Assembly Works to Lower Day-to-Day Costs, Empower Consumers

July 13, 2004

It’s been a tough year for consumers. Between the latest interest rate hike and the high cost of staples like milk and gas, day-to-day life is getting more expensive.

This year, the Assembly took a number of steps to help lower the rising cost of living. Despite roadblocks erected by the Senate and Governor, we’re going to continue working to make it easier for people to make ends meet.

Earlier this month, in order to combat high fuel prices, the Assembly sent a resolution to the President urging him to release crude oil from the nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve (K.2597) and another seeking a waiver from a federal mandate forcing the state to add expensive ethanol to our gas (K.2619). Gasoline is a major part of the average family’s budget, and as oil and gas prices go up, a family’s ability to afford other necessities goes down. By freeing up more supply, we can help bring prices down some.

To help school districts keep property taxes in check while providing a quality education, the Assembly presented a plan increasing investments in every school district across the state. The Assembly plan rejects the Governor’s $369 million in cuts to education this year, just as we have rejected the billions of dollars in devastating cuts he’s proposed since taking office. We’re also working to expand the Assembly’s Circuit Breaker tax relief program (A.11704). My plan raises the income cap from just $18,000 to $100,000 for people who own or rent eligible homes, helping to reduce the tax burden on working New Yorkers.

I think most people would agree that clothes are a necessity, and anyone who has to put clothes on the backs of a whole family knows that they can really add up. In 2000, the Assembly fought to permanently eliminate the state sales tax on clothes. Due to budget shortfalls last year, the tax was temporarily reinstated, and set to expire in 2004. The Governor wants to continue it, though. This simply is not good for a family’s budget, and that’s why the Assembly supported ending the tax as of August 1. Unfortunately, the Governor and Senate didn’t follow our lead.

To keep a college education within reach, we’re fighting the Governor’s plan to cut the Tuition Assistance Program, another annual battle. For the third year in a row, he’s proposed withholding a third of a student’s TAP award until after they graduate, making it harder for students to afford an education.

To help consumers, especially seniors, get their prescription drugs for less, the Assembly passed legislation making the results of the Comparison Cost Survey available to the public. This information shows how much prescriptions cost at different stores so consumers can get the best prices (A.10991). Since there is often a large difference in prescription drug prices from retailer to retailer, sometimes in excess of $50 per prescription, this could potentially save people hundreds of dollars per month.

One measure we passed gradually raises the state’s minimum wage from $5.15 an hour, a rate that still leaves many full-time workers living below the poverty line, to $7.25 (A.11698). Women account for 60 percent of those earning less than $7.25 an hour, and, of those, almost half have children to clothe and feed. These workers, who live hand-to-mouth, need and deserve a living wage.

To remedy discriminatory salary practices, the Assembly also passed legislation (A.6252) to provide pay equity for all people who perform work of comparable skill, effort and responsibility. Each year the average woman earns approximately $13,087 less than the average man, according to the National Committee on Pay Equity. Over a working lifetime, that’s a lot of money in lost wages that could go toward bills, rent or building a nest egg. There is no room for this kind of discrimination in our state.

The Assembly worked hard this year to reduce the cost of living. For the sake of families, seniors and all New Yorkers trying hard to get by, these measures should become law. I urge the Senate and Governor to make them just that.

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