Gotham Gazette

The Place for New York Policy and politics

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Urban Issues: Economy


URBAN ISSUES - ECONOMY
• Jobs
• Minimum Wage
• North American Free Trade Agreement
• Taxes

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John Edwards

Edwards proposes a new round of funding for New Markets Tax Credit, a program that matches $3 of investment from private companies with $1 in federal funding. In the past this program generated $26 billion for high tech jobs. Edwards also proposes doubling funding for grants for community development organizations. He also proposes a Training Works initiative to connect businesses and community colleges with local residents seeking jobs.

Edwards would raise the minimum wage from $5.15 to at least $6.65 an hour.

Edwards was not in office when the North American Free Trade Agreement was passed. He said if he were in office, he would have voted against it. He says it must be amended to keep jobs in the U.S.

Edwards wants to repeal tax cuts for families with incomes above $200,000. He also has proposed a $2,500 tax credit for families with newborn babies to be used to pay for childcare. He would give a 10 percent tax credit for companies that keep jobs in the US.

John Kerry

Kerry proposes a State Tax Relief and Education Fund that will help states with $50 billion over two years to ease education cuts, tuition increases, and local taxes. He also wants to double the number of urban business zones that receive tax incentives. He supports private job training centers and promises to expand opportunities for minority and women owned business.

Kerry would raise the minimum wage, but did not say how much.

Kerry voted for the North American Free Trade Agreement, but says that it may need to be amended to keep jobs in the U.S.

Kerry wants to repeal tax cuts for families with incomes above $200,000. He also supports a State Tax Relief and Education Fund that will help states so they don’t have to make cuts or raise taxes. Kerry wants to protect the increases in the child tax credit, the reduced marriage penalty, and the new tax bracket that helps people save $350 on their first level of income.

Dennis Kucinich

Kucinich would offer state and local governments $50 billion in interest free loans every year for ten years to help create jobs.

Kucinich would raise the minimum wage from $5.15 to $8.50 an hour.

Kucinich said he would repeal the North American Free Trade Agreement to keep jobs in the United States.

Kucinich would repeal all of President Bush's tax cuts, and offer $87 billion in tax credits for middle- and low-income families.

Al Sharpton

Sharpton proposes spending $50 billion a year for five years on highway, railway, and infrastructure as a way to create jobs.

Sharpton would raise the minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.15 an hour.

Sharpton would repeal the North American Free Trade Agreement to keep jobs in the United States.

Sharpton would repeal all tax cuts and institute new taxes on the wealthy and corporations to pay for education, health care, and social programs. He would increase child tax credits and earned income tax credits.

George W. Bush

In May 2003, President Bush signed the Job and Growth Act, which cut capital gains and dividends taxes and gave $20 billion in state aid to create new jobs. The White House Economic report issued in February predicted that 300,000 new jobs a month will be created by the end of 2004. However, recently the administration said that those job predictions were too high.

Bush has not supported a minimum wage increase.

Bush supports the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Bush signed tax cuts over the last three years that will total over 1 trillion dollars over six years. New Yorker City’s portion is about $78 billion. He wants to continue these tax cuts into the future.

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GOTHAM GAZETTE’S RELATED ARTICLES


• Federal Job Training and New York City
• Why the Minimum Wage Should Be Raised in New York
• Why the Minimum Wage Should Not Be Raised in New York
• Bush's Tax Cuts and New York

 

Urban Issues: Crime


URBAN ISSUES - CRIME
• Gun Laws
• Policing/Sentencing
• Death Penalty

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John Edwards

Edwards opposes granting gun makers immunity from civil lawsuits. He supports background checks at gun shows that are required for other gun sales.

Edwards supports the Community Oriented Policing Program that would put over 100,000 officers on the streets. He also urges the reform of probation and parole system to give more supervision to offenders released from prison. Edwards promises to end racial profiling in law enforcement.

Edwards supports the death penalty.

John Kerry

Kerry opposes granting gun makers immunity from civil lawsuits. He supports background checks at gun shows that are required for other gun sales.

Kerry supports the Community Oriented Policing Program that would put over 100,000 police officers on the streets. He supports increased funding for drug rehabilitation programs, increased supervision for offenders after they are released from prison, and proposes a commission to review sentencing laws in order to assure that the penalties are appropriate to the crimes.

Kerry opposes the death penalty, except for terrorists.

Dennis Kucinich

Kucinich opposes granting gun makers immunity from civil lawsuits. He supports background checks at gun shows that are required for other gun sales.

Kucinich does not support funding for the Community Oriented Policing Program. He supports vocational, job training, and job placement for inmates coming out of prison. He supports programs for drug treatment and reduced sentences for non-violent offenders. Kucinich advocates for programs for at-risk youth and imposing stricter penalties for white-collar crimes.

Kucinich opposes the death penalty.

Al Sharpton

Sharpton opposes granting gun makers immunity from civil lawsuits. He supports background checks at gun shows that are required for other gun sales.

Sharpton does not support funding for the Community Oriented Policing Program. He supports vocational and job training for inmates coming out of prison. He supports programs for drug treatment and reduced sentences for non-violent offenders. He supports programs for at-risk youth and imposing stricter penalties for white-collar crimes. He promises to end racial profiling by police officers.

Sharpton opposes the death penalty.

George W. Bush

Bush opposes granting gun makers immunity from civil lawsuits. He supports background checks at gun shows that are required for other gun sales.

Bush cut funding for the Community Oriented Policing Program, which some critics say hurt local police departments. Bush created a Project Safe Neighborhoods program aims to increase communication between federal and local authorities by establishing a specific contact person within the district U.S. attorney’s office who will ensure that local areas receive information and resources.

Bush supports the death penalty.

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GOTHAM GAZETTE’S RELATED ARTICLES


• Federal Government and Crime
• Suing for Gun Control
• Death Penalty and Parole Reform
• Repeat Offenders

 

Urban Issues: Immigration


URBAN ISSUES - IMMIGRATION

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John Edwards

Edwards supports reform of current immigration policy to create “a clear road map to legalization and citizenship for undocumented immigrants who work hard and follow the law.” He supports increased security on the U.S./Mexico border to protect against illegal immigration. He supports an earned legalization program to help working immigrants gain citizenship more quickly.

John Kerry

Kerry supports reform of current immigration policy. He supports efforts to restore benefits to legal immigrants and legislation for undocumented young people have grown up and graduated from high school in the U.S. He believes the naturalization process for legal permanent residents serving in the Armed Forces should be expedited. Kerry supports a proposal that will allow undocumented immigrants to legalize their status if they have been in the United States for a certain amount of time, have been working, and can pass a background check. He also calls for increased funding for border enforcement to ensure that only legal immigrants can enter the country.

Dennis Kucinich

Kucinich promises to legalize the status of tax-paying undocumented workers in the U.S. He supports a partnership with Mexico to control the flow of immigrants into the country.

Al Sharpton

Sharpton would relax restrictions barring legal immigrants from taking part in programs like public housing and food stamps.

George W. Bush

In January 2004, Bush outlined a new policy that would give a temporary 3-year work visas to immigrants who are willing to take a job that no American wants. The proposal would require employers to sponsor a worker and the visa would have to be renewed. Bush's policy comes after several years of more stringent immigration regulations, including requiring visitors from certain countries to register with the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Many immigrant advocates in New York criticized Bush's new plan, saying it would give too much power to employers and could potentially deport people after they have already worked for years.

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GOTHAM GAZETTE’S RELATED ARTICLES


• Urban Agenda: Immigration
• Bush's Temporary Worker Program
• Citizenship and Voting
• Immigrant Soldiers
• Special Registration

 



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