Please read this message from NYUST Vice President Andy Pallotta about the pending tax cap legislation. I received it just now via email, and I would like to get it out there ASAP. Please make a call if you can.
M E M O R A N D U M
From: Andrew Pallotta
To: NYSUT Board of Directors
Local Presidents
PAC members
Vote/Cope Coordinators
Date: June 15, 2011
Re: Continuing the Anti-Tax Cap Pressure
We are in the final days of this year’s legislative session and we need your continued advocacy against tax caps now if we are to prevail in this historic battle. We urge each and every one of you to pick up a phone and call your lawmaker to voice your opposition to tax caps TODAY. Please call 1 877 255 9417 today to keep the pressure on. Please pass this request along to your general membership a.s.a.p.
Our members have been responding to our calls for action. In the past two > weeks, over 11,500 faxes against the tax cap have been sent to Senators, Assembly members and to the Governor. In addition, over 7,500 calls were placed through the AFL-CIO Hotline. We have robo-called over 500,000 of our members on the issue, and sent email blasts to 160,000 members including a special email to 20,000 of our retiree activists. We have spent well over $1.7 million on television, radio and web-based media in the past month.
We have initiated the use of “patch through calls,” a system where a member receives a live call from us, is read a script about the tax caps and is then asked to be connected with their lawmaker to register their opposition to the cap. In 3 days last week over 10,000 NYSUT members connected with their legislators. This week, over the course of two days, over 10,000 more NYSUT members reached state senators. We are redoubling our efforts and targeting 90 more members of the legislature between now and the end of session, which could come as early as Friday.
Do not delay. The imposition of tax caps will redefine public education as we know it for years to come. We will be locked into a decade of program cuts, layoffs, cost shifts and contract concessions.
Please call 1 877 255 9417 and urge all of your members to do the same now!
cc:
NYSUT Officers
NYSUT Cabinet
Regional Staff Directors
Legislation Staff
Did you know that NYSUT is on Facebook?