UUP, NYSUT and a number of other labor and community groups have worked together with the Fiscal Policy Institute and New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness to present proposals to help the state resolve its fiscal crisis.

Now they’ve formed a coalition called A Better Choice for New York. The group is suggesting a number of revenue-raising ideas it believes would generate additional income and cut costs for the state.

When meeting with state lawmakers, UUP members can point to these suggestions as an alternative to the budget cuts targeted at SUNY in the proposed state budget. Among the proposals: a temporary higher income-tax bracket for individuals earning more than $1 million, and a partial repeal of a tax rebate on stock transactions.

“An important part of our group’s work has been to identify ways in which New York can find the money it needs to mitigate the economic downturn,” said UUP President Phillip Smith. “So when someone asks, ‘What are the unions proposing as an alternative to the cuts?’ our members can tell them that we’ve made several proposals and suggestions.”

A list of the coalition’s proposals can be found at www.abetterchoiceforny.org/. Go to the bottom of the page and click on “Chart: Revenue-Raising and Cost-Saving Options.”

— Donald Feldstein