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Hawkins to Cuomo: Repeal DOL Regulation Allowing Unpaid Labor on 24-Hour Shifts
For immediate release: July 11, 2018
Howie Hawkins called on Governor Cuomo today to immediately repeal the NYS Department of Labor (DOL) regulation permitting employers to pay home care attendants on 24-hour shifts for only 13 of their hours on the job.
The DOL is holding a public hearing today on whether to make permanent the emergency regulation it issued last October in response to state court rulings calling the 24 hours work for 13 hours pay illegal.
Read moreHawkins Protests Ivanka Trump Syracuse
For immediate release: July 9, 2018
Hawkins Joins Syracuse Protest of Ivanka Trump
Says Trump Administration Guilty of Child Abuse
(Syracuse) Howie Hawkins, the Green Party candidate for Governor, will join with other Central New York residents in protesting at Ivanka Trump’s Monday appearance in Syracuse. The protest, organized by the CNY Solidarity Coalition, Syracuse Students for Change, Syracuse Cultural Workers and others, will take place at Trump’s closed-door meeting at the P-Tech school at the Institute of Technology in Syracuse at noon,
“Ivanka Trump's visit to a school should not distract us from the child abuse that her father’s immigration policy is perpetrating with family separations, indefinite detentions, and deportations without due process of desperate people fleeing violence and seeking asylum. Her visit should not distract us from the profit-seeking privatization of public schools and the elimination of federal standards that protect the rights of children who are ethnic minorities, sexual minorities, or disabled, which Donald Trump's appallingly ignorant Education Secretary, Betsy Devos, is pursuing. If Ivanka Trump cared about children, she would be back in the White House convincing her father to change these extremely abusive policies toward children.,” said Hawkins.
“Ivanka Trump and her father are subjects of a complaint by the New York Attorney General’s office to the Internal Revenue Service and the Federal Election Commission for self-dealing and illegally campaign spending with Trump Foundation assets. If Governor Cuomo would just ask the Attorney General’s office to do a criminal investigation of these matters, under New York law the Attorney General could then open an investigation that would lead to the public release of Trump’s tax returns. The public interest would be served by releasing those tax returns. Ivanka Trump's PR stunt using one of our public school as a prop serves the interest of no one but the Trump crime family," added Hawkins.
Michael Sussman is the Green Party candidate for Attorney General.
Cuomo Should Ask AG to Investigate Trump
For immediate release: July 6, 2018
Hawkins Calls on Cuomo to Empower AG to Investigate Trump
Urges Cuomo to Return $64,000 in Donations from Donald Trump
Howie Hawkins, the Green Party candidate for Governor, said today that Governor Cuomo needs to stop protecting President Trump and authorize State Attorney General Barbara Underwood to formally investigate Trump and his foundation.
Hawkins also said that Cuomo needs to immediately return the $64,000 he has received in campaign donations from Trump. “We need a Governor who has some sense of ethics and principles, who doesn’t feel compelled to solicit money from every special interest that wants to curry his favor. He needs to stop collecting tribute from the fossil fuel industry, Wall Street and real estate industries who view a donation to Cuomo as the price to opening up the state’s piggy bank,” noted Hawkins. Hawkins has long advocated for a ban on pay-to-play campaign contributions and an enactment of a Clean Money full public campaign finance program.
On June 14, the State Attorney General filed a lawsuit against Trump and his foundation. The petition “alleges a pattern of persistent illegal conduct, occurring over more than a decade, that includes extensive unlawful political coordination with the Trump presidential campaign, repeated and willful self-dealing transactions to benefit Mr. Trump’s personal and business interests, and violations of basic legal obligations for non-profit foundations. “
Read moreJuly 4 Declare Independence from Fossil Fuels
For immediate release: July 3, 2018
July 4: Green Party Says it is Time to Declare Independence from Fossil Fuels
As New York suffers through a prolonged heat wave this July 4, the Green Party candidates for Governor and State Comptroller reminded New Yorkers of the need to declare independence from fossil fuel companies.
The Greens said that New York should become the second state after Rhode Island to file suit against the oil and gas companies for the damage they are causing by driving global warming. New York City has already filed suit. They added that New York should become the first state to commit to halt all new fossil fuel infrastructure and commit to transitioning to 100% clean energy and net zero carbon emissions by 2030.
