Albany, NY -- Green Party of New York officers said Gov. Cuomo's State of the State preview was short on everything except Andrew Cuomo's positioning for the 2020 Presidential election. The party leadership said Cuomo's plans on climate change and health care will doom millions of New Yorkers who already suffer from the intensifying climate catastrophe, and from the ongoing health care emergency of nonexistent or expensive, poor insurance. They also stated that Cuomo's proposals for electoral reform needed to include RCV, proportional representation, and full public campaign financing.

Green Party of New York

http://www.gpny.org

For immediate release

December 17, 2019

Contact

Peter LaVenia, State Co-Chair, peter.lavenia@gmail.com

Party leaders noted that his proposal for legalizing recreational marijuana said nothing about distributing funds raised to communities devastated by the drug war, or ending policies of mass incarceration. Finally, they said Cuomo once again passed the buck on the massive funding necessary for the MTA, and looks determined to do little to reform tax policy to shift the burden from working class New Yorkers to the wealthy 1%.

"Andrew Cuomo's proposal for a Green New Deal in New York is absolutely inadequate and would help doom the planet. We have twelve years - until 2030 - to ensure a just transition to a 100% renewable energy economy. We need full public ownership of electricity generation as well and a ban on all new fossil fuel infrastructure. Cuomo's plan talks about carbon-neutral energy generation by 2040. Unlike FDR's, Cuomo's New Deal isn't big enough or anywhere near bold enough,” said party co-chair Peter LaVenia.

The Greens have been campaigning in NY For a Green New Deal since 2010. FDR called for the right to a living wage job (a job guarantee); health care (single payer); and education (free college).

The Greens support the Off Fossil Fuels Act (A5105/S5908) which sets a goal of 100% renewable energy (for everything such as transportation, buildings) by 2030; a halt to new fossil fuel infrastructure; and a requirement that all new buildings be net zero carbon emissions.

"Why is single-payer healthcare absent from Cuomo's agenda? Where is real criminal justice reform to end mass incarceration - it doesn't seem linked to marijuana legalization in his proposal? The Governor mentions a congestion tax but again passes the buck on funding the MTA. We need real electoral reform like RCV, proportional representation, and full public campaign financing but Cuomo proposes none of these. He wants to enshrine austerity in local budgets by making the tax cap permanent, and his only moderately progressive tax proposal is extending the millionaire's tax, when we need to expand taxes on the wealthy and recapture the stock transfer tax. Like so many of Gov. Cuomo's proposals, these are mostly hot air, and the Green Party will be there to demand more," concluded party co-chair Gloria Mattera.