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CATEGORIES:Community
SUMMARY:Take the Bus to Albany for the de Blasio Pre-K Plan
DESCRIPTION;ENCODING=QUOTED-PRINTABLE:\n\n\n\n\n\nJoin fellow DFNYCers and others from progressive groups, educat
 ion groups and labor groups for a bus trip from NYC to Albany!  UPKNYC, the
  group that is promoting Mayor de Blasio's Pre-K plan, is organizing this b
 us trip.\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWhen:  Tuesday, March 4th, 2014\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTime: Bu
 ses will leave various NYC locations at 6:30am and be back in NYC at approx
 imately 6ish pm.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n6:30 in the morning?!  Yes. You could do it i
 f you needed to catch a plane, right?  Like other lobbying trips to our sta
 te capital, we need to get on a bus in the early morning, where we will mee
 t other progressives and learn the talking points of UPK and tax policy, th
 en arrive in Albany and convince them that NYC should be able to enact its 
 own Pre-K plan with a dedicated funding stream.\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRSVP & Questio
 ns:  Please RSVP to DFNYC at info -at- DFNYC.org.  We are in constant commu
 nication with the UPKNYC people and we'll be able to give you updates on bu
 s pick up locations.\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWhy Do We Need to Go to Albany to Do Pre-
 K in NYC?\n\n\nThe UPK plan - to provide Pre-K to all 4 year olds and after
 school programs for middle school students - needs a dedicated funding stre
 am. Mayor de Blasio has proposed a small marginal income tax increase on in
 comes over 1/2 million dollars a year, which would only apply to city resid
 ents in that tax bracket. However, due to "home rule" laws, Albany actually
  has to give NYC permission to raise it's own city taxes. So we need to con
 vince legislators, many of whom are outside NYC, that they should vote to a
 llow NYC to do this slight tax increase to pay for a very valuable program.
 \n\n\n\n\n\n\nMedia's Cuomo vs. de Blasio Narrative:\n\n\nMany news article
 s about universal Pre-K have framed the UPK debate as a battle between Gov.
  Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio. It may appear as if they are both offering the 
 same thing, with the only difference being that the Mayor wants to raise ta
 xes and the Governor does not.  However, Gov. Cuomo's plan allocates an amo
 unt of money over 5 years that is a fraction of the cost of providing quali
 ty Pre-K in NYC, let alone the state. Also, if NYC's Pre-K funding comes fr
 om the state, it will be subjected to the yearly budget process in Albany, 
 which makes it nearly impossible for providers and teachers to make plans a
 nd run their schools effectively.  We have admired Gov. Cuomo's decisions a
 nd policies on several issues, but in the area of UPK for NYC, we think a d
 edicated funding stream from a specific tax makes more sense. (To be clear,
  the UPKNYC coalition is independent and not part of the mayor's office.)\n
 \n\n\n\n\n\nAfter asking DFNYC members for feedback, the overwhelming respo
 nse was in favor of Mayor de Blasio's approach, so DFNYC has joined the UPK
 NYC coalition.\n
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DTSTART:20140304T143000Z
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