New York – As financially strapped parents express outrage at the newly announced state budget’s failure to include any type of tuition relief for private school parents, two local elected officials shared their own indignation at the latest turn of events in Albany.
Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
State Senator Simcha Felder, who has been leading the fight for the Education Investment Tax Credit for years, pointed the finger of blame squarely at Governor Cuomo and newly appointed Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie who had both previously expressed their support publicly for the EITC.
Cuomo received a standing ovation at a pre-election event in Borough Park after saying that the measure wasn’t a form of charity, but justice, and Heastie, one of the original sponsors of the EITC, reaffirmed his support at a gathering arranged by Assemblyman Dov Hikind at the end of February as reported on VIN News.
“I am furious,” Felder told VIN News. “The Assembly and governor failed us and its clear that tuition paying parents are not a priority.”
Felder noted that he understood why Heastie removed his name from the EITC once he was named as the Assembly’s speaker in an effort to remain impartial, but was mystified by what seemed to be a sudden change of mind for Heastie.
“Only Hashem knows what is in people’s hearts and minds,” commented Felder.
The apparent snub by both Cuomo and the Assembly will not be forgotten, according to Felder.
“I would say that both the Assembly and the governor stabbed tuition paying parents in the back,” said Felder. “I hope that when election time comes people hold them responsible.”
Hikind expressed his disappointment in Cuomo’s sudden refusal to support the EITC.
“No one can convince me that he did what he committed to do,” said Hikind. “We hope that he will honor that commitment in the future.”
According to Hikind, the United Federation of Teachers launched strong opposition to the EITC at the Democratic conference last week.
“They took the EITC and framed it as a giveaway for the rich,” said Hikind. “I said ‘Wait a second. What about the kids? The scholarships? The families having a hard time?’ This is a slap in the face to so many New Yorkers, not just the Jewish community. But apparently, we just don’t count.”
Hikind plans to express his displeasure with this latest turn of events when the budget is brought to a vote.
“I plan to vote no on every part of the budget, something I have never done before,” said Hikind. “I am utterly disappointed. Why is everyone’s education important except ours?”
Both Hikind and Felder are determined to continue pushing the EITC in future budgets.
“We don’t give up and we won’t give up,” said Felder. “We will continue to fight for what we deserve.”
The only solution is to start an organized campaign to have parents of parochial schools to register their children in public schools. Having to build hundreds of additional school facilities and paying thousands of additional teachers will make them cave in.
As long as the oilem keeps pillaging every social program out there will never be a break from the govt for tuition they got to draw a line somewhere.
I’ve been saying this for years. Instead of the current system where the yeshivas teach limudei koidesh in the morning and try to teach secular studies in the afternoon (with mixed success), maybe we should try something new.
Let the yeshivas dump the secular subjects altogether, send ALL the kids to public school in the mornings, then after 2:40 travel to the yeshiva and learn the limudei koidesh in the afternoons. This way, the yeshivas can cut the tuition in half, or even less, because they don’t have to pay the secular teachers or supply lunches, and the kids can get their FAPE (free appropriate public education) on the taxpayers’ dime like everyone else in the city does.
It’s true that this is less than optimal scheduling. You wind up with limudei koidesh at the end of the day, when the kids are already a little tired, maybe less alert, but it can be made to work if done correctly. Davening to start with; the older kids can first go daven with their local minyanim, the younger ones maybe have davening class at the yeshiva or at local shuls before going to PS.
http://nypost.com/2014/04/01/state-leaders-betray-catholics-others-on-education-tax-credits/
State leaders betray Catholics, others on education tax credits
By (Cardinal) Timothy Dolan
Date: APRIL 1, 2014
……Despite explicit support from the vast majority of the state’s elected officials — as well as countless labor unions, diverse faith groups, business leaders and, most importantly, parents — the Education Investment Tax Credit was not included in the state budget.
This credit — which would have amounted to less than 0.1 percent of the budget — would’ve allowed individuals, within certain well-defined limits, to donate money for education and receive a tax credit for doing so. The state already gives tax credits for everything from movie productions to beer brewers. Why not one for children’s education?
This simple, common-sense proposal was a win-win that would have benefited all students — private and public school alike — by driving private money to public schools and to scholarship-granting organizations for private schools…….
What can you expect from the sinners party.
The Democrats are simply selfish self serving hedonistic animals.
I never believed Cuomo was sincerely interested to help religious people.
Hypocrisy is a Democratic trademark.
I was willing to give him the benefit of doubt.
But we got our lesson from our “”
Why should the government subsidize exclusive sectarian schools? Who’s next? The Church of Scientology’s schools?
What do you expect from democrats they’re all shills for the teachers union