The Clergy Campaign for Social and Economic Justice

A Statement from The Clergy Campaign for Social and Economic Justice on the Proposed Legislative Increase to the N.Y.S. Minimum Wage in the New York State Budget. The Clergy Campaign for Social and Economic Justice (CCSEJ) working together in an

august determined coalition of faith leaders, social activists and labor organizations, has worked diligently in advocacy on behalf of the legislative increase in the New York State minimum wage, which would help to bring dignity to the working poor of the City and State of New York and that serves to honor all work as a core value of family and respectful human purpose in our civil society. An increase to the minimum wage in the State and across the nation is desperately needed, and New Yorks Governor Cuomo and the New York State legislature have the present opportunity to lead the way setting the moral and political bar on wages paid to the least among us in the State, lifting the working poor and thousands of working families to greater selfsufciency, a constituency without powerful voice in Albany. An opportunity, that with todays announced New York State budget deal, they have now squandered. On this urgently needed increase to the minimum wage a nal secret deal has been brewed in Albany, now with four men in the room instead of the usual three, and again with no public transparency, or accountability. It is absolutely clear that Governor Cuomo, and the new governing coalition in the New York State Senate, consisting of the Independent Democratic Coalition (the IDC) and the N.Y. State Senate Republican's have felt the political and media pressure as their entire rationale for being is under moral and political scrutiny in the face of overwhelming support around the state for a needed increase in the minimum wage among other dire pressing issues. It has become abundantly clear that the proposed New York State budget deal on this increase falls far short of the goal of greater self-sufciency, human empowerment and dignity on behalf of the working poor and the working family. Oftentimes groups have to become pragmatic and resign themselves to the fact that advocates have to ght for what they can get and learn to see the proverbial glass as half full. CCSEJ has no quarrels with those within our coalition of faith, social and labor activists who have taken this position. However, CCSEJ and our network of churches, clergy and people of

The Clergy Campaign for Social and Economic Justice

faith and conscience cannot embrace this position and reject in its entirety the reported proposed compromise. We do so for the following reasons: 1. We are clergy and peoples of faith and conscience, we are NOT politicians. Our principles and impetus for social action and our stand for social and economic justice emanate not from a root of political pragmatism, but from a root of faith in God, a life of ministry in service to the same and His Creation. We believe that our core must be rooted in the highest of human ideals. The machinations in the negotiations we've witnessed in Albany over the last week have been anything but the highest of human ideals. The negotiations and political bargaining have been deceptive, opaque, illegitimate and immoral, as over a million New Yorker's will still be earning wages far below the federal poverty guidelines so that business owners and corporations can turn prots on their backs. The failure to raise the wage to the meager $9/hr. by January 1, 2014, as set by President Barack Obama in the State of the Union, is a governmental and political acknowledgement that it is acceptable for certain segments of our society to languish in poverty while others thrive at their expense. Tip workers in restaurants and other businesses, for example, have been excluded from any increase in the minimum wage, and any reasoning behind this is illegitimate, immoral and humanely wrong. Consequently, we declare the announced N.Y.S. Budget deal an immoral budget. We believe that our politicians owe those that they know are suffering among us and struggling to feed their families a better opportunity to raise their heads above the prevailing economic ood waters and more fully participate in civil society. 2. The reality of the new governing coalition in the New York State Senate is proving to be a horric nightmare for the vast majority of the peoples of the State of New York. 27+ 5 still equals 32. Had the more 'enlightened' Senate IDC negotiated and formed a governing coalition with the 'dysfunctional' Senate Democrats, instead of the 'obstructionist' Senate Republicans, we'd have a $9/hr. minimum wage in NYS today on behalf of working families and the working poor. The same governing deal that was struck with the Republican leader, Sen. Dean Skelos, could've been struck with the State Senate Democratic Caucus, and the progressive agenda would've been far further along. The Good Lord knows that State Senate
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The Clergy Campaign for Social and Economic Justice

Democrats would've agreed to terms in order to take over power in the New York State Senate. The question becomes for all people of faith and good conscience, does this new governing coalition mean that the progressive agenda to lift and support those in poverty, the working poor and the middle class in NYS will be continually obstructed and marginalized in favor of the rich as this new governing coalition endures? The people of God and conscience make it abundantly clear that we do not have to accept 'HALF A LOAF' from self-serving politicians because we are not compelled to eat their IMMORAL BREAD.

Here's a Word from God for our Governor and the New York State Senate leadership to consider; Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God". Our New York State government must DO and BE better on behalf of the people of the State. The New York State Senate IDC exists because of intractable personal squabbles within the Senate Democratic Caucus, squabbles that have now cost us a preferred deal on the minimum wage and that will result in further setbacks to the progressive agenda if there are not immediate proactive steps taken to change it. This proposed deal is a disservice to the working poor, our working families and all the peoples of the State of New York, and believe us, GOD is NOT PLEASED ....

