| Date: | March 7, 2023 |
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Elected officials, researchers, and community members gathered in Buffalo today to call on New York State to adopt three policies that would fight inflation costs and help working families struggling with rising costs.
MEDIA RELEASE
MARCH 7, 2023
CONTACT: Andrea O Suilleabhain, 716-430-0464, andrea@ppgbuffalo.org
Partnership for the Public Good, Cornell in Buffalo, and Partners Advocate for Three Policies to Fight Inflation and Support Working Families
Elected officials, researchers, and community members gathered in Buffalo today to call on New York State to adopt three policies that would fight inflation costs and help working families struggling with rising costs.
Opening the press conference on Grant Street, PPG Executive Director Andrea O Suilleabhain said, “In our research on economic inequality, Partnership for the Public often recommends a simple formula to fight poverty: first, increase people’s incomes; second, reduce their expenses. Together, PPG, Cornell ILR Buffalo Co-Lab, and partners are calling on New York State to adopt three policies that do just that, by increasing wages for workers and decreasing the fees, interest, and penalties that often add up to overwhelming amounts for the working poor.”
1. RAISE THE WAGE
Rusty Weaver, Director of Research at Cornell University ILR Buffalo Co-Lab, shared research on the minimum wage. Weaver said, “If a single parent in Buffalo working a full-time, minimum wage job were to try to pay for a small apartment and childcare on their salary alone, it would be impossible. Just those two items, on average, would account for 81% of the worker’s gross salary, leaving 19% -- or around $5,500 – for a year’s worth of food, clothing, utilities, medical bills, taxes, and, unlikely, leisure. Unfortunately, this story is far too common. Data from the Cornell ILR Wage Atlas shows that around a quarter of the workforce in Buffalo-Niagara – more than 120,000 workers – earn between the upstate minimum wage of $14.20 and the targeted statewide minimum of $15.”
Brandi Barrett, co-owner of Barrett & Benitez Development and a member of the New York Business for a Fair Minimum Wage Coalition, spoke in support of raising and indexing the minimum wage as proposed in the Raise the Wage Act. Barrett said, “I talk frequently with people who work full-time and can’t make ends meet on minimum wage. That hurts Buffalo. People need more money in their paychecks. And local businesses need local customers who can afford their products and services. Businesses that invest in their employees have employees that are more invested in their business. It shows in lower turnover, increased morale and productivity, and happier customers. As developers invested in the East Side, we know that raising the minimum wage will help people thrive. It will uplift the entire community and give the economy a more solid foundation.”
Regine Ndanga, a public health fellow at PPG, shared about the impacts of low-wage work on refugees and immigrants in Buffalo. Ndanga said, “I have seen firsthand how low income has affected my Congolese community in Buffalo. Some refugees came to the US with degrees and work experience as a teacher or nurse. Here, they have struggled to get high paying jobs. Many have to learn English while working multiple low-wage jobs to make ends meet. Some work 60-70 hours per week, negatively impacting their health by harming their sleep and mental health. Some community members have chronic issues such as pain and heart conditions, after years of working overtime in manual jobs like cleaning. Increasing the minimum wage to $21.25 would benefit refugees and immigrants tremendously.”
2. DELINQUENT PROPERTY TAX INTEREST RATE CAP
The Delinquent Property Tax Rate Cap, a bill introduced by NYS Senator Sean Ryan, would cap the interest rate on back property taxes to help New Yorkers resolve their tax foreclosure delinquency and avoid foreclosure. In a 2019 study of homes foreclosed by Erie County, interest made up 41% of the property tax debt owed by homeowners in low to moderate income neighborhoods.
Kate Lockhart, Vacant and Abandoned Property Program Director, Western New York Law Center, shared the details of the bill: “NYS currently has a 12% floor as the lowest interest rate that municipalities may charge, but many charge more. Erie County and the City of Buffalo charge as high as 18%. This law would instead set a new maximum of 7.5%, making it easier for homeowners who have fallen behind to catch up on their taxes and keep their homes.”
3. END PREDATORY COURT FEES ACT
The End Predatory Court Fees Act would eliminate the mandatory court surcharge that is applied to every conviction in NY, including traffic tickets and minor infractions. Together with parole and probation fees and mandatory minimum fines, these fines and fees punish people living in poverty and encourage policing for profit. For the working poor, paying just one traffic ticket and its mandatory surcharge could mean missing rent, going without healthcare, or skipping groceries.
Nick Ramirez, Public Defender at the Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo, shared a recent story of a client who was arrested for what he described as “overjoyous behavior” in a Buffalo train station. The client was experiencing mental health challenges, and the judge decided to release him without a charge or fine applied. But because of the mandatory court surcharges, the man ended up with a $125 bill of fees that he could not afford.
Andrea O Suilleabhain said, “In 2020, more than $18 million in mandatory surcharges and fees were collected by courts in Western New York’s eight counties. That’s money coming directly from working families and poor residents.”
Cornell University ILR Buffalo Co-Lab Director Cathy Creighton, NYS Senator Sean Ryan, and Chief of Staff to NYS Senator Tim Kennedy Adam Fogel also spoke at the event.
PPG, Cornell in Buffalo, and our partners will continue to work for the adoption of these policies during the 2023 New York State Legislative session. More research on low-wage work, poverty in Buffalo Niagara, and the impacts of proposed policies is available at www.ppgbuffalo.org.