Gotham Gazette

The Place for New York Policy and politics

FPWA

FPWA

  • 'Clean Slate' Will Create a More Equitable and Inclusive New York

    A rally for the Clean Slate Act (photo: Emil Cohen/NYC Council Media Unit)


    With the end of this year’s legislative session in Albany quickly approaching, we must seize the opportunity to pass critical reforms that will have a real impact on advancing racial and economic equity in our state. The Clean Slate Act holds the potential for meaningful progress in our fight for justice, directly impacting 2.3 million New Yorkers. The passage of this bill by the State Legislature will affirm New York’s principles and prioritization of equity, and it is past time for serious

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  • The Mayor's Budget, Federal Funding Cliff, and Impact on Low-Income Communities of Color

    Mayor Adams at a food pantry (photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office)


    New York City and local governments across the state are drifting toward a fiscal cliff, one that will affect everyone from Staten Island to Champlain. The unprecedented flow of federal funding that culminated in the March 2021 American Rescue Plan will run dry over the next few years. This jeopardizes our nascent recovery and will be most disastrous for communities that were already the most economically insecure. It doesn’t have to be this way.

    To

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  • Max & Murphy Podcast: Jennifer Jones Austin on Police and Prison Reform

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    Jennifer Jones Austin at NYPD headquarters (photo: @FPWA)


    October 21, 2020 - Max & Murphy Podcast: Jennifer Jones Austin on Police and Prison Reform

    Jennifer Jones Austin, longtime CEO of FPWA, joined the show to discuss FPWA's anti-poverty work and her roles on an NYPD reform commission and as chair of the New York City Board of Correction.

    Listen to the conversation and let us know what you think -- we're on Twitter @TweetBenMaxand ...

  • The $2.1 Trillion Coronavirus Relief Bill - What’s In, What’s Not, What’s Next?

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    Federal aid to New York is coming, but how much (photo: Benjamin Kanter/Mayor's Office)


    On Friday, the president signed into law The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The $2.1 trillion CARES Act provides significant support for people, states, the health care system, small businesses, and yes, big businesses too. 
     
    The historic legislation ...

  • Community Health Centers, Essential But At Risk, Must Be Funded Now

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    Doctors and nurses (photo via @NYCHealthSystem)


    It is no secret that a war is here – a war on immigrants, on LGBTQ people, and communities of color, on the 99%, and more. Health, a part of politics that affects all facets of life, has suffered a brutal onslaught. While some of 2017’s greatest grassroots successes were in defeating Affordable Care Act repeal efforts, recent federal tax overhauls and budget proposals threaten to further strain a healthcare system millions have come to rely on.

    Lost in the conversation have been critical

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  • State Leaders Must Blunt Impact of Federal Tax Reform on New York Nonprofits and the People Who Rely on Us

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    (photo via The Governor's Office)


    The recently passed federal tax law will deepen inequality and jeopardize the health and wellbeing of families and individuals across our state. This legislation penalizes New Yorkers by capping the state and local tax (SALT) deduction and will create deficits that are likely to result in catastrophic cuts to the programs they depend on. These tax “cuts” will drive up the national deficit, which will then be cynically used as a rationale for slashing investments in critical programs such as food assistance,

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  • The Week Ahead in New York Politics, March 9

    New York City Hall

    New York City Hall


    What to watch for this week in New York politics:

    This week will be another dominated by budget negotiations and hearings, both in New York City and Albany. In the city, the City Council began its preliminary budget hearings last week and continues them this week and throughout March, evaluating Mayor Bill de Blasio's spending plans agency by agency.

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