\u201cIt is disappointing that the Mayor today chose to veto a bill that would raise the standard of living for a group of working New Yorkers, and declared his intent to veto another. The City Council will move quickly to override these vetoes.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy Council colleagues and I believe not enough has been done to help more New Yorkers reach the middle class. Over the last two decades, the City has become a more desirable place to live, work and visit. We need to make sure that even more New Yorkers share in that prosperity. <\/p>\n
\u201cBut too many hard working families today feel the effects of a painful financial squeeze. The combination of a high cost of living, shortage of good jobs, lack of affordable housing and poor performing schools makes it hard for middle class families\u2014and their children\u2014to get ahead, or even hold their own. According to the Center for Economic Opportunity, 21% of New Yorkers live below the poverty line. Median real household income has fallen by 2.2% in the last four years. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis is why the Council is committed to finding ways to get \u2013 and keep \u2013 New Yorkers working. But it isn\u2019t enough to just create jobs. We need to make sure that whenever possible, those jobs pay enough to support a family and join the middle class.<\/p>\n
\u201cLast month, the Council passed legislation to require a prevailing wage for building service employees in certain buildings that receive a taxpayer subsidy, or where the City pays the majority of the rent. This includes economic development projects of at least 100,000 square feet that receive more than $1 million in taxpayer assistance. It also includes office buildings where the City leases at least 10,000 square feet and a majority of the total space.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs we work to protect middle class families, we have also gone to great lengths to avoid putting an onerous burden on business. Both the prevailing and living wage bills have been narrowly tailored to effect only direct recipients of City financing. If a business isn\u2019t looking for taxpayer dollars, they\u2019re under no obligation to meet these requirements.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Mayor has argued that these bills would interfere with the free market. In fact, that is precisely what the City\u2019s development incentive program is designed to do \u2013 to alter the market to favor businesses that provide a public benefit by creating jobs in New York City rather than another location.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis year alone, city benefits to businesses and developers will cost taxpayers nearly $250 million. All we are trying to do is ensure that taxpayer investment is going to subsidize jobs that pay a reasonable wage.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese bills are also consistent with the Mayor\u2019s own track record on development and wages.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe stood proudly with Mayor Bloomberg in 2002 when he signed into law prevailing and living wage requirements for home health aides, day care workers, and some building service workers whose companies have contracts with the City. At that time he said, \u2018I hope this bill will strengthen the workforce by providing a competitive wage to employees who do this difficult work.\u2019 <\/p>\n
\u201cThis law covered 60,000 workers, making it the largest living wage law in the nation. Not only did it fail to undermine the free market, it helped tens of thousands of New Yorkers raise their families out of poverty to join the middle class.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd let\u2019s remember that when the Mayor signed this bill in 2002, it did not hurt New York’s economy. In fact, it was done during a recession and before one of the greatest economic booms in our City’s history – a boom Mayor Bloomberg and the Council can be proud of helping create.<\/p>\n
\u201cFurther, the Bloomberg administration has negotiated wage agreements in numerous economic development projects, including Citifield, Yankee Stadium, and Atlantic Yards. They recognized that subsidies should not come without any responsibility to taxpayers. <\/p>\n
\u201cI also stand with the Mayor in his support of State legislation to increase the minimum wage. But we cannot and will not wait for Albany to take action, especially when there is action we can take here in New York City to help more families access the middle class.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s called a living wage for a reason. Because residents of the five boroughs need it in order to survive. When we use taxpayer dollars for any purpose, taxpayers expect it will provide the maximum public good to the city. If we provide a taxpayer subsidy in exchange for jobs, we expect jobs that pay a better wage than the minimum wage. <\/p>\n
\u201cNew York City will only remain the greatest city in the world by providing a high quality of life, attracting the best talent, and protecting our middle class.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Council stands by this legislation, and my colleagues and I look forward to overriding the Mayor’s veto.\u201d<\/p>\n
###<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cIt is disappointing that the Mayor today chose to veto a bill that would raise the standard of living for a group of working New Yorkers, and declared his intent to veto another. The City Council will move quickly to override these vetoes.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy Council colleagues and I believe not enough has been done to help more New Yorkers reach the middle class.<\/p>\n
…<\/p>\n