Call your legisators!

We can use this opportunity to change the future course of New York State government. Our involvement is essential. If we ordinary citizens act together to demand substantial reform, we will be unstoppable.

Education
Economy and jobs
Health care
Property taxes

 

As members of the community, we are distressed with the quality, access, and cost of Education and Health Care. We are alarmed by our deteriorating economy and the decreased quality and quantity of jobs. We want housing to be affordable and property taxes are a substantial part of that equation. All these issues are largely controlled by our state legislature and we are fed up with the constant record of legislative failure across the board. Here are some reasons why it matters to people like you and me.

Education The Campaign for Fiscal Equity sued New York State for not providing a constitutionally-required basic education. When the courts decided in favor of CFE, The legislature and the governor spent state money defending the status quo in court rather than addressing the problem. In spite of the highest per-pupil costs in the nation, students in many areas of the state are dealing with crumbling buildings and lack of textbooks. With the Four R's, legislators who fail to respond to systemic education issues are likely to be replaced with those who will.

Economy and jobs The statistics are undeniable - individuals and industries are leaving our state in droves. The legislature ignores long-standing problems such as worker's compensation reform and ballooning state debt. This hits you and me right in the pocketbook, but lawmakers have insulated themselves from the real world where payrolls have to be met. The Four R's would force legislators to be more accountable to citizens, and allow us to propose our own solutions to these problems.

Health care Medicaid is a huge part of the state budget, increasing at four times the rate of inflation. Another pocketbook issue, yet the legislature continually refuses to control the costs or to deal with fraud and inefficiency. The Four R's will help elect legislators who pay more attention to citizens than to special interests.

Property taxes The legislature's approach to many problems is to sweep them under the rug by mandating performance without providing any funding for it. Local property owners take the biggest hits. Legislators can do this because they are largely insulated from voter pressure. The Four R's are aimed at ending the incumbency-protection system that lets legislators avoid responsibility.