February 17, 2017
ALBANY, NY –
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Assemblyman Phil Palmesano issued the following statement on Friday afternoon:
“Today, Gov. Cuomo turned his back on our state’s most vulnerable New Yorkers, the developmentally disabled, and the incredible direct support professionals who provide such important quality of life care to these incredible individuals. The governor turned his back on the bipartisan effort in both houses to provide $45 Million to help provide a living wage to these dedicated workers. The funding did not appear in his 30-day amendments to his Executive Budget.
“I have said time and again our budget should be about priorities and the governor today showed that our state’s most vulnerable people are not his priority.
“You might ask “where would the money come from?” How about by eliminating the $420 million annual tax credit the governor gives to subsidize Hollywood films? Hollywood does not need taxpayer support, but our most vulnerable, the developmentally disabled, do. Make no mistake about it, this is about improving the quality of life of our most vulnerable New Yorkers.
“This fight is not over. It has just begun. I remain hopeful and confident that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in both chambers will prioritize this measure during budget negotiations and show that we are a caring, compassionate legislature.”
