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Opinion

Biden’s Budget Will Protect New York Elections, It Must Be Funded


New York election (photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office)


Since Democrats reclaimed full control of New York state government in 2019, the Senate and Assembly have taken the lead in enacting a series of pro-voting rights reforms. The backlog was long, but they delivered major victories on early voting, automatic voter registration, and other pro-democracy actions with the goal of ensuring all New Yorkers have equal access to the ballot box and that our election systems are safe and secure.

But for every step forward, another significant challenge seems to emerge. In recent years, an unprecedented global pandemic required significant changes to election administration, which exposed strains in the system, including the way our votes are counted and handled. The State Senate held five hearings across the state, collecting testimony from over 100 individuals to determine the major concerns facing voters and potential solutions to those issues.

And now, as we inch closer to the midterm elections, it’s clear that New York will be stretched to the max to handle the onslaught that is certain to greet election administrators in every corner of the state this fall.

This problem is not unique to New York. All states need a true partner in the federal government to help invest in the election infrastructure necessary to get this done right. That is why it is critically important that Congress fully fund President Biden’s budget request, which proposes $10 billion over the next decade to bolster state and local election administration needs. This is a leap from just $1.3 billion in the prior decade. 

According to a recent study released by the Elections Infrastructure Initiative, New York requires an estimated $2.79 billion in funds to cover the overhaul needed to modernize and administer state and local elections infrastructure. New York ranked third in the nation for election infrastructure needs in this report, just behind California and Texas. 

The study found that in New York $38 million is needed to replace our state’s old voting machines, $48 million is needed to revamp statewide voter registration systems, $13 million is required to bolster post-election audits, and $51 million is needed to pay for cybersecurity improvements and maintenance. If anything, these figures underestimate the dire situation our state and local Boards of Election are in after years of funding neglect. 

The good news is that President Biden’s budget proposal will address many longstanding concerns about election administration. Not only would these federal resources ensure state and local elections officials receive a reliable stream of funding, they would also help make it easier for New Yorkers to vote-by-mail.

This investment is needed to bring confidence to the election administration process and will allow local Boards of Election to expand voting access while modernizing systems and ensuring the safety and security of New York’s elections. 

Not only is federal funding for state election management a win-win for New York, it’s also extremely popular. A new national poll from Data for Progress found that nearly 70% of likely voters nationwide believe that federal lawmakers should be providing election officials the tools they need to make our elections run smoothly. From requiring better internet access to improving security systems to upgrading voting machines and mail sorting equipment, huge majorities of Americans were in favor of these federal investments. That includes 69% of Republicans who support this assistance.

Investing in election infrastructure is popular, it’s long overdue and it’s badly needed to ensure election officials have the resources necessary to continue to safely and securely administer elections. I commend President Biden for including this transformational investment in his budget request and urge our state’s congressional delegation and representatives across the country to support this vital initiative. This is a down payment on our democratic future. 

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Kristen Zebrowski Stavisky is Co-Executive Director of the New York State Board of Elections.

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In Booming Life Sciences Sector, a Model for New York Offshore Wind


Gov. Hochul makes an offshore wind announcement (photo: office of Governor Hochul)


With 500,000 acres set for offshore wind development in the New York Bight and Governor Kathy Hochul’s investment of $500 million to support the industry earlier this year, New York is well-positioned to scale the sector from the ground-up the right way: with a focus on equity, community benefits, and reversing the historic impacts of environmental racism, which for decades concentrated noxious infrastructure in predominantly lower-income communities of color that had no say in the process.

But to realize an equitable transition to wind energy and sustain a thriving industry, we need more than traction within the private sector. We need New York policymakers to make the same all-in commitment the city and state made over the past decade in boosting another high-performing sector with untapped potential: life sciences.

The New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC) recently announced the city is home to more life science employment opportunities than any metropolitan region in the country. That’s a quantum leap from the 1990s. So, what changed? 

Over the past 15 years, the city and state implemented a comprehensive strategy, encompassing a variety of programmatic initiatives and cross-sector collaboration — from sponsoring the development of a world-class technology innovation and academic hub on Roosevelt Island, to offering incentives for commercial life science development through the EDC’s IDA program, to facilitating internship programs to bring youth into companies, to committing $1 billion through the city’s LifeSci NYC initiative; to supporting new life science businesses in New York through the state’s Life Sciences Tax Credit program. 

For offshore wind, we need the same kind of thoughtful programmatic interventions, including academic partnerships supporting energy research and workforce development, city- and state-funded incubators, internships for young adults, industry networking events and education programs, and training and support for MWBEs seeking to break into the sector.

Some of this work is underway. The New York Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has set a precedent for inclusive development by mandating 30% MWBE inclusion. Last year NYSERDA also developed, with the support of my team at Karp Strategies, an offshore wind curriculum for teenagers that is now available online as a resource for any middle school or high school classroom in New York. The NYCEDC has initiated a training program we are helping develop designed to upskill MWBE firms. 

