NYSUT President Dick Iannuzzi was among a handful of public-union presidents who gathered at the state Capitol Thursday to speak out against a proposed tax cap that would devastate public education by severely restricting the ability of local school districts to raise revenue for vital academic programs.
"As the session winds down to its conclusion, union leaders are standing together with state AFL-CIO leader Denis Hughes to say this is a mistake," Iannuzzi said.
Calling the legislation both a "distraction" and a "gimmick," the NYSUT president said rather than deliberating over a proposed tax cap that would fail to bring any meaningful relief to taxpayers, the Legislature should be focusing instead on creating a more equitable system of taxation in New York state.
Iannuzzi added that at a time when state aid to schools has been slashed by $3.2 billion in the last three years, passage of tax cap would lock in school-funding inequities, "destroying education in New York state for the most vulnerable students."
Joining Iannuzzi and Hughes at the Capitol Thursday were Civil Service Employees Association President Danny Donohue and Public Employees Federation President Kenneth Brynien.