WGRZ, By Joseph Spector, May 29, 2013. New York spends $7 billion a year in incentives to lure and keep businesses, a report Wednesday found, but the state doesn't adequately oversee how the money is spent. New York has more than 15 major economic development programs, the report from labor-backed groups said, yet many of them aren't closely monitored to ensure that companies are meeting job-performance goals.
On the heels of an announcement by Governor Cuomo of Tax-Free New York, a new economic development program, labor, community, environmental, faith, small business, good government and other advocacy groups will convene at the State Capitol to present findings from a new report, the $7 Billion Wager: New York’s Costly Gamble in Economic Development.
The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, By Jack Curran, May 11, 2013. Six months have passed since Hurricane Sandy struck the shores of New York, and as a recent report put out by several Sandy advocacy groups shows, many residents are now faced with mold problems. According to “Sandy’s Mold Legacy: The Unmet Need Six Months After the Storm,” thousands of homes have developed mold since Hurricane Sandy. The report was put out by the Alliance for a Just Rebuilding along with several other organizations including ALIGN, Community Voices Heard, Faith in New York, Make the Road NY, New York Communities for Change and VOCAL-NY
Metro, By Dale Elsinger, May 7, 2013. When Hurricane Sandy hit Jackie Rogers’ home in Far Rockaway, the last thing she was worried about was a mold infestation. Situated on the island between Jamaica Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, she packed up and left her home of six years as the storm rolled in. “I heeded Mayor Bloomberg’s words,” Rogers, who is in her 40s, told Metro. “I just got out.”
The Real News, April 30, 2013. Just a few days before the Rana Plaza collapse, The Real News spoke to Bangladeshi factory workers and their advocates as they toured the United States to pressure Western companies like Walmart to fully fund independent oversight to create safer conditions for workers. Activists held a mock funeral for the victims of the Tazreen factory fire at the apartment of Walmart’s Board of Director’s member, Michelle Burns. This is Maritza Silva-Farrell, senior organizer of The Alliance for a Greater New York, speaking to The Real News, a few days before the Rana fire collapse.