A delegation of approximately 30 members of the Campaign for New York's Future are traveling to Albany today to meet with more than two dozen state legislators and other public officials. Today's trip follows a series of meetings on Monday in which key coalition leaders joined Mayor Bloomberg to call for urgent State action on the Mayor's key PlaNYC initiatives. Today's press release (care of Howard Rubenstein) lays out some of Bloomberg's key legislative goals up in Albany:
The Campaign for New York's Future is advocating urgent action, prior to June's close of the current legislative session, on key PlaNYC initiative requiring amendments to State law. These actions comprise four main categories:
Transportation - Among other actions, the coalition is advocating creation of a new Sustainable, Mobility and Regional Transportation (SMART) Finance Authority; authorization to use cameras on buses to enforce Bus Rapid Transit lanes; and authorization of residential parking districts within New York City.
Energy - Key proposed actions include authorization to create a New York City Energy Planning Board with representatives appointed by the Governor, the Mayor and utility companies; creation of a New York City Energy Efficiency Authority; authorization for the New York Power Authority to issue long-term power contracts; amendment to the City Charter requiring that the City dedicate 10 percent of the City's energy bill to be used on energy conservation projects; and tax abatements for the installation of solar panels.
Brownfields - The Campaign for New York's Future is calling on Albany to amend the State Brownfield Cleanup Program to reallocate tax credits, incentivize greater community participation, and expand eligibility to cover New York City specific contamination; and to authorize creation of a voluntary Brownfield cleanup program targeting 600 acres of brownfields in the City not currently eligible for the State program.
Air and Water Quality - The coalition is calling on Albany to amend Tax Law to provide for a local sales tax exemption on all hybrid vehicles purchased within New York City; and amend the Real Property Tax Law to provide property tax abatements on the installation of green roofs to reduce stormwater runoff.
In addition to launching a new website, two leading members of the Campaign, Environmental Defense and the Partnership for New York City, released a 30-second advertisement this week to correspond with the Mayor's trip to Albany. The ad highlights Bloomberg's call to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent, create cleaner power plants, improve mass transit and reduce traffic pollution, "Together we can save the environment. But the clock...is ticking."
The ad is currently on the air in Albany and New York City, and, of course, it's on YouTube.
