In the wake of years of budget cuts to schools, services, and the social safety net, volunteers talked to their neighbors about the need to reduce the influence of CEO campaign contributions in elections. With public financing of elections, candidates could run competitive campaigns without needing to accept big checks from corporate interests. Our elected officials would be free to respond to the needs of their constituents, rather than their campaign donors.

At the canvass kickoffs, participants released new data showing that members of the Board of Directors of the Business Council of New York State and the corporations they work for donated over $1.9 million since January 1, 2010 to campaign accounts for State Senators and the major political parties. The Business Council is a staunch advocate for budget cuts to education and cuts to other programs that working families across New York rely on every day.

“Our communities, our children, our families, and our economy can no longer withstand the overwhelming weight of influence that CEO campaign contributions have over our electoral process,” said Ivette Alfonso, President of Citizen Action of New York. “When corporations and their big money lobbyists pay for election campaigns, they’re effectively buying public policy. The integrity of our democracy requires that we, as constituents, have an audience with the officials we elect. Until New York has public financing of elections, we can’t be sure we’re truly being represented in our government.”

Of the $1,908,721 contributed to state Senators and their campaign committees by Business Council affiliated individuals and businesses, 69% was donated to Republican Party affiliated candidates and committees, $906,157 alone to the Senate Republican Campaign Committee. Democratic Senators and their campaign committees received $595,654 in contributions.

This data reflects contributions made between January 1, 2010 through the most recent data available.

5/16/12

Corinne Lestch

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/education/sen-gillibrand-pressures-congress-prevent-college-loan-hikes-affect-thousands-city-students-article-1.1078755?localLinksEnabled=false

College loan interest rates will soar, affecting thousands of students citywide, if Congress doesn’t act immediately, according to a new report released by the Center for American Progress.

About 420,000 college students in New York State will have to pay more than $340 million extra in interest if the rates on Stafford loans double from 3.4% to 6.8%, according to the report.

“We could have prevented this from doubling,” charged Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) on a conference call with reporters on Tuesday. “When we price our young people out of higher education, we all pay the price. We rob ourselves of a future engineer or biologist or teacher.”

Jillian Sesenton, a master’s student at Fordham University, said she will be close to $200,000 in debt once she finishes her thesis this year, between her undergraduate and graduate programs. She started college at 28 after scraping up money from odd jobs.

“I’m excited to graduate, but I know what’s waiting for me in the end,” said Sesenton, now 38. According to the report, the median student borrower age went from 35 in 2007 to 39 in 2009.

“I have no idea how I’m going to manage to pay these loans,” continued Sesenton, who grew up in the Patterson Houses in Mott Haven. “If they double the interest rates to 6.8%, I’m going to be completely broke. I don’t know how I’m going to survive.”

Congress established the low interest rates in 2007 over a period of five years. The bill to keep the existing rate for another year was blocked by Republicans in the Senate, making the issue another instrument for partisan bickering.

Students at the city and state universities of New York may face more hikes on top of the federal loan threat after a tuition increase goes into effect.

“Especially with the tuition increases we’re seeing at SUNY and CUNY, and the interest rates we’re seeing on top of that, is really a double whammy for students,” said Karen Scharff, executive director of Citizen Action of New York.

Starting next fall, all CUNY students will pay $300 extra annually for five years, bringing the in-state tuition to $6,330 a year after a five-year hike.

“Let’s keep (college) affordable,” pressed Gillibrand. “There’s no excuse for inaction. There’s real concern on how to move forward here.”