New York City is going through a complex recovery process after two years of being hit hard by the COVID pandemic-18, 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 analyzing the state budget that must be approved before April 1, Adams 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 e are a danger to themselves and to others; second, changes to the 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 return to work”.
Resources for mental health:
On this specific initiative, the Mayor indicated that it is urgent “that we request immediate assistance from the State to expand the number of beds for people with critical mental health care needs and the financing of the medical and support staff they require”.
The president insisted that there are too many “New Yorkers who go through a cycle of temporary care and are discharged before they are ready, often due to the limited availability of long-term support and a place to keep them.”
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 Income Tax Credit for the Job. It has been almost 20 years since the City and State of New York increased this benefit that has helped so many low to moderate income families.” , highlighted the Mayor.
“That is why I ask the State to authorize the City to increase the amount that we return to the beneficiaries of the Earned Income Tax Credit, until 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”.
Incentives tax incentives for child care:
At this point, he focused on two additional proposals that could help create more space for child care using tax incentives: The first would authorize the City to offer homeowners a reduction of taxes for reconditioning spaces to establish nurseries; and the second would authorize the City to grant a tax credit to businesses that provide free or subsidized child care for their employees at their workplace.
“We must do everything possible to help working families in all areas. These proposals, along with other initiatives that will be included in the budget that will be approved, will help guarantee that our children receive care and that our parents are supported,” the president clarified.
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 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?: The security
“But before we can talk about specific plans, we must start with the issue of public security. 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 the armed violence of 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 to the judicial system of the State and the City, such as the Bail Law and the Criminal Age Reduction Law.
“As I mentioned before, I also We 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 weapons that are not truly yours. The law is being used to victimize our youth”, he added.
The Mayor once again recalled that the sea of armed 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.”