Update on Complaint about Committee to Save New York and Andrew Cuomo

Community Voices Heard and VOCAL-NY have requested an update on their complain to their NY State Joint Committee on Public Ethics. When will we get an answer on their questions?

“We believe the Committee to Save New York — which is inextricably linked to the Governor’s office through personal and professional relationships, which was established at the “urging” of the governor himself, which has reportedly raised more than ten million dollars ($10,000,000) to spend on television advertisements in explicit support of the Governor’s budget proposals that are currently before the state legislature, which, we outline below, did not register as a lobbyist with the Commission in a manner compliant with the Commission’s rules and the State Lobbying Act, and which should be expected to first report on those expenditures by the March 15, 2011 bi-monthly reporting deadline — should be required to list Governor Cuomo on its lobbying registration as a third party on whose behalf it is lobbying.

The Committee to Save New York continues to spend a massive amount of money to influence the state budget debates but we have no clearer understanding today as to the Committee’s relationship to the Governor’s office than we had in February 2011 when we filed our initial complaint. For these reasons we request an update on the status of our complaint.”

Read the full JCOPE Letter here.

Turn the Tide

Check out this response to the ads made by the Cuomo-backed Committee to Save New York, made by the Strong Economy for All Coalition.

The ad made by the Committee to Save NY was bought and paid for by Wall Street millionaires – the 1%.

Quid Pro Cuomo – Connecting the Dots Between Governor Cuomo and the Committee to Save NY

This week the Wall-Street backed Committee to Save New York (CSNY) launched a $2.5 million ad campaign this week promoting Governor Cuomo and his 40% pension-cutting scheme.

Here are the facts:

Cuomo Coordinates efforts with CSNY leaders

• The “Committee to Save New York” was established in 2010 at the urging of Andrew Cuomo, then a gubernatorial candidate, according to the New York Times. [New York Times]

• The Committee to Save New York ran a $10+ million campaign to boost Governor Cuomo’s 2011 budget , not to mention his approval ratings. [Albany Times-Union]

• As early as December 9, 2010, the New York Times reported that while, “Officially, Mr. Cuomo has no connection to the committee, his ties are evident, and he has been fully apprised of the group’s progress, executives said.” [New York Times]

CSNY set up at Governor Cuomo’s request?

• The Committee was formed in response to direct requests from the Governor, as it was reported as early as December 9, 2010 that he had “publicly asked business leaders to back him up.” [New York Times]

• On January 17, 2011, Mr Cuomo explicitly referenced the Committee and said, “I encourage people to join that group.” The report continued, stating that the Committee “was organized at [the Governor’s] urging, after a series of meetings last spring and summer at which the then-candidate pressed business leaders to take a more aggressive role in Albany.” [New York Times]

Benefits Received by CSNY Corporate Interests

• 13 banks associated with the Committee to Save New York received $149 billion through TARP. [Public Accountability Initiative]

• 37 businesses linked to the Committee have been approved for over $2 billion in federal, state and local subsidies.[Public Accountability Initiative]

• This past year, big businesses in New York State avoid over $2.3 billion in state income taxes by exploiting the “headquarters” tax break specifically designed for large corporate conglomerates.[Fiscal Policy Institute]

Fiscal Policy Institute Report: How much does the Tier 6 proposal reduce employee retirement benefits?

This Fiscal Policy Institute report breaks down the components of Governor Cuomo’s pension-cutting scheme to show how Tier 6 would cut pensions by 40%. 

Some politicians and members of the media are saying that Tier 6 is not really a 40% cut. This is a myth, and we are disappointed that they are trying to lie to the public.

Here is the fact:

• Reducing the annual benefit multiplier, raising the retirement age, and increasing the number of years that enter into the determination of the final average salary will result in pensions that are 40% lower than in under Tier 5.

For more information, please read their whole report here.

Welcome to the Truth Squad

Welcome to ny1percent.com, which enables working and middle-class families to fight back with the facts against the lies and dishonest attacks being made against law enforcement professionals, educators, and nurses by politicians and Wall Street corporations that make up the 1%.

From the get-go, the Wall Street-aligned groups backing Governor Cuomo’s 40% pension-cutting scheme have distorted the facts in order to protect their one -agenda and their billions in corporate tax breaks and offshore tax shelters.

We are very disappointed in Governor Cuomo for pushing this 40% pension-cutting scheme.

We’re not going to sit around and let the millions being spent in lies from Wall Street-front groups and politicians beholden to the 1% go unchallenged. We’re going to fight back with the truth. After all, it was Wall Street’s greed and politicians’ incompetence that crashed our economy in the first place.

Our fact-checking site will expose Wall Street’s lies by using social media, videos, paid advertising and ground events across the state.

To contact us with your questions or comments, please email ny1percent @ gmail dot com.