Tell Pataki, Bloomberg, Fossella: Stand Up For New York!
New Yorkers must demand that Govenor Pataki, Mayor Bloomberg, and Congressman Fossella speak out at the Republican National Convention to combat the Republican leadership in Washington that has systematically starved New York City of essential federal resources. New York City pays $11.4 billion more in federal taxes to Washington than it gets back in funding. It is critical that Education, Homeland Security, Medicaid, Housing and Transportation receive their fair share of federal support. Education The education of our children has suffered under President Bush\'s under- funded No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), which means we receive $1,807 per eligible student instead of $3,600 per student in Title I funds, leaving hundreds of thousands of our students behind. Homeland Security Since September 11, 2001, New York City has consistently plummeted to the bottom of the list for homeland security support from Washington. In 2004, New York City received less than 2.5% of all funding for that year; yet our city suffered from the largest terrorist attack on U.S. soil in our nation\'s history, and spends nearly $1 billion a year on anti-terrorism. Medicaid Medicaid currently funds vital health services for nearly 2 million New York City residents. The city spent $20.1 billion on Medicaid costs, almost 20% of which was paid for by New York City tax revenue. New York State is one of only a few states in the nation that place the burden of Medicaid funding on the shoulders of local government. Housing The population of low-income residents that depend on federally subsidized housing programs is larger here than any other city in the country. In drastically cutting funding for programs that support affordable housing, President Bush has had a devastating effect on our city. Transportation While New York City has 33% of the nation\'s mass transit users, it receives less than 20% of federal transit funding. Tom DeLay is leading the charge to penalize New York and other cities by cutting funding for TEA-21 and reformulating the donor guarantee in the gas tax formula. The City stands to lose up to $300 million a year if Rep. DeLay\'s proposal goes into effect. You need to raise your voices in outrage that the nation\'s largest city, and one of the most important economic engines, is subject to a systematic starvation by the federal government.
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