Politics And Tax Credits

The EITC would allow any individual or corporation to contribute to a scholarship foundation up to 90 percent of what they would normally pay the state and then those monies could be used for tuition scholarships for children in nonpublic schools. In addition, even though there are billions of dollars in the state budget for public school children, an equal amount could be contributed to a scholarship foundation set up to help public school children with resources that are not available to them, such as arts, music and sports programs.

Most senators, the governor, and religious groups are in favor of the tax credit citing it equals the playing field for tuition-paying parents who also incur public education school tax bills. But the Assembly leadership, education advocacy groups and the all-powerful teachers unions all oppose the plan citing it violates a separation between government and religion.

“I’ve expressed some reservations about that,” Cathy Nolan (D – Ridgewood, Queens), chair of the Assembly Education Committee, told the Jewish Press. “I think that we have to be careful about the constitutionality whenever we look at these issues. There are ways, such as mandated services aid, which we increased last year, which would be a way to help the parochial schools without violating [the separation of] church and state.”

The governor in his budget proposal linked the passage of the EITC to passage of the DREAM Act, a measure designed to provide access to state financial aid programs, New York state identification or drivers licenses, employment opportunities and health insurance to qualified undocumented immigrants. The DREAM Act is an acronym for Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors. This legislation allows undocumented young adults who entered the country before the age of 16 and have demonstrated a commitment to education, public service, and good moral character to have access to financial aid, employment opportunities and health insurance coverage within the state.

When the governor tied the EITC to passage of the DREAM Act, State Senator Simcha Felder (D – Boro Park) was aggravated and frustrated. “Governor Cuomo came to Boro Park last year before the election and said it was a matter of justice for this education tax credit to be passed,” Felder told “The Jewish View,” a television program taped in Albany. “And now it became a matter of justice with strings attached. That’s not a matter of justice. That’s a matter of justice with strings attached.”

Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D – Eastchester, The Bronx), once a sponsor of the legislation as a rank and file member, has not included the EITC in his on-house budget proposal.

“Illegal immigrants are important enough to put the DREAM Act on the Assembly floor but legal immigrants who have tuition bills and paying for tuition for their children are not important enough to be put forth for a vote [in the Assembly]? It’s a shame because again, the Assembly is making a statement by excluding this from their budget proposal, they are saying that tuition-paying parents are not a priority, too bad, suffer, do whatever you have to do.”

Felder also took on the teachers unions for being territorial and unfair for not understanding another side to the issue.

“Based on the merit there would be no logical explanation as to why they [the teachers unions] would be opposed. If we’re talking about the politics or the ugliness of it then we get back to unions in general survive based on the power they have. The union leadership has their own agenda which has little to do with protecting their members, unfortunately,” Felder added.

If you ask the union leadership about the tax credit they would say, “Public school children are funded inadequately and any money that goes towards helping tuition paying parents is diverting money that could go to public schools,” said Felder. “That’s hogwash,” Felder countered.

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East Ramapo Controversy

Earlier this month Assembly Speaker Heastie met privately with a large contingent of Jewish lawmakers in his Capitol office to discuss the Rockland County-based East Ramapo School District oversight bill and the financial crisis facing the school district.

Sponsors of the measure propose the overseer will have the ability to override the actions of the board and the superintendent if the monitor deems it necessary for the educational welfare of the students and the sponsors maintain the state monitor ensures a strategic academic and fiscal improvement plan for a five-year period. Opponents maintain it is wrong to install an unelected state monitor to oversee the school board made up of elected members from the town and it sets a dangerous precedent. Debate over the measure has been tabled until at least May.

East Ramapo is governed by a nine-member Board of Education elected by the community, each for a term of three years. The 14 public schools serve 9,000 students, mostly minorities. Approximately 20,000 students attend private schools, mostly yeshivas or Jewish day schools, where seven of the nine board members send their children. The Board is responsible for providing and promoting a budget, levying taxes, setting educational policy, and meeting all requirements of state law.

Tilles Reelected to Regents Board

Roger Tilles of Great Neck, Nassau County, was reelected to a third five-year term on the New York State Board of Regents. The only other Jewish members on the 17-member board are Charles Bendit and Merryl Tisch, the chancellor of the education policy-making panel.

Moving On

Jeff Leb of Cedarhurst, Nassau County, is now the managing director of government and external relations for the UJA-Federation of New York. He was previously employed as the New York director of political affairs for the Orthodox Union.

Simcha Eichenstein of Boro Park is now a policy adviser for intergovernmental affairs in the office of the mayor of New York City. He recently left his high-level executive post with the New York State comptroller’s office.

About the Author: Marc Gronich is news director of Statewide News Service. He also operates the website JBizTechValley.com. He has been covering government and politics since 1981. His Albany Beat column appears monthly in The Jewish Press.