GPNY Statement on the COVID-19 Pandemic and NY State
Budget
The world faces an unprecedented crisis in the form of the
coronavirus pandemic. New York has become the epicenter of the
outbreak in the United States, and the actions taken here will have an
outsized impact on the course of the crisis.
It is imperative that New York’s elected officials choose a path
that empowers the working class, people of color, and low-income
families, rather than the wealthy. During this crisis acts that were
considered extraordinary yesterday will be enacted tomorrow. It is up
to those of us in the Green Party and on the Left to ensure that those
measures benefit working New Yorkers, and that we push for the most
comprehensive, democratic, and ecosocialist version of those
measures.
Governor Cuomo and the State Legislature must act to ensure the
health and well being of all New Yorkers. This requires far more than
quarantines: we need a fully built and funded social safety net so
that everyone can receive medical care without fear of its cost, to be
ensured they will have a home and income during the crisis, and a job
afterwards. Therefore we call for the Governor and State Legislature
to enact:
-
Universal Basic Income: No one should have to worry
about whether and how they can afford to live. We propose a universal
basic income supplement to all New Yorkers 18 and above, so that they
are able to live comfortably during this crisis. A bare minimum of
$1000/month, non-taxable, with regional adjustments upwards based on
cost-of-living, should be provided immediately.
-
Paid Medical Leave: We call for mandatory minimum
14-day paid medical leave for all workers as well as parents of K-12
students forced to remain home due to school closure. This should be
permanent going forward even after the end of the COVID-19
threat.
-
Company Reimbursement for Paid Medical Leave: The
state government should reimburse small businesses for the cost of
paid medical leave during the crisis, and develop legislation to
ensure the burden of 14-day paid medical leave is shared equitably by
businesses afterwards.
-
Guaranteed Employment: No one should lose their job
as a consequence of the coronavirus. Employers should be required to
reinstate workers that have taken paid medical leave, and benefits
should continue to accrue to workers on paid medical leave.
-
Unemployment Benefits: New York State should ensure
that anyone that loses their job should have access to extended
unemployment benefits, especially at a time when businesses may
furlough or lay off workers due to the economic effects of the
pandemic. Unemployment benefits should be extended for at least an
additional six months.
-
Hospital Testing & Related Costs: Until such time
as the New York Health Act is passed, the state government should
ensure no one should pay for testing or costs related to COVID-19
whether or not they have health insurance.
-
Health Insurance Companies’ Responsibility: Until
such time as the New York Health Act is passed, the state government
should ensure that health insurance companies should be required to
waive all deductibles and copays for services related to
COVID-19.
-
Statewide Moratorium on Rental and Mortgage Delinquency
Evictions: No person should be made homeless because of the
economic situation caused by the current pandemic. The state should
enact an immediate moratorium on rental and mortgage delinquency
evictions.
-
The New York Health Act: The unprecedented threat of
the coronavirus has exposed the cruelty and inadequacy of the American
for-profit healthcare system. New York should pass the New York Health
Act and phase-in single-payer universal healthcare, which would
guarantee every New Yorker healthcare and eliminate the threat of
medical debt and medical bankruptcy. It would also reduce costs, and
help solve the Medicaid budget gap New York is currently
facing.
-
Tax the Rich: the state should pass several
progressive taxation measures to ensure the funds necessary for the
increased social services.
By building a response based on principles of equity and social
justice, New York has a chance to humanely deal with an unprecedented
crisis. It is clear that the neoliberal and piecemeal policies of just
yesterday are inadequate dogma that cannot prevent the catastrophic
spread of the virus or its aftereffects. Now is the time for bold
action that charts a better course for the future of the people of New
York. Let us work together to build an empowering, grassroots
democratic society that protects and cares for all its members.
The Green Party of New York
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