The Clergy Campaign for Social &Economic Justice

The Clergy Campaign for Social and Economic Justice

Signed by the following committed religious and faith communities:

The Rt. Reverend Bishop Dr. Raymond H. Rufen-Blanchette, STM, DD, PhD Executive Chairman The Clergy Campaign for Social and Economic Justice Bishop General Secretary & Prelate Consul United Churches for Kingdom Building The Most Rev. Apostle Dr. Victor Clark-Hinds, STM, DD, PhD Archbishop & Prelate United Churches for Kingdom Building Bishop Primate World Assemblies of Restoration United Churches for Kingdom Building in America Archbishop Russell James, DD Senior Pastor One Offering Tabernacle Fellowship Archbishop & Metropolitan The Holy Orthodox Communion of Churches The Holy Orthodox Communion of Churches in America The Rt. Reverend Bishop Orlando Findlayter Senior Pastor New Hope Christian Fellowship Chairman Churches United to Save and Heal (CUSH) Chairman & CEO New Hope Academy Charter School

The Clergy Campaign for Social and Economic Justice

Reverend Gabriel Salguero President The Lambs Church President The National Latino Evangelical Coalition Demi McGuire NYS Episcopal Public Policy Network Rev. Derrick Boykin Walker Memorial Church Sister Judy Fay, CSJ Director St. Raphael Parish Social Ministry East Meadow, New York The Hunger Action Network of New York State Philip J. Malebranche Carol Bullard First Presbyterian Church of Albany, New York The Rev. Glenn D. Leupold, Co-Pastor First Presbyterian Church of Albany, New York Reverend Juan Carlos Morales Assemblies of God Five Gospel Assembly Micah Fellow/ Micah Institute NYTS Clergy Organizer RWDSU

The Clergy Campaign for Social and Economic Justice

Rev. Dr. Raymond Rivera Executive Director Latino Pastoral Action Center Dr. Anne Klaeysen Leader New York Society for Ethical Culture Lisel Burns Leader Emerita Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture Co-chair National Ethical Action Committee American Ethical Union Catherine Bordeau Leader Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture Curt Collier Leader NY Society for Ethical Culture Dr. Robert Berson Leader Northern Westchester Ethical Society Mark D. Wise, M.Div. Leader in Training American Ethical Union Rabbi Ellen Lippmann Rev. Peter Goodwin Heltzel, PhD Associate Professor of Theology & Director Micah Institute, New York Theological Seminary

The Clergy Campaign for Social and Economic Justice

Rabbi Ari Weiss Uri L'Tzedek Rabbi Aryeh Berstein Yeshivat Mechon Hadar Rev. Doris Johnson Pastor Holy Ghost Upper Room Ministries The Rev. Terry Michael Lee Senior Pastor By-Ways and Hedges Youth for Christ Ministries Chairman Community Concerns Network Rev. Justine Emenike Senior Pastor New Life Redemption Church Rev. Dr. Robert M. Waterman Senior Pastor Antioch Baptist Church The Rt. Rev. Marcos A. Miranda Commanding Officer New York State Chaplin Taskforce Rev. James Thornton Senior Pastor Salem Missionary Baptist Church Rev. Dr. Henry Bolden Senior Pastor Greater Eternal Baptist Church

The Clergy Campaign for Social and Economic Justice

Rev. Sharon Williams Senior Pastor Baptist International Mission Church The Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi Chuang Yen Monastery Queens Clergy United for Community Empowerment Imam Talib Abdur-Rashid The Mosque of Islamic Brotherhood Muslim Alliance in North America Rev. Larry W. Davidson Pastor Harvest Revival Full Gospel Baptist Church The Rev. Dr. Donna Schaper Senior Minister Judson Memorial Church The Reverend Paul Meyer Occupy Faith NYC Brooklyn Congregations United Rev. Que English Bronx Christian Fellowship Church Bronx, New York Rev. Tim English Bronx Christian Fellowship Church Bronx, New York The Bronx Clergy Roundtable

The Clergy Campaign for Social and Economic Justice

The New York City Clergy Roundtable The Haitian Centers Council, Inc. OccupyFaithNYC Rev. Michael Ellick, Min. Judson Memorial Church Rev. Samuel Nicholas Evangelical Crusade of Fishers of Men Church Imam Nurudeen Sulayman, MSW Nurudeen Islamic Charity Organization of New York Abdul Hafeez Muhammad Muhammad Mosque No. 7 together with thousands of other clergy leadership and peoples of faith and good conscience in the State of New York. We shall remember.