees are fully federally funded. This act is effective immediately and “shall be deemed to have been in full force and effect on and after February 1, 2011.”

Added Addabbo, “The unemployment rate in Queens is about 8.5 percent; it’s between 8.9-9.2 percent for New York City, and 8.7 percent for our state overall. While some reports have noted that the worst of the long recession has ended, many of my people have been seeking jobs for the past year, and for some, almost two years. The governor requested quick legislative action, which has allowed us to access federal funds to assist those on unemployment. This law will give them a safety net as they continue to pursue time-consuming and daunting efforts to re-enter the workforce.” The senator is hopeful that future extensions of unemployment benefits would be unnecessary due to an improving economy and new jobs in the city. “The main goal is to find people stable employment,” Addabbo concluded.

Coalition Launches With Impact Report: Mayor's Child Care Cuts Devastate Struggling Communities

NEW REPORT SHOWS THAT MAYOR’S CHILD CARE CUTS WOULD FURTHER DEVASTATE COMMUNITIES WITH HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT AND LOW EDUCATIONAL PERFORMANCE

EMERGENCY COALITION TO SAVE CHILD CARE LAUNCHES EFFORT TO RESTORE CHILD CARE TO 17,000 CHILDREN; SLAMS MAYOR FOR TURNING HIS BACK ON WORKING NEW YORKERS WHO DEPEND ON AFFORDABLE CHILD CARE

Cuts Undermine Mayor’s Welfare-to-Work Legacy

The newly-formed  Emergency Coalition to Save Child Care, made up of dozens of organizations and religious institutions, launched an effort to restore child care to the 17,000 children who are about to lose care under the Mayor’s plan to cut child care for working families. This cut combined with 14,000 slots lost since 2006 add up to a 50% cut in child care for working families.

These cuts will lead to:

• Lower graduation rates from high school
• More working parents leaving the workforce

The new report finds that the impact of these cuts is not shared equally and will hit some of the city’s most struggling communities the hardest.

• Communities with a high unmet need for child care will lose significant numbers of subsidies, including Washington Heights where 370 children will lose subsidies and Unionport/Soundview in the Bronx where 486 children will lose their subsidies.
• Communities with unemployment rates over 16 percent will be hit hard, including Bedford-Stuyvesant where 684 children will lose subsidies and Mott Haven where 502 children will lose their subsidies.
• Communities where less than half of the students are meeting state and city reading standards will bear a large burden of these cuts, including East New York where 972 children will lose their subsidies, and Brownsville where 543 children will lose their subsidies.

“Cutting child care for 17,000 children in working families is penny-wise and pound-foolish,” said Fatima Goldman, Executive Director/CEO of the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies. “These cuts will devastate areas throughout the City that already have high unemployment and low performance on state education tests.”

“The Mayor’s plan to cut child care subsidies for nearly 17,000 children will have a dire effect on thousands of working families in our City, forcing parents to scramble for alternative care and preventing tens of thousands of children from getting the early education opportunities they deserve,” said Council Member Annabel Palma, Chair of the General Welfare Committee. “It is unconscionable that the Mayor continues to preach about the merits of upward social mobility while simultaneously denying working New Yorkers the resources they need to lift themselves out of poverty. Our children and families deserve better from their Mayor.”

The child care system is already under serving the people who need it most. The City’s own Community Needs Assessment released in 2008 found that the city was serving only 27 percent of eligible children in city-funded programs, and only 37 percent of all children under the age of six were being served in any early childhood setting.

Studies have shown that every $1 cut from child care leads to a $1.86 loss in economic activity, and that child care and early learning programs save up to a billion dollars in future costs for remedial education and lowered high school graduation rates.

“Our City already has high unemployment,” said Raglan George, Executive Director of AFSCME District Council 1707. “Why would the Mayor want to cut 17,000 child care slots – leaving parents at risk of losing their jobs because they cannot find a safe place for their child while they are at work and leaving child care providers at risk of having to lay off the people who work for them?”

These cuts will lead to a higher need for other government programs such as health insurance, food stamps, public assistance and unemployment benefits. Many parents determine that the high cost of child care exceeds their income, and they are unable to go to work because they have nowhere safe for their children during the day. More than a thousand early childhood professionals will lose their jobs and the availability of employment in this sector will be drastically reduced.

"These cuts should never even be an option for the City" said Rev. Lisa D. Jenkins of Blessed Trinity Baptist Church in Harlem. "These cuts are unacceptable at any time. Children and hard-working parents should not be paying the price for the city's budget shortfalls. Our leaders should not cut programs that allow hard-working parents to care for their children while they're at work. Without child care, these parents will be forced to make drastic choices."

IMPACT ON CHILDREN

Children will pay the biggest price for this cut in child care services. It is well documented that positive early childhood learning opportunities lead to more positive outcomes later in life. Children who attend quality early childhood programs are more likely to graduate from high school, less likely to be involved in crime and less likely to become teen parents.

“Our centers provide safe, affordable and educational child care,” said Margarita Rosa, Executive Director, of Grand Street Settlement which has child care centers in Bushwick and the Lower East Side. “If the Mayor cuts these 17,000 child care slots, many of these parents will have no option except to turn to unsafe options that don’t provide kids with the education they need to succeed in school later on. That makes no sense.”

