June 11, 2015
By Stephanie West
New York, NY – Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte [D-42nd District] is continuing her firm stance against Governor Cuomo’s “Parental Choice in Education Act.” According to Bichotte, the measure is actually a tax giveaway to wealthy donors that would divert funds from public schools and put it into the hands of millionaire investors.
Over the last several weeks, however, Assemblymember Bichotte has been on the receiving end of a negative campaign criticizing her decision not to support the governor’s tax credit bill. Many in the lawmaker’s Brooklyn district actually favor Cuomo's legislation, and protesters have demonstrated outside her district office.
“I am a strong believer in quality education, for both public and private school students; all students deserve the best,” Assemblymember Bichotte recently said in response to the criticism. “However, Governor Cuomo’s tax credit bill does not fulfill that. Instead, it is a bill that feeds the mouths of wealthy investors and corporations, diverting funds that could have been put forth towards the deficit owed to public schools set forth by the Campaign for Fiscal Equity. On top of that, low-income and middle class families of both public and private schools would be excluded. I cannot, and will not, stand for furthering the disparity that already exists in our school system.”
The assemblymember maintains that New York’s public education system has served millions of children well for over 200 years, and efforts must now be made to strengthen it even further.
