A Call to Action: Help Stop Mayor de Blasio's Bag Tax Now!

Watch Senator Felder confornt the Mayor on the Bag Tax by clicking here.

Mayor de Blasio's Bag Tax will take effect on February 15. Join Senator Felder in fighting this regressive tax!

• Call 311 and complain to the Mayor.

• Forward this message to everyone in the City and ask them to do the same.

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We must take action now before it's too late!

Please Mayor de Blasio: Stop Taxing New Yorkers Over and Over Again!

Senator Felder questions Mayor de Blasio on the Bag Tax

de Blasio: Taxing New Yorkers is the Only Option

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio insists that the only way to address his personal concerns about the environment is to punish New Yorkers with his Bag Tax.

Confronted by NY State Senator Simcha Felder this morning at the Joint Legislative Public Hearing on 2017-2018 Executive Budget Proposal, the Mayor stubbornly defended his Bag Tax, which is set to take effect on February 15. Asked why it was necessary to punish New Yorkers with another tax, the Mayor insisted that the Federal Government may not being doing enough to help the environment so New York City must lead the way. But Senator Felder didn’t let the mayor’s sidestep go unchallenged.

“The issue isn’t whether or not to protect the environment,” the Senator replied. “Everyone agrees—we ALL want to protect the environment. Period. What I’m talking about—what the mayor isn’t addressing—is why the City has to always be punitive. What my colleagues and I object to is the approach. Why can’t it be positive? Why don’t you give a nickel back to New Yorkers for a change?”

The Senator noted that an overwhelming number of New Yorkers opposed the Mayor’s Bag Tax, and that the City had promised to revisit the proposed Tax last year but only postponed its implementation. “Yet another commitment ignored,” Felder told the Mayor. “And now we’re just two weeks from a crisis facing average New Yorkers.” Senator Felder held up a loaf of bread and a dozen eggs. “Do you know how much a pound of bread costs today?” he asked the Mayor. “Or a dozen eggs? I was in a local shop last week where I watched a mother put back sliced cheese because she didn’t have enough money for everything when she went to pay for her groceries.

“We should implement existing recycling laws,” Senator Felder continued. “Instead, you’re taking another nickel from poor and middle class New Yorkers. You talked about a mansion tax? This is a mansion credit. This is not a tax on the 1%, it’s a tax on the 99%. The issue is why over-taxed, over-ticketed, over-fined New Yorkers are being punished again instead of being treated like adults. It’s unfair and it doesn’t make sense.”

Happy Chinese New Year 2017!

Senator Felder joined civic leaders and other elected officials at the 30th annual Sunset Park Chinese Lunar New Year Festival, which included a parade and speeches. The parade began at 11 a.m. at 5002 Eighth Ave. and ran for 10 blocks. Greeting Paul Mak, president of the Brooklyn Chinese-American Association (BCA), and Shiu Kam Leung, vice president, Senator Felder praised the BCA, which was founded in 1998 with the primary mission of providing assistance to the growing Asian-American community.

Senator Felder, Assemblymember Peter Abbate, Acting Brooklyn DA Eric Gonzalez, Brooklyn Chinese-American Association President Paul Mak, Assemblymember Felix Ortiz, and former New York state Comptroller John Liu.

STOPPING DE BLASIO’S BAG TAX: NEW YORK STATE STEPS IN

Senator Simcha Felder and Assemblyman Michael Cusick are working to prevent Mayor de Blasio’s upcoming Feb. 15th implementation of the bag tax. Felder, Cusick and their colleagues from both sides of the aisle and both houses are asking New Yorkers to contact their elected officials and community leaders to ask Mayor de Blasio not to force New Yorkers to pay a nickel for every bag.

“Many families have a hard time just getting by, paying for groceries, rent and heat, and now the Mayor wants to shake them down every time they shop just for the privilege of using a plastic bag,” said Senator Felder, who has fought the plastic bag tax since his days as a NY City Councilman. “Mayor de Blasio, please do not nickel and dime New Yorkers with another tax. You always talk about taxing the 1% and now you will be burdening everyone else, the other 99%. This will hurt lower- and middle-income families who already struggle. I'm asking New Yorkers to stand up and tell the Mayor that this bag tax has to go.”

Cusick declared, “As the Assembly Member who represents and helped to close the former Fresh Kills Landfill, I am all too familiar with the harm that improperly disposed plastic bags do to our environment and to the cleanliness of our communities. However, a charge for plastic and paper bags in the City of New York will not solve this problem; instead it is a misguided attempt that will only squeeze more money from the hardworking families of our City. I am proud to Sponsor this legislation to prohibit this tax on consumers from being enacted, and I urge my colleagues in State and City government to come together to develop sensible and honest solutions that will both benefit our environment and the budgets of the families we represent.”

When Felder and Cusick made an effort to stop the bag tax last legislative session, their bill saw broad bipartisan support and passed in the Senate but was tabled in the Assembly pending promised changes by the City Council. But nothing changed except the implementation date of the tax.

“The City Counsel and Mayor wanted to irritate New Yorkers with this bag tax. They’ve succeeded,” said Felder.

TIME RUNNING OUT FOR HELP WITH HEATING COSTS

Senator Simcha Felder is advising residents not to miss out on the opportunity to get help with heating costs. This year’s Neighborhood Heating Fund—the HeartShare program—has already processed over 500 applications to provide assistance to eligible households who need help with the cost of heating their homes. If you have an open account with National Grid, you may be eligible for a $200 credit on your heating bill.

Eligible households can apply for HeartShare right at Senator Felder’s offices. The Senator’s office has already saved residents over $15,000 this year.

“This week, New Yorkers really felt the cold,” said Senator Felder. “We’re fortunate that there are programs available to help low-income families and seniors with their heating bills. HeartShare is an excellent resource for those on a fixed income and for working families struggling to make ends meet. Just call my office for an appointment to have your application filled out.”

Call 718-253-2015 (Flatbush office) or 718-484-3216 (Boro Park office).