Yearly Archives: 2017

November 16, 2017. Progressive advocates and lawmakers are ramping up efforts to block a Republican tax bill that would end SALT deductions and give cuts to wealthy Americans. A new ad released this week by the group Not One Penny is putting the pressure on GOP members of Congress who have yet to take a firm stand on the bill. The state teacher's union has signed on to this campaign and with us in studio to talk more about this is NYSUT Political Action Coordinator [...]

November 14, 2017. On November 6, 2017, the Trump Administration announced that they were not extending the Temporary Protective Status of individuals from Nicaragua, and that the status for Honduras is currently under consideration. Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is a status given to individuals from countries experiencing armed conflict, natural disasters, epidemics and other temporary conditions that prevents the safe return of their citizens. This status provides work authorization and protection from deportation to individuals. Rep Joaquin Castro claimed in a tweet that the United States [...]

November 13, 2017. In this op-ed by Karthick Ramakrishnan, he argues that New York is behind California, Connecticut, Illinois, and Washington, in regards to immigration policies that protect immigrants and help economic growth. He goes on to argue that Governor Cuomo, who is seeking his third term, has a weak immigration record and if he plans to run in the 2020 presidential election, he needs to change that in order to win votes. Ramakrishnan argues that Governor Cuomo could enact many of the proposed policies [...]

November 1, 2017. This article, which was also featured on the front page of The New York Times, tells the story of Gam Aung, a refugee from Burma that started his own sushi counters. Although he has not finished high school and not yet mastered the English language, he lives what he calls the “American Dream.” Many may not know that their sushi is in fact made by people from Burma, and assume the makers are Japanese. This article also highlights the success story of [...]

A coalition of progressive groups including the NYCLU and Legal Aid Society announced its opposition to a ballot measure on Nov. 7 that asks whether New Yorkers should hold a convention to revise and amend the state constitution next year. Opponents such as Fiscal Policy Institute and New Yorkers Against Corruption, fear it could set the stage for rolling back protections and rights such as public-sector pension guarantees and legal protections for immigrants and the poor. “We have far more to lose than we have [...]

October 30, 2017. A group of progressive organizations, on Monday, gathered to voice their opposition to holding a constitutional convention, which voters will decide on Nov. 7. “We have far more to lose than we have to gain,” said Ron Deutsch, executive director of the labor-backed Fiscal Policy Institute. “We think this is a recipe for disaster.”   Access full article HERE  

October 30, 2017. There is just over a week left until New Yorkers head to the polls. Ron Deutsch, Executive Director of the Fiscal Policy Institute, and Susan Welber, Staff Attorney at The Legal Aid Society, weighed in on why they are urging a no vote on Ballot Question One, the Constitutional Convention Question.   Access to the full podcast can be found HERE.

October 29, 2017. This article, featured on the front page of The New York Times, tells the story of Gam Aung, a refugee from Burma that started his own sushi counters. Although he has not finished high school and not yet mastered the English language, he lives what he calls the "American Dream." Many may not know that their sushi is in fact made by people from Burma, and assume the makers are Japanese. This article also highlights the success story of Philip Maung, who even [...]

10/26/2017. This article discuss how experts, congressional lawmakers and advocates warn that the impact of repealing a popular state and local tax deduction would be felt by the middle class in New York City and the rest of the state, which has one of the highest tax burdens in the country. “New York City would definitely be hit the hardest in New York State,” Ron Deutsch, executive director of the Fiscal Policy Institute, an Albany-based nonpartisan think tank, told Observer." The article claims that the [...]

On November 4th, New Yorkers will go to the polls and decide whether to hold a Constitutional Convention. Holding a Constitutional Convention, or Con-Con for short, would allow the people to exercise their right to make changes to alter the state constitution. This vote is held every twenty years, and the last time that a Con-Con convened was in 1967. If New Yorkers vote to convene a Con-Con, they would have the opportunity to elect delegates in November 2018 and then the Convention would convene [...]