For immediate release: August 30, 2018

Howie Hawkins said he looks forward to debates in the general election that focus on solutions to the issues of concern to all New Yorkers rather than the personal sniping that took place in the primary debate between Cuomo and Nixon.

Hawkins said that he would be the Governor of all New York State. He noted that the Democratic Party primary debate acted like the Canadian border started just north of the city.

“We need a Governor who will work to raise wages for the average worker across the state. Wages have been stagnant while costs like housing and health care continue to rise. We need a pay raise,” Hawkins stated.

“While I strongly advocate for a much stronger rent control program, with control by local communities, we also need a major expansion of quality, affordable public housing. They treated the mass transit crisis as a debating point, not a crisis needing a near-term solution. Our schools and teachers were largely ignored. And neither candidate acted as if climate change was the greatest threat to humanity,” Hawkins continued.

Hawkins said that neither Cuomo or Nixon propose climate action that would come close to avoiding a climate catastrophe. Hawkins wants a Green New Deal that would provide for a sustainable full employment economy while moving to 100% clean energy by 2030.

Hawkins faulted the candidates for failing to address the need for tax fairness, starting with reducing the burden of the property tax on low and moderate income New Yorkers. “I would repeal Cuomo’s property tax cap which has failed to lower taxes; Nixon would just modify it. We need progressive state taxes combined with increased revenue sharing to local governments to pay for expanded services and unfunded mandates.”