“The fossil fuel companies use their wealth and campaign contributions to buy our elected officials. Despite Cuomo’s massive war chest, he quickly backtracked from his recent statement that he would stop taking donations from the fossil fuel industry. He says that he will stop any more fossil fuel plants moving forward but yet he continues to want to spend $88 million of our tax dollars to build two new gas turbines to burn fracked gas to power the state capitol, subjecting low-income neighbors to decades more of pollution,” noted Howie Hawkins, the Green Party candidate for Governor.
“Cuomo should immediately pull the permits for the Competitive Power Ventures fracked-gas power plant in Orange County because it will add 10% to the state’s carbon footprint. The fact that the permitting was greased through with bribes from CPV to top Cuomo aide Joe Percoco gives Cuomo another good reason to do the right thing, right now,” Hawkins continued.
Read moreHawkins to Cuomo: Stop Pay-to-Play Campaign Donations
For Immediate Release: June 28, 2018
Hawkins Calls on Cuomo to Stop Taking “Pay to Play” Campaign Donations
Howie Hawkins, the Green Party candidate for Governor, called today for the Governor “to stop taking campaign donations from those seeking contracts from the state – which he said he would do in 2016 after the Buffalo Billion bid rigging scandal first broke. The man is addicted to extracting as much money from donors as possible and continues to shake down those doing business with the state despite however many of his staff and state legislators are convicted for political corruption. It is time for an intervention to protect taxpayers.”
Cuomo’s broken promises with respect to stop taking “Pay to Play” donations are laid out in an article in the Albany Times Union. Pay to Play refers to companies and individuals seeking to do business with the state making campaign contributions.
“Cuomo is the kingpin of the cesspool of political corruption in Albany. He continues to rake in dollars while blaming inaction by the state legislature for his failures to pass even modest ethics reform. But he has spent eight years making sure that the legislature is dysfunctional, continuously helping to prop up the Senate Republicans,” noted Hawkins.
Read moreGreens on the PSC
For immediate release: June 25, 2018
Hawkins Calls for a Green to be Appointed to the Public Service Commission
Howie Hawkins, the Green Party candidate for Governor, said today that a Green Party member should be appointed to fill the vacancy in the Public Service Commission.
By state law, no more than 3 members of any one party can be appointed to the 5-person Public Service Commission, which oversees the electric industry in New York. The legislature recently adjourned without the Governor nominating anyone to fill the present vacancy. The existing term of a second member also expired in February.
“We need a strong consumer renewable energy advocate on the PSC to stand up to the Governor and utility companies. As we heard in the recent Percoco corruption trial, the PSC has become little more than a rubber stamp for Cuomo rather than an independent body looking out for the well-being of the state’s ratepayers. Thus we get a PSC that approves a $7.6 billion bailout for 3 upstate nuclear power facilities and which blocks the development of community solar farms by prematurely changing the net metering rules,” said Hawkins.
Read moreDunlea Running for Comptroller to Push Climate Change, Divestment from Fossil Fuels; Hawkins Leads Search for Jobs Created Through the Buffalo Billion
For immediate release: June 21, 2018
(Buffalo NY) The Green Party candidates for Comptroller and Governor came to Buffalo today to call for increased action on climate change, which they say is the path to full employment.
They also called for reforms in the state’s efforts to create jobs, saying that presently economic development funds to often go to large campaign donors rather than to create jobs in communities where they are most needed. Several Cuomo administration officials and campaign donors are on trial in New York for allegedly rigging the bidding process for contracts for the Buffalo Billion. Cuomo and state lawmakers had stripped the State Comptroller of oversight of such contracts shortly before the Buffalo Billion contracts were entered into.
Mark Dunlea, the Green candidate for State Comptroller, said that the refusal of the current Comptroller to divest the state pension funds from fossil fuels is the main focus of his candidacy. For the last five years Dunlea has helped coordinate the NYC and state campaigns for 350.org to divest public pension funds from fossil fuels. NYC announced earlier this year that they would divest.