But there is still so much work to do on top of these first steps to set New York up as a clean energy leader. Here are three policies the city and state can set in motion now:

First, just as the Bloomberg administration provided Cornell Tech 12 acres of city-owned land when it won the bid to transform Roosevelt Island into an applied sciences’ campus in 2011, so the city and state today can look at property that they control, and prioritize land disposition across sites that could support the development of clean energy.

EDC has taken a step in this direction, issuing a request for proposals (RFP) to analyze an unused site on Staten Island for potential wind energy use. Turbine components can stretch the length of a football field so proactively addressing the issue of land availability, especially waterfront property, would help mitigate a crucial bottleneck in the growth of offshore wind.

Second, the city and state should ramp up efforts to create the green and blue workforce we need for industries like offshore wind and solar to thrive. Let’s build dramatically on the state’s investment in an Offshore Wind Training Institute through a partnership of SUNY’s Farmingdale State College and Stony Brook University on Long Island. 

It is critical that educational opportunities are available to people in every part of the state and we should continue investing in training programs at public colleges as Governor Hochul has at LaGuardia, Hudson Valley, and Kingsborough. Beyond partnering with academia, state and local governments should be working with employers to expand the career development opportunities available to local residents, and holding developers accountable for prioritizing workforce development in their plans.

Finally, despite New York state’s nation-leading investment in offshore wind, the reality is $500 million only scratches the surface of the funding we need to compensate for chronic underinvestment in the port infrastructure that we must now modernize. The city and state need to go well beyond the $1 billion that New York City alone has committed to fostering the life sciences industry in order to address deferred maintenance that will choke the growth of offshore wind.

With so much momentum behind the growth of New York’s offshore wind industry at the city, state, and federal levels, now is the time to lean into an equitable transition to a cleaner energy system that delivers a windfall of shared economic benefits. The City and State should continue to seize this golden opportunity.

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Rebecca Karp is Managing Principal of Karp Strategies.

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Keeping Kids Engaged in Summer, Developing a Lifelong Habit of Giving Back


A family volunteers with Bronx is Blooming, a grantee of The New York Community Trust


School children spend months dreaming about the start of summer vacation — a magical time uncluttered by the concerns of homework, teachers, and early bedtimes.

For their parents, however, summer inevitably conjures up fears of a familiar two-word phrase: “I’m bored!”

Thankfully, there are ways to engage children in worthwhile activities that teach valuable life lessons and keep them entertained during summer’s dog days.

One way to do that is by introducing them to volunteerism and charitable giving.

Philanthropy can be a powerful way to share values — opening a path to discussions about social issues and our collective responsibility to make the world a better place.

It’s a way to learn about the world and each other — and when it’s experienced at an early age, it’s a habit that sticks. When children learn the value of giving, they tend to carry that lesson into adulthood.

Here are some tips to help you and your family discover new ways to work together and share the joy of helping others this summer:

Nurture the Youngest Donors
If children have developed the motor skills to hold a dollar in their hands, they have the capacity to give that dollar away. 

Find ways to bring giving into everyday life. You can have your children help you pick items for a food drive and drop them off together, this can precede discussions about giving direct financial support.

Invite Your Children to Give
Ask your child to identify a cause they care about and then, together, research organizations working in that area. This helps foster their feeling of ownership and autonomy.

This is also an opportunity for children to learn how to better understand how nonprofits work or make difficult choices among competing needs.

Follow an organization together to see what kind of impact your gift has made.

Some of the donors at my organization, The New York Community Trust, create donor-advised funds for older children and give them the opportunity to make choices about where to grant money in the fund.

Learn Together
Organize a family documentary night or group reading on a particular issue to spur conversation about giving or invite family members to attend events with you.

For example, The Trust hosts briefings on philanthropic giving throughout the year that are open to donors and their guests.

Establish a Family Tradition
Create a family giving ritual where all come together during the summer and discuss how the family will make grants in response to current needs and events.

For younger children, serve a special treat as an incentive to participate fully.

You also can schedule it at another time of the year — for example, the day after Thanksgiving — so that it becomes a tradition.

Get Hands On
While giving money is important, so, too, is giving time. One of the best ways for children to learn about giving back is through volunteer activities. Many organizations have a difficult time finding volunteers during the summer months.

New York Cares, a volunteering database for New York City, allows you to filter volunteer opportunities by location, dates, and family friendliness. Young children respond to ritual and repetition, so if you are able to engage in these activities regularly, all the better. For example, both of my boys had a volunteerism requirement at their high schools.

It’s never too early to teach your children the value of giving, whether that means time, talent, or treasure.

Summer is a great time to plant the seed for a lifetime of giving by teaching your child the value of philanthropy.

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John Oddy is vice president for donor relations at The New York Community Trust, the community foundation for New York City, Westchester, and Long Island. On Twitter @NYCommTrust.

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