Post by Dan Cantor on Feb 14, 2008 15:10:30 GMT -5
In less than two weeks, a Special Election upstate will give us the chance to cut the GOP majority in the State Senate to a single seat.
It may not be making big headlines, but in New York, there’s another big election out there – and this one’s less than two weeks away.
On Feb. 26th, an upstate Special Election will give us the chance to cut the Republican State Senate majority to just one seat.
The district (SD 48) is traditionally Republican turf. But in an area where good jobs are hard to come by, the Working Families Party message can really hit home.
We’re counting the days until the end of the Bush era, and we’re incredibly excited by the race to replace him. But here in New York, there’s another big election in the fight for a progressive future.
Our candidate, Darrel Aubertine (D-WF), is running hard and smart. A 6th generation dairy farmer, his populist message blends well with the WFP. If we win, we'll be one seat away from taking back the State Senate for the first time in over 40 years.
If the Democrats take over the State Senate, we'll still have lots of work to do to hold them accountable. But it will give us a big opening to put a working families-friendly agenda into law. What would that mean?
Paid Family Leave: Last year, we came this close to making New York the third state to give paid time off to take care of a newborn or when someone you love gets sick. It's a simple idea whose time has come.
Fair Taxes: New York's tax system is totally out of whack. Pataki's tax cuts were so skewed toward the rich that middle class and working class people now pay a higher percentage of their income in state and local taxes than the wealthy. This can't go on. With a budget deficit looming, the WFP will launch a major effort in 2008 to 1) lower property taxes on working families being squeezed, and 2) raise income taxes on those who got the lion's share of the Bush and Pataki cuts.
Clean Elections: There's nothing our democracy needs more than real campaign finance reform. Otherwise, the game is rigged in favor of the wealthy and well-connected. With publicly financed elections, we can level Albany's playing field.
This is why the WFP exists – to use key elections as opportunities for real change for New York's working families. In 2008, the road to a progressive agenda starts with Darrel Aubertine's drive to the state house. But it's going to take all of us to get it done.
In solidarity,
Dan Cantor
Working Families Executive Director
It may not be making big headlines, but in New York, there’s another big election out there – and this one’s less than two weeks away.
On Feb. 26th, an upstate Special Election will give us the chance to cut the Republican State Senate majority to just one seat.
The district (SD 48) is traditionally Republican turf. But in an area where good jobs are hard to come by, the Working Families Party message can really hit home.
We’re counting the days until the end of the Bush era, and we’re incredibly excited by the race to replace him. But here in New York, there’s another big election in the fight for a progressive future.
Our candidate, Darrel Aubertine (D-WF), is running hard and smart. A 6th generation dairy farmer, his populist message blends well with the WFP. If we win, we'll be one seat away from taking back the State Senate for the first time in over 40 years.
If the Democrats take over the State Senate, we'll still have lots of work to do to hold them accountable. But it will give us a big opening to put a working families-friendly agenda into law. What would that mean?
Paid Family Leave: Last year, we came this close to making New York the third state to give paid time off to take care of a newborn or when someone you love gets sick. It's a simple idea whose time has come.
Fair Taxes: New York's tax system is totally out of whack. Pataki's tax cuts were so skewed toward the rich that middle class and working class people now pay a higher percentage of their income in state and local taxes than the wealthy. This can't go on. With a budget deficit looming, the WFP will launch a major effort in 2008 to 1) lower property taxes on working families being squeezed, and 2) raise income taxes on those who got the lion's share of the Bush and Pataki cuts.
Clean Elections: There's nothing our democracy needs more than real campaign finance reform. Otherwise, the game is rigged in favor of the wealthy and well-connected. With publicly financed elections, we can level Albany's playing field.
This is why the WFP exists – to use key elections as opportunities for real change for New York's working families. In 2008, the road to a progressive agenda starts with Darrel Aubertine's drive to the state house. But it's going to take all of us to get it done.
In solidarity,
Dan Cantor
Working Families Executive Director
