The New York City is going through a complex process of recovery After two years of being hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, and to bring greater prosperity out of the devastating public health crisis, Mayor Eric Adams is asking the State Legislature to approve substantial funding for several initiatives that would give tax credits to families, child care and mental health resources.
At a time when Albany is reviewing the State budget that must be approved before April 1Adams participated this Wednesday in a hearing of the Senate Finance Committee and the Assembly Ways and Means Committee, where he championed three key initiatives aimed at making New York City safer and more prosperous.
“First, I make an urgent request for more funding for mental health services, particularly for New Yorkers who are a danger to themselves and others; Second, changes to Earned Income Tax Credit to put more cash in the pocket of working New Yorkers,” the Mayor said, adding, “third, new child care initiatives that would address the lack of child care and allow parents to return to work.”
Mental Health Resources:
Regarding this specific initiative, the Mayor indicated that it is urgent “that we request the immediate assistance of the State to expand the number of beds for people with critical mental health care needs and the financing of the medical and support personnel they require.”
The president insisted that there are too many “New Yorkers who go through a temporary care cycle and are discharged before they are ready, often due to the limited availability of long-term support and a place to keep them.”
Earned Income Tax Credit:
This is an initiative that, according to Adams, will allow the working class to have more money, since this income credit would put more cash in the pocket of New Yorkers.
“The second important step in my plan is to increase the Earned Income Tax Credit. Almost 20 years have passed since the city and the state of New York increased this benefit that has helped so many low-to-moderate income families,” the Mayor stressed.
“That is why I am asking the State to authorize the City to increase the amount we return to recipients of the Earned Income Tax Credit, up to 30 percent of the federal benefit based on income,” Adams said, adding that in addition , “I ask the State to match our efforts by increasing the amount it returns to beneficiaries with an additional State investment of up to $250 million.”
Tax incentives for childcare:
At this point, he focused on two additional proposals that could help create more child care space using tax incentives: The first would authorize the City to offer homeowners a tax break for redeveloping space to establish day care centers; and the second would authorize the City to give a tax credit to businesses that provide free or subsidized childcare for their employees at their workplace.
“We must do everything we can to help working families across the board. These proposals, along with other initiatives that will be included in the budget that will be approved, will help ensure that our children receive care and our parents are supported, ”clarified the president.
Adams insisted that all the initiatives that he listed this Wednesday before both committees are part of a great comprehensive plan of his Administration to achieve the financial recovery of the Big Apple after the economic devastation of the pandemic, and that they are included in the effort to achieve three significant goals: “Reduce crime, overcome the challenges caused by the pandemic, and rebuild our economy.”
What is Adams’ priority?: Safety
“But before we can talk about specific plans, we need to start with the issue of public safety. Security and justice are the keys to prosperity. We cannot function as a city unless New Yorkers are safe, and feel safe on our streets, our transit system, our workplaces, and our homes,” he emphasized, recalling that a few weeks ago, “I laid out the plan to end to gun violence from my Administration, a multidisciplinary approach to reduce crime and address its underlying causes.”
Adams stressed before state legislators that his Administration will insist on getting Albany to support his proposals to reevaluate two key laws that are part of the legislative package that was promoted as part of a reform of the judicial system of the State and the City, such as the Bail Act and the Criminal Age Reduction Act.
“As I mentioned earlier, we also ask the State to make specific amendments to New York’s bail laws to allow judges to consider the dangerousness of a defendant, especially for people accused of perpetrating armed violence,” he specified.
“My Administration also supports changes to the ‘Raise the Age’ legislation. Too many New Yorkers in their teens and early twenties have abused this change, demanding that young people under the age of 18 take the blame for guns that aren’t really theirs. The law is being used to victimize our youth,” she added.
The Mayor reiterated that the sea of gun violence in New York City does not have a single point of origin. “It flows from many rivers, each of which contributes to the problem. Reducing crime will require both intervention and prevention.”
Source-eldiariony.com