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Governor Cuomo's vision for a better NY

County chair weighs in

Autumn Schanil - Staff Writer
Posted 1/17/17

SULLIVAN COUNTY — Although Governor Andrew Cuomo never mentioned president-elect Trump's name during his first State of the State address in New York's One World Trade Center building Monday …

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Governor Cuomo's vision for a better NY

County chair weighs in

Posted

SULLIVAN COUNTY — Although Governor Andrew Cuomo never mentioned president-elect Trump's name during his first State of the State address in New York's One World Trade Center building Monday morning, he certainly laid out an agenda that would fight many of his proposed policies.

“At these stormy times of instability and confusion, New York must serve as a safe harbor for the progressive principles and social justice that made America,” said Cuomo. “We will hold the torch high to light the way toward opportunity, because that is New York's promise.”

Cuomo made several proposals throughout his speech, starting with alleviating student debt and helping young students realize their dreams of higher education through the Excelsior Scholarship, making college tuition-free for NY's middle class families at all SUNY and CUNY two and four-year colleges.

He also proposed infrastructure projects such as reconditioning Kennedy airport and a new Tappan Zee Bridge; grants or subsidies for high-tech life science industries; modernizing NY's voting system; work to reduce taxes; launching and funding a hate-crimes task force; building a 90 megawatt offshore wind project 30 miles southeast of Montauk that would be the nation's largest offshore wind farm, and taking action to combat the current heroin and opioid crisis throughout the State.

Cuomo's speech and proposals were aimed not just at select groups of people but a national audience.

“New York knows that our progressive principles of acceptance and diversity are not the enemy of our middle class and we know that the middle class success is not the enemy of our progressive beliefs. In fact, it was the progressive policies that created the nation's middle class in the first place,” Cuomo said. “This year New York will enact a new middle class economic program and institute a New York Promise agenda to protect and advance our progressive values and principles of social justice.”

According to Sullivan County Chairman Luis A. Alvarez, Cuomo's third proposal of expanding child care credit will be one of the most impactful initiatives not only for residents of the State of New York but for the residents of Sullivan County.

“Far too many working mothers and fathers throughout this state are faced with mounting financial expenses that are forcing them to sacrifice between providing their children with the very best care and education, and making a living,” said Alvarez. “No parent should ever have to make this compromise.”

Cuomo looks to create a new Enhanced Middle Class Child Care Tax Credit which means more than 200,000 families that earn between $60,000 and $150,000 would see their average benefit double, anywhere from $169 to $376.

And his 17th proposal of launching the Clean Water Infrastructure Act of 2017 in which $2 billion would be invested in critical water infrastructure across the State would support vital water projects for drinking water and wastewater.

That means the Town of Fallsburg will be receiving a $16.4 million interest-free loan to refinance the prior short-term loan, $5 million to finance additional costs for collection system improvements and extension of the financing maturity date.

State Senator John Bonacic, who worked on the program said, “It is vital that government work together to upgrade critical infrastructure projects throughout New York State. I am pleased to have worked with my colleagues in government to secure this low-interest loan for the Town of Fallsburg, which will help make vital improvements to their water infrastructure.”

Perhaps one of the most profound of all the proposals was Cuomo's announcement that the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant would be shut down by April of 2021 in his pursuit and development of cleaner, more reliable energy for NY.

"For 15 years, I have been deeply concerned by the continuing safety violations at Indian Point, especially given its location in the largest and most densely populated metropolitan region in the country,” Governor Cuomo said. “I am proud to have secured this agreement with Entergy to responsibly close the facility 14 years ahead of schedule to protect the safety of all New Yorkers.”

Speaking of the overall impact of Cuomo's proposals, Alvarez said, “These programs will help guarantee the success of our middle class while moving our communities in the right direction, and I thank Governor Cuomo for putting New York families first.”

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