CVH Participates in State Capitol Camp-In
(January 30, 2010) A busload of Community Voices Heard members went up to Albany, NY yesterday to participate in the overnight Capitol Camp-In led by hundreds of low-income people, welfare recipients, people living with HIV/AIDS, students, seniors, and other New Yorkers opposed to Governor Cuomo's austerity budget.
The New York State Senate and Assembly approved a fiscal year 2012 budget in the middle of the night that will pay for billions in tax cuts for the wealthiest New Yorkers by cutting funding for healthcare, education, and anti-poverty programs, including delaying a promised increase in the cash grant for public assistance recipients and a zeroing out of the recently won Transitional Jobs Program. It also failed to include stronger rent laws.
The day was filled with chanting and rallying outside the Governor's office, outside the Senate chambers, outside the Assembly chambers, and throughout the Capitol. As promised, we sought to remain in the Capitol overnight to bear witness to the harmful cuts to our communities. While we were forced to sleep on the floor of meeting rooms in the Empire State Plaza once the session ended, we were back outside Governor Cuomo's office first thing in the morning.
The budget was not stopped or changed as a result of the budget vote mobilization, but voices were heard and a historic alignment of forces across the state emerged. The coalition building that built up to the Capitol Camp-In will no doubt create forces harder to beat back against in years to come.
CVH at Capitol Camp-In || March 30-31, 2011
Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.
Check out some of the press from the Capitol Camp-In below:
Print and Online
- New York Times (with photo of CVH Member Diane Manning from Newburgh, NY)
- The Nation (with video mentioning CVH takeover of lobbyist area in Assembly)
- Albany Times Union (with quote from CVH Member Euline Williams)
- Gannett News
TV & Radio
CVH participated in the action with VOCAL-NY, Alliance for Quality Education, Citizen Action of New York, New York City Coalition for Educational Justice, Long Island Progressive Coalition, Make the Road New York, New York Communities for Change, Right to the City New York, Real Rent Reform New York, Community Voices Heard, New Deal for New York, The Save Our SUNY Coalition, Strong Economy for All, Growing Together New York Coalition, and VOICE Buffalo.