Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle was one of 48 representatives and 11 senators given a grade of “F” on a new report card released Oct. 3 that grades legislators on how well they address income inequality.
The report was issued by the Institute for Policy Studies, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank. The organization has been criticized for being left-wing.
The report card is based on 40 legislative actions taken over the past two years that relate to inequality, including attempts to create a “Buffett Rule” minimum tax rate that all wealthy Americans must pay, efforts to raise the minimum wage, legislation on the Bush tax cuts, the stimulus, the Lilly Ledbetter Act and more. In addition, the report includes an overall “honor roll” — to highlight those representatives and senators who have done the most to narrow America’s economic divide — and a “dishonor roll” of lawmakers who have repeatedly tilted the “1 percent” way. The report card also details the “most 1 percent friendly” and “most 99 percent friendly” by party affiliation.
Buerkle ranked among those on the “dishonor roll” for her votes, which the IPS said consistently favored the interests of the wealthy instead of looking out for the needs of everyone statewide.
The report card’s authors are Sarah Anderson, who directs the Global Economy Project at the Institute for Policy Studies and has co-authored the 19 IPS annual “Executive Excess” reports on the divide between CEO and worker pay; Chuck Collins, an Institute for Policy Studies senior scholar, directs the IPS Program on Inequality and the Common Good; Scott Klinger, an Institute for Policy Studies associate fellow who crafted the first shareholder proposals on executive pay while working as a social investment portfolio manager; and Sam Pizzigati, an IPS associate fellow, who also edits Too Much, an online weekly newsletter on excess and inequality and writes a weekly column distributed by the OtherWords editorial service.
Buerkle wasn’t the only New York politician noted in the report. Rep. Bill Owens, a Democrat, received a C+, earning him the distinction as one of the 11 House Democrats to do the least to narrow the wealth gap over the last two years.
Meanwhile, in the Senate, Kirsten Gillibrand earned an A for her votes, and Charles Schumer received a C+.
Overall, averaging together all of New York’s Congressional representatives, the state earned a GPA of 2.6, or a B-, on the report card.
To view the report card, visit ips-dc.org/reports/inequality-report-card.
Maffei endorsed by Credit Union Association
Democrat Dan Maffei has earned the endorsement of the Credit Union Association of New York. The organization based its backing of Maffei on meetings with candidates, feedback from credit unions in the candidates’ districts and the candidates’ legislative records.
“Credit unions are such important financial institutions within our communities. The members and the people who work at credit unions know and understand the needs of our local communities,” Maffei said in a release. “As a member of a credit union, I am honored to be endorsed by the Credit Union Association of New York and Central New Yorkers who provide such a valuable service to our local communities.”
Among the reasons cited for his endorsement were Maffei’s participation on the Financial Services Committee, his sponsorship of a bill to carve out credit unions from contributing to the “too big to fail’ fund required under the Dodd-Frank Act and his focus on bringing jobs to his area through investments in its infrastructure.
The Credit Union Association of New York has served as the trade association for the state’s credit unions for 95 years. To learn more about the association, visit cuany.org.