“Climate change is the greatest threat facing humanity,” Dunlea noted. “It makes no sense for the State to continue to risk $6 billion in fossil fuels investment when the world has agreed to move away from fossil fuels and towards renewables. So far we have gotten 700 institutions worldwide to divest more than $6 trillion in funds from fossil fuels, but Tom DiNapoli thinks he will be more effective talking to Exxon, Chevron and the rest about climate risks,” said Dunlea.
Hawkins joined Dunlea to highlight the need to clean up the epidemic of political corruption at the State Capitol during the Cuomo administration. After the news conference, the Green Party candidates met with various community groups in the Buffalo area to determine if there was any evidence of local job creation as a result of Cuomo’s Buffalo Billion.
Read moreDunlea Running for Comptroller to Push Climate Change, Divestment from Fossil Fuels; Hawkins says Miner Made Poverty Worse During Mayoral Tenure
For immediate release: June 20, 2018
(Syracuse, NY) The Green Party candidates for Comptroller and Governor were in Syracuse today to call for increased action on climate change which they say is the path to full employment.
Mark Dunlea, the Green candidate for State Comptroller, said that the refusal of the current Comptroller to divest the state pension funds from fossil fuels is the main focus of his candidacy. For the last five years Dunlea has helped coordinate the NYC and state campaigns for 350.org to divest public pension funds from fossil fuels. NYC announced earlier this year that they would divest.
Howie Hawkins, the Green candidate for Governor, welcomed former Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner to the Gubernatorial race but noted that her conservative economic policies had made the poverty crisis worse locally during her tenure. He has also questioned her credentials as an anti-corruption advocate.
In a release issued earlier this week, Hawkins pointed out that during Miner’s tenure as Mayor of Syracuse, the city’s high level of poverty and segregation of housing and schools by race and class became further concentrated. Miner’s policies and subsidies gentrified downtown, pushing low-income people out.
In addition to divesting from fossil fuels, Dunlea and Hawkins want the state to halt any more fossil fuel infrastructure, including natural gas, and instead transition to 100% clean renewable energy by 2030.
Read moreDunlea Running for Comptroller to Push Climate Change, Divestment from Fossil Fuels; Hawkins says investing in renewable energy best way to promote job creation
For immediate release: June 20, 2018
(Binghamton, NY) The Green Party candidates for Comptroller and Governor came to Binghamton today to call for increased action on climate change which they say is the path to full employment.
Mark Dunlea, the Green candidate for State Comptroller, said that the refusal of the current Comptroller to divest the state pension funds from fossil fuels is the main focus of his candidacy. For the last five years Dunlea has helped coordinate the NYC and state campaigns for 350.org to divest public pension funds from fossil fuels. NYC announced earlier this year that they would divest.
Hawkins and the Green Party campaigned 8 years ago to ban the fracking of natural gas in New York State, saying it was bad for the climate and for the local economy. Methane from natural gas is more than 80 times more potent short term as a greenhouse gas than carbon is.
“We are glad that grassroots opposition in the Southern Tier and elsewhere forced the Governor to agree to ban fracking. The Greens' 5% of the vote in the general election in 2014 meant Cuomo could not ignore the movement’s demand for a fracking ban and take its votes for granted. Unfortunately, Cuomo continues to allow the state to be flooded with imported fracked gas from Pennsylvania. He even wants to spend $88 million to power the State Capitol complex with fracked gas instead of using renewable energy such as geothermal or solar. NY lags far behind other states in moving us to 100% clean energy,” stated Hawkins.
Read moreHawkins Welcomes Miner to Governor’s Race. He remains the Progressive Alternative
For immediate release: June 18, 2018
While Howie Hawkins welcomed fellow Syracuse resident Stephanie Miner to the Governor’s race today, he said that her pro-corporate economic policies had increased income inequality and segregation during her tenure as Mayor.
He also questioned her involvement with a new political party that has deep ties to the 1% including the CIA, Rudolph Guiliani and the real estate industry.
“Having more candidates to provide voters with alternative visions and choices is always good for democracy. Everyone, of course, is against corruption — until they are elected,” said Hawkins.
Hawkins questioned Miner’s credentials on corruption and clean government. He noted that her campaign manager, Sherman Jewitt, was paid by Syracuse taxpayers in 2016-2017 as PR consultant for $84,000 a year to work part time, 10 hours a week.
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