IMPACT ON WORKING PARENTS

Working parents who lose their subsidy will need to make the difficult decision between making alternative, less stable arrangements for their children and leaving the workforce. 

Child care is one of the most important factors for a working parent. Many parents, especially single mothers, have reported that they would be unable to work without child care assistance. 

The costs of child care are prohibitive and for many, without a subsidy, it does not pay to work. Despite all of the rhetoric about helping people become employed and stay self-sufficient, these cuts will lead to many parents leaving the workforce and becoming more reliant on government supports, such as health insurance, food stamps, unemployment or public assistance.

“The City’s plan makes no sense to cut child care for 17,000 children,” said Nassha Norton,a working mother from East New York whose daughter is losing child care. “For years, the city has encouraged people to a job and work. But without child care, how am I supposed to work?”

ABOUT THE CUTS

The Mayor’s plan cuts child care subsidies for almost 17,000 children this year. 14,000 child care slots have already been lost since 2006. 47,887 low-income children from working families are getting subsidized child care right now. The City is only serving 27% of eligible children. The Mayor’s proposal would cut 17,000 subsidized slots for children, adding to the problem. 300 classrooms with capacity for5,440 kids are at risk of closure. Click here to read the full report.

Assembly Member Mike Miller - Assembly Helps Thousands of Unemployed New Yorkers

Critical legislation extends unemployment benefits through this year

Assemblyman Mike Miller (D-Queens) announced the Assembly passed legislation he supported to help unemployed New Yorkers receive extended federally funded unemployment insurance benefits through 2011(A.6091). The bill awaits Senate passage.

“Extending unemployment benefits is a fundamental step toward strengthening New York’s economy and aiding those who need it most as they continue searching for job opportunities,” Miller said.

In May 2009, the Assembly enacted legislation that allowed New York State to receive a federal grant of $645 million for unemployment compensation. The law extended jobless benefits for an additional 13 weeks, bringing the total to 72 weeks of benefits. In December 2010, Congress extended the federally funded program for an additional year.

The new bill will amend state law and allow New York to qualify for a third year in the program. It is estimated that 166,000 unemployed New Yorkers will be affected by this legislation.

“This legislation is crucial aid for unemployed New Yorkers, because without it the state will forfeit an estimated $620 million in federally funded unemployment insurance benefits,” Assemblyman Miller said.

Last month marked the country’s lowest level of unemployment in nearly two years, falling to 8.9 percent. It was reported that the unemployment rate has experienced its most rapid improvement in nearly 28 years, falling a full percentage point in the past three months.New York reported state unemployment rates have declined to 8.3 percent.

“In the face of the economic downturn and one of the worst job markets in years, the falling unemployment rate provides a positive note in our climb toward New York’s recovery, but there is still a long way to go,” Miller said. “Extending this program will ensure that struggling families who depend on unemployment benefits get the help they need while they continue to focus their efforts on finding a job.”

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House Dems To Reintroduce Longshot Bill For Long-Term Unemployed by Arthur Delaney - Huffington Post

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Democratic Reps. Barbara Lee (Calif.) and Bobby Scott (Va.) are reintroducing legislation this week to provide additional weeks of unemployment insurance benefits for "99ers," the long-term jobless who have exhausted their benefits and still haven't found work.

"The bill that I am introducing with Congressman Scott, The Emergency Unemployment Compensation Expansion Act, would ensure that these long-term unemployed workers get the long overdue assistance that they need to support their families, make ends meet and contribute to our economy," Lee said in a statement. "Our bill would add 14 weeks of emergency unemployment benefits and would make sure these benefits are retroactively available to people who have exhausted all their benefits and are still unemployed."

Given Republican hostility to additional deficit spending -- Lee's office said the cost of the extra benefits would not be offset -- the effort will likely amount to little more than a reminder that long-term unemployment persists even though much of the nation's political discourse is focused on signs of economic recovery.

The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that 1.4 million Americans have been unemployed for as long as 99 weeks. Of the 13.9 million unemployed, 43.8 percent -- or 6.2 million -- have been out of work for six months or longer.

Lee and Scott are holding a press conference on Wednesday to discuss the bill further. They will be joined by 99ers from an ad hoc online group that calls itself the American 99ers Union. "The American 99ers Union supports government spending that results in a positive return on investment," a statement from the group said. "The Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act will effectively serve this purpose."

Lee and Scott expressed frustration last year, when they first introduced an extension bill, that President Barack Obama omitted help for the 99ers from the deal he struck with congressional Republicans that preserved tax breaks for the rich and reauthorized extended federal unemployment benefits through 2011. Federal unemployment benefits enacted in response to the recession provide the unemployed up to 73 weeks of benefits beyond the standard 26 weeks provided by states. (The full complement of federal benefits is only available in 25 states, so some exhaustees are not officially 99ers.)

The Lee-Scott bill faces even tougher odds in the new Republican-controlled House of Representatives than it did last year in the previous Congress, when helping the 99ers was barely an afterthought.

Help is on the Way for the 99'ers - The Ed Schultz Show - msnbc.com

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Ed Schutz gives his take on new legislation introduced by Rep Barbara Lee ad Rep Bobby Scott, which would give help to unemployed Americans for more than 99 weeks...