Democratic candidate for governor Cynthia Nixon unveiled her education plan Wednesday, calling for major tax increase on high-income earners to fund a $7.3 billion plan to reallocate resources to underperforming school districts, including ones in the city.
"Supporting our children cannot be done with half-measures. It must be done right. My 'Educate New York' initiative will cost $7.3 billion," Nixon said at the announcement at the Borough of Manhattan Community College. "That sounds expensive. You know what? It is. And it should be."
HOW LARGE ARE THE TAX INCREASES FOR WHICH NIXON IS ADVOCATING?
Nixon's plan calls for a majority of funding to come from the tax increases, the largest of which — 2 percent — would affect those who earn between $1 million and $2 million.
New Yorkers who make between $300,000 and $500,000 would see an increase of 0.5 percent. That tax increase proposal could prove very unpopular in the suburbs.
Nixon said $5 billion would come from the tax increase, and the rest of the funding for the plan would come from rolling back corporate tax breaks.
Advocating for education funding is how Nixon began as an activist in Albany, and from the beginning of her campaign, the former "Sex and the City" actress has not shied away from her push to increase some New Yorkers' taxes.
GOV. CUOMO TOUTS HIS EDUCATION RECORD
Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Nixon's primary opponent, told reporters Wednesday he has not seen the plan.
In response to Nixon's proposal, the Cuomo administration said education spending has gone up more than 34 percent since the governor has been in office.
In addition, the administration said New York state spends more per student than any state in the country.
But Nixon said Cuomo had other priorities when he first took office in 2011.
"In his first year in office, he refused to continue payment on the new funding formula and instead chose to enact a $1.3 billion cut to education," Nixon said. "The education cuts went to fund an enormous tax cut to the wealthy and to corporations."
Cuomo has said repeatedly he is against raising taxes on the wealthy, and that the New York state legislature will not allow it anyway.
A NEW POLL ON THE GOVERNOR'S RACE HAS BEEN RELEASED
The latest Sienna College poll shows Cuomo leading Nixon by 35 percentage points. That lead is up from the last poll in the race.
While the poll is more or less flat, Cuomo supporters say it is bad for Nixon since she has lost ground instead of gaining. Nixon supporters say they expected Cuomo to get a bump coming out of last month's Democratic state convention.
