December 17, 2018
By Ravi Mangla, Citizen Action NY and Mia Pearlman, True Blue NY
Fueled by the momentum of the massive blue wave victories in NY and around the nation this November, issue advocacy organizations, grassroots activist groups and community organizations from around New York State have formed the NY PEOPLE’S PLATFORM.
Longstanding organizations whose work is centered in racial and economic justice and focused on issues such as affordable housing, immigration, criminal justice, civil rights, democracy and climate change, today join forces with the post-2016 grassroots groups who were instrumental in defeating the IDC and electing a historic Democratic majority in the New York State Senate. Together, they will advance a just and visionary legislative platform: the NY PEOPLE’S PLATFORM.
This platform represents more than passing long-overdue legislation and resuscitating bills killed by neglect under the IDC and Republicans. The NY PEOPLE’S PLATFORM is a holistic and moral vision for a fairer, cleaner, kinder and more liveable New York; a vision not built on the backs of the poor and marginalized, but one that will make our state a leader in creating solutions to the most pressing issues of our time.
The groups behind the NY PEOPLE’S PLATFORM will educate and train voters around the state to employ direct action to convince their state lawmakers to support this progressive platform. These will include town halls, demonstrations, canvassing, phone and text banking, and creating a public report card on legislators’ voting records and campaign donations to hold them accountable. The actions will take place in districts statewide and in Albany on a regular basis throughout the year.
These groups will work hard to pass this just and visionary platform during the upcoming legislative session, which begins on January 9th.
“The children of New York have been unfairly waiting for more than a decade for NYS to fully fund their public schools. Governor Cuomo and the NYS legislature can’t claim to be “progressive” without passing progressive policies that includes the $4 Billion owed our public schools and ensuring the Millionaires tax is renewed. Black, brown and poor communities have put forth the People’s Platform. Is NYS listening?” -Zakiyah Ansari, Advocacy Director, Alliance for Quality Education
“Today we send a message to every legislator, but primarily a message to Cuomo, Speaker Heastie and Senate Leader Stewart-Cousins: we are New York, we are united, we will not accept excuses or watered down policies. Pass the People’s Platform or suffer the political consequences.” -Jeremy Saunders, co-Director of VOCAL-NY.
“New Yorkers voted in a state Senate majority committed to passing the New York Health Act. As the federal attacks on our healthcare continue, it’s time for New York to create a universal, guaranteed healthcare system that will actually meet the needs of all the residents of New York, not just guarantee profits for the very few.” -Katie Robbins, Campaign for New York Health
“In November New Yorkers voted overwhelmingly to change directions in Albany — and now it’s time for Albany to deliver. We’re putting every lawmaker on notice: the watered down policies of the past don’t work. We’re united in our first demand: get big money out of politics and get real money into our communities. We’re holding Albany accountable for action, and that means passing the People’s Platform.” -Charles Khan, Organizing Director, Strong Economy For All Coalition
“After the 2016 election, regular people across New York State transformed themselves into political activists to defeat the IDC and elect a historic majority in the New York State Senate. We’ve shown that when New Yorkers come together to support a shared vision for this state, anything is possible. Today, the NY grassroots is excited to combine our passion and ground game with the experience and expertise of long-respected issue advocacy groups. We won’t rest until the NY People’s Platform is passed.” -Mia Pearlman, Co-Founder and Co-Leader, the True Blue NY Grassroots Coalition
“The 2019 legislative session has the potential to be one of the most productive and progressive sessions we have ever seen. However, in order to protect our legislative goals, and shift power towards regular New Yorkers, it is imperative that we pass Campaign Finance reform, and support publicly financed elections for all state races.” -Stanley Fritz, Campaign Manager, Citizen Action
OVERVIEW OF THE NY PEOPLE’S PLATFORM:
GET MONEY OUT OF POLITICS: Close the LLC Loophole, Pass Campaign Finance Reform, Create a Small Donor Matching System So Regular People Can Run for Office
MAKE VOTING EASY: Pass Automatic Voter Registration, Early Voting, Combine Primaries, and Expand Voting Rights
TAX WALL STREET, NOT WORKERS: Invest in New York and New Yorkers by Progressively Taxing the Wealthiest Among Us, Renew the Millionaire’s Tax, Reform Our Tax System
HOUSING IS A HUMAN RIGHT: Expand and Strengthen Rent Stabilization, End Homelessness & Make Housing a Right, Pass the “SuperSTAR” tax & rent rebate to Relieve the Property Tax Burden
REBUILD NY’S INFRASTRUCTURE: Create Jobs by Fixing Aging Roads and Bridges, Fix the MTA and LIRR by passing congestion pricing as a cornerstone to any funding package, Increase Public Transit Upstate, Bring Broadband to All New Yorkers
POVERTY IS NOT A CRIME: End Mass Incarceration Due to Cash Bail and Pretrial Incarceration, Improve Police Accountability, Pass a Speedy Trial Bill
FUND PUBLIC EDUCATION: Infuse Our Public Schools With Long-Owed Funds, Expand Arts Education, Make Public College Truly Free, Expand Pre-K for All, Prevent School Privitization
PROTECT IMMIGRANT NEW YORKERS: Make NY A Sanctuary State, Pass the DREAM Act, Pass Driver’s Licenses for All, Insure Immigrant Health Care Access
A GREEN NEW DEAL: Make a Rapid Shift to 100% Renewable Energy, Pass the Climate and Community Protection Act, Protect Our Water, Prevent Overdevelopment
OUR BODIES, OUR CHOICE: Codify Roe V. Wade in New York State, Pass the Reproductive Health Act and Comprehensive Contraception Coverage Act
HEALTHCARE, NOT HEALTH INSURANCE: Pass the NY Health Act and Give All New Yorkers Quality Healthcare
CIVIL RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS: Pass GENDA and The Child Victims Act
CLEAN UP ALBANY (FINALLY): End Corporate Welfare & Sweetheart Deals Like #Scamazon & the Buffalo Billion Boondoggle
GET GUNS OFF OUR STREETS: Pass the Red Flag bill to create Extreme Risk Protection Orders, ban bump stocks and extend the waiting period for background checks
THE NY PEOPLE’S PLATFORM is supported by (list in formation):
Alliance for Quality Education, Campaign for New York Health, Chinese-American Planning Council, Church Women United in New York State, Citizen Action of NY, Demos, Dutchess County Progressive Action Alliance, Empire State Indivisible, Empire State Progressives, Ernest Skinner Political Association, Food & Water Watch, Grassroots Action NY, Greater New York Labor-Religion Coalition, Housing Works, Jews for Racial & Economic Justice, Long Island Progressive Coalition, Metro NY Health Care for All, NAACP, New York Caring Majority, New York Communities for Change (NYCC), New York State Council of Churches, No IDC NY, New York Progressive Action Network, Peoples Action, Peoples Climate Movement – New York, Picture the Homeless, Progressive Action of Lower Manhattan, Strong Economy for All, The Black Institute, The True Blue NY Grassroots Coalition, Upper West Side MoveOn/Indivisible, VOCAL-NY, WHARR
