“The Excluded Workers Fund that has been proposed during budget negotiations is an ill-advised proposal and I am vehemently opposed to it. This program, which seeks to provide assistance to people who have been left out of traditional benefits is ineffective and does nothing to help struggling New Yorkers as a whole.

“As a steward of spending for public funds this program is simply irresponsible. $2.1 billion is a large sum of money and if my colleagues want to tax the richest New Yorkers, there are plenty of other initiatives and programs to allocate that funding that would be a benefit to all. Such alternatives include education, property tax relief, infrastructure, healthcare, workforce development and job placement programs which would seek to get everyone back to work.

“To be clear, the revenue for this program will come from a wealth tax and contrary to political rhetoric, this program does not provide financial assistance to ex-inmates, as these individuals have already received benefits under the Trump Administration’s CARES Act. It is intended to help largely undocumented immigrants who live and work in New York State. With that said, I am adamantly opposed to this proposal and will not be voting for the Excluded Worker Fund in the 2021-2022 final budget. Quite simply, this fund is not a responsible use of public monies and the funding could be utilized in more efficient ways to help all New Yorkers.”