Cuomo Uses Holiday Weekend To Unveil More of His Anti-Poverty Agenda

The Governor says income inequality, wage stagnation and an affordability crisis are leaving many New Yorkers feeling hopeless.

"We'll have real trouble in this state and in this country if people believe the mobility is gone and that the proverbial ladder of opportunity is missing a few rungs," he said. 

So in a series of news conferences on Saturday and Sunday, Cuomo called for investing millions of dollars in anti-poverty programs, ranging from the creation of affordable housing to job training, student loan forgiveness, homelessness prevention and anti-hunger programs.

He also proposed an increase in the minimum wage, to $11.50 in New York City, and $10.50 in the rest of the state, by next year.

And he called for reducing the tax rate on businesses with less than 100 employees from 6.5 percent to 2.5 percent over three years.

Cuomo said these initiatives, as well as the creation of a new office for faith-based services, an economic development competition upstate, and tax credits for some homeowners and renters, are part of the "2015 Opportunity Agenda" he plans to deliver to lawmakers when he releases his budget Jan. 21. 

Some of the housing programs would be funded by settlement money from J.P. Morgan Chase. Cuomo said the rest would be covered through tax revenue.

Many labor leaders and advocates praised the governor, saying the proposals build on the legacy of his father, the late former Governor Mario Cuomo.

"Inequality and its impact on New York are real," said Allison Sesso of the Human Services Council of New York. "We applaud the Governor for taking these issues head on."

But Jonathan Westin, Executive Director of New York Communities for Change said Cuomo is falling short of his campaign promises.

"Workers still won't be able to put food on the table. They definitely won't be able to afford rent in New York City."

Westin's group has been calling for a $15 minimum wage across the country — and he wants the governor to let localities set their own limits. 

Meanwhile, the governor's plans could face obstacles in the State Senate, where Republicans in the majority have said they're opposed to another wage hike. New York's minimum wage is now $8.75 and is scheduled to hit $9 by the end of the year.

The governor's plans have to be approved by the legislature, which will begin hearings on the proposed budget later this month.