No more education cuts to our schools! our children can't afford them

Over the last few years, public school budgets in New York City have been cut at least four times – and our children are suffering. The results have been sharp increases in class size, and the loss of many valuable afterschool, arts and tutoring programs. In the early grades, classes are now larger than they have been in more than a decade.

The Governor has proposed to cut education by $1.5 billion statewide, on top of last year’s cuts of $1.4 billion. More than half a billion dollars would be slashed from NYC schools. These would amount to the largest education cuts in state history. The mayor has proposed eliminating over 6,000 teaching positions, which would likely increase class sizes to levels not seen in a generation or more.

These education cuts are opposed by 60% of NY state voters. In order to protect our children from more educational damage, please sign a petition now, urging the Governor, the State legislature, the Mayor and Speaker Quinn to adopt the following proposals:

• The state income tax surcharge on the wealthiest New Yorkers should not be allowed to lapse. Even after keeping the surcharge, the wealthiest one percent of NY households would still pay a smaller share of their income in state and local taxes than other New Yorkers. Retaining the surcharge on individuals making more than $200,000 and households over $300,000 would yield an extra $1 billion in state revenues this year, and an extra $5 billion next year – and prevent the need for any cuts to education.

• ·There should be an additional NYC tax surcharge on households earning over $1 million a year. Over the past thirty years, the top NY State income tax rate has been cut in half, and the income distribution in NY State and New York City is now the most unequal in the nation. Millionaires can afford to contribute their fair share, so that no further damage is done to our children’s futures.

Thanks!