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February 19, 2011

AQE leads over 200 to Executive Mansion door

By  Jimmy Vielkind / Capitol Confidential


Chanting “protect kids, not millionaires” and “hey-hey, ho-ho, the governor’s cuts have got to go,” over 200 people [including members of Make the Road New York] from around the state marched from the annual convention of the Association for Black and Puerto Rican Legislators to the Executive Mansion to protest Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposed cuts to education.

New York City Councilman Robert Jackson led the demonstration, which also included speeches by Sens. Bill Perkins and Gustavo Rivera. Jackson was the lead plaintiff on the Campaign for Fiscal Equity case, which ruled state lawmakers were short-changing New York City’s public schools, depriving students of their constitutional right to a “sound, basic education.” A 2006 ruling by the Court of Appeals led Gov. Eliot Spitzer to promise $7 billion in additional aid over several years. This year, the demonstrators — including members of Citizen Action and the Alliance for Quality Education — said, Cuomo is taking steps backward.

“Your budget for education will be devastating for the children of New York state,” Jackson cried at the mansion, through a bullhorn. He called on Cuomo to continue an income tax surcharge on people earning over $200,000 a year. Cuomo has argued that the cuts will not necessitate teacher layoffs.

Cuomo did not come to the door. The demonstrators left him this little memento.

For the original article, please click here.


More on: Public Education 

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Victory for Immigrant Families: Preventing Unjust Deportations in NYC

On March 18, 2013, Mayor Bloomberg signed new legislation to stop federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from using NYC’s criminal justice system to deport thousands of New Yorkers.

Building on legislation we helped to win just over a year ago, Local Laws 21 and 22 prohibit not only the Department of Correction but now also the NYPD from spending millions of city taxpayer dollars to hold individuals on behalf of ICE agents for detention and deportation. Each year, thousands of New York families will stay together who would otherwise have been torn apart by overly aggressive, indiscriminate immigration enforcement.

At a moment when the country is debating immigration reform, with these laws, New York City sends a clear message to Washington that tearing apart thousands of immigrant families is bad policy.

With your support, we look forward to winning national reform that keeps families together. We thank our partners at the Center for Popular Democracy, the Cardozo Immigration Justice Clinic and the bills’ sponsors, NYC Council Speaker Quinn and Council Member Mark-Viverito, for their courageous leadership.


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