Governor Paterson Names Advisory Committee to Help Health Care Reform Cabinet

GOVERNOR PATERSON SELECTS BALCONY TO ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO HELP HEALTH CARE REFORM CABINET

BALCONY this week (Tuesday) was named by Governor David Paterson to the Health Care Reform Advisory Committee, which will provide input to the Governor's Health Care Reform Cabinet on the implementation of federal health care reform in New York State. The Advisory Committee includes 37 organizations representing health care providers, consumers, businesses, organized labor, local governments, health plans and health insurers, and health policy experts.

"Federal health care reform will have a significantly positive impact for New York's residents, families, small business owners and the 2.5 million New Yorkers who are currently uninsured," Governor Paterson said. "It is essential that we get health reform right, making the most of this opportunity to improve access to health care while reducing cost. Our broad advisory group will help us achieve this goal."

"BALCONY is honored to be a participant in the Governor's panel to continue to find common ground between business and labor on the implemental of health care reform in New York State," stated BALCONY Director Lou Gordon. "For the past 3 years we have been working with small businesses, labor unions, health care advocates, providers and trade associations in helping to forge a workable coalition that provides affordable Health Care for New Yorkers. In fact, in April HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius detailed the new Health Care Law to a BALCONY New York City Symposium which featured a broad range of experts, providers and consumers."

BALCONY has in fact held public and private health care forums in Buffalo, Rochester, Albany, White Plains, Nassau County and New York City all designed to provide a positive discourse on the Health Care needs of all New Yorkers," stated BALCONY co-chair Alan Lubin, formerly Executive VP of NYSUT.

"Our BALCONY concerns have focused on the affordability, availability, portability of health care benefits to business and recipients, insuring young adults and the provision of electronic medical records," stated BALCONY co-chair Bruce Ventimiglia, Chairman of Saratoga Capital Management.

BALCONY Celebrates 75th Anniversary of Social Security with Events in NYC

From Left to Right (Nancy True, Director, IBT-Local 30 Retirement Division, David B. Roosevelt, Congressman Charles Rangel; Birthday Cake for Social Security; Charles B. Roosevelt, Speaker of the NY City Council, Christine Quinn; Lou Gordon, Director, BALCONY, Bruce Ventimiglia, Co-Chair, BALCONY, Alan Lubin, Co-Chair, BALCONY) New York City (August 19^th, 2010) – Throughout the month of August, BALCONY, the Business and Labor Coalition of New York (www.balconynewyork.com), has worked with the New York State Office for the Aging, AARP, the New York State United Teachers, Hunter College’s Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute, and many others to celebrate the 75^th anniversary of Social Security with events across New York State.

On Thursday, August 19^th, the Social Security Diamond Anniversary Committee, whose members include the New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA), the Business and Labor Coalition of New York (BALCONY), AARP, the NYS Alliance for Retired Americans (NYSARA), Local 237/IBT/Retiree Division, Services Now for Adult Persons (SNAP), the New York State United Teachers (NYSUT), and the Institute for Puerto Rican/Hispanic Elderly, Inc. (IPR/HE), convened a series of Social Security birthday celebration events in New York City. The programs included brief speeches by beneficiaries, experts, relatives of the Roosevelt family, and elected officials, as well as entertainment, refreshments, and testimonials - as well as an evening panel moderated by journalist Jane Pauley.

The message of the day was clear: Social Security works for the nation and for the residents of every state and America cannot afford to cut it. Citing Social Security’s $2.6 trillion dollar surplus (projected to grow to $4.3 trillion by 2023) as well as the drastic consequences for beneficiaries were the program to be slashed or benefits reduced (without Social Security nearly half of seniors over 65 would sink below the poverty line) speakers argued that efforts in Washington to cut or privatize Social Security as a means to reduce the nation’s growing federal debt are essentially political posturing and unwarranted. The idea of raising the retirement age from 67 to 70 was universally rejected.

Social Security Works for New York

A report by Social Security Works and Strengthen Social Security

Debate rages in Washington about how to reduce our nation’s growing federal deficit, and pundits and politicians alike propose cutting Social Security. It doesn’t seem to matter that Social Security has not caused the federal deficit, and the program has a $2.6 trillion surplus today, which is projected to grow to $4.3 trillion by 2023.1 Nor does it seem to matter that the housing equity and retirement savings of many Americans collapsed during the nation’s Great Recession. Cutting Social Security’s protections – especially for middle‐aged and young workers – will undermine Social Security as a financial foundation, and often a financial lifeline. Read the full report by clicking here: SS Works

BALCONY Celebrates 75 Years of Social Security

New York City (August 19th, 2010) – Throughout the month of August, BALCONY, the Business and Labor Coalition of New York, has worked with the New York State Office for the Aging, AARP, the New York State United Teachers, Hunter College’s Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute, and many others to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Social Security with events across New York State.

BALCONY Announces 21 New Members Since January 2010

NEW YORK, NY (08/05/2010)-- BALCONY, the Business and Labor Coalition of New York (www.balconynewyork.com), today, Wednesday, announced 21 new members since January 2010. The members of BALCONY include labor unions, businesses, trade associations, not-for-profits, and chambers of commerce.

New BALCONY Members Since January 2010:

Rochester and Genesee Valley Area Labor Federation, AFL-CIO, (www.rgvalf.org), MVP Health (www.mvphealthcare.com), Infrastructure USA (www.infrastructureusa.org), Northeast Securities (www.nesec.com), Concrete Alliance (www.theconcretealliance.com), Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc. (www.tpna.com), Residential Home Funding (www.rhfunding.com), The Advance Group (www.theadvancegroup.com), Transparent Health Network (www.transparenthealthnetwork.com), Impact Plus, HAKS (www.haks.net), Content Critical (www.contentcritical.com), readMedia (www.readmedia.com), Life Line Screening (www.lifelinescreening.com), Entre Computer (www.entrecs.com), GSP Network (www.gspnetwork.com), JuniperHill (www.juniperhillam.com), OTG Management (www.otgmanagement.com), Pulse Marketing (www.pulsemarketinggroup.com), Belluck & Fox (www.belluckfox.com), and BMRx (www.bmr-inc.com)

Governor Paterson Proclaims August Social Security Anniversary Month, BALCONY to Co-Sponsor 75th Anniversary Celebration

Layoff Threat Looms Anew

by Casey Seiler

ALBANY -- As the Legislature prepares to return to Albany, Gov. David Paterson issued some of his toughest words yet for lawmakers and another group he's been at odds with for months: state worker unions.

Love him or hate him, hard to ignore him

'Living wage' fight brings both positive and negative attention to retail union chief Stuart Appelbaum.

by Daniel Massey

He doesn't boast the money, members or political might of some of New York's heaviest hitters in labor, but these days retail union President Stuart Appelbaum is creating a ruckus that belies his organization's size.
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