Gotham Gazette

The Place for New York Policy and politics

Catalina Cruz

Catalina Cruz

  • Clean Slate is Good for New York’s Businesses

    Ready to work (photo: Caroline Willis/Mayoral Photography Office)


    Across New York, many employers continue to struggle to find workers.  

    The labor market remains tight, even amid fears about a looming recession. According to a recently released study by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, there are over 450,000 open jobs in New York State with only about 400,000 unemployed New Yorkers. This workforce shortage has a devastating impact on the New York economy as it drives up costs,

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  • The Solution to Our Labor Shortage is Clear: Remove Barriers to Immigrant Employment

    A naturalization ceremony at City Hall (photo: Michael Appleton/Mayor's Office)


    The economy was the top issue on American voters’ minds this election season, with 9 out of 10 citing it as one of their biggest concerns. Especially in an era of increased partisanship, this serves as a rare moment of national agreement.

    Unfortunately, that’s where the consensus stops.

    The economy isn’t a simple, standalone issue, and many complex forces affect its condition.

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  • 'There's Absolutely More Need': Catalina Cruz on Aid for Immigrant New Yorkers, the Assembly Cuomo Investigation & More

    Catalina Cruz Kathy Hochul

    Assemblymember Cruz, middle, with Governor Hochul (photo: @CatalinaCruzNY)


    “My neighbors speak more than 150 languages. We have folks from all over the world who call this beautiful community their home. They are small business owners, they are first responders, they are frontline workers, we also have Elmhurst hospital. It’s just a beautiful, beautiful community that I am extremely proud to represent,” said Assemblymember Catalina Cruz, a Democrat who represents the 39th Assembly district, made up of Corona, Elmhurst, and Jackson Heights in Queens.

    Appearing on a...

  • Max Politics Podcast: Assemblymember Catalina Cruz on Pro-Immigrant Policies & More

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    Assemblymember Catalina Cruz, center (photo: @CatalinaCruzNY)


    September 29, 2021 - Max Politics Podcast: Assemblymember Catalina Cruz on Aid for Immigrant New Yorkers & More

    Assemblymember Catalina Cruz, a Queens Democrat, joined the show to discuss two state programs to help undocumented immigrants, other work she's doing as chair of the Assembly's Task Force on New Americans, the Assembly judiciary committee's investigation of former Governor Andrew Cuomo, and more.

    Listen to the conversation and let us know

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  • Hunger is Still Here: Nourish New York Can Help

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    Free meals (photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office)


    We are fast approaching the one-year mark of an incredibly tumultuous time, a year filled with hardship and uncertainty. There is neither a geographic corner of New York nor area of industry in our state that has escaped unscathed. As our economy has gone into a tailspin, food insecurity has skyrocketed. Food banks and pantries have emptied their shelves, and farms have been unable to sell their goods as supply lines have been disrupted. One of the most effective ways we have been able to address

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  • New York Looks to Georgia with Senate Control and Much More on the Line

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    Senator Schumer and Governro Cuomo (photo: Kevin P. Coughlin/Governor's Office)


    Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election brought the collective nightmare of the Democratic Party to an end after four years. But the celebration was muted given the party’s majority in the House of Representatives diminished and, more importantly, the fate of the U.S. Senate remained undecided despite grand Democratic hopes for taking the chamber. The near- and long-term implications for New York are immense given the size of the federal aid package that it -- including state and

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  • After Strong Primary Showing, Will New Crop of Progressives Push Assembly Democrats Further Left?

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    The State Assembly (photo: @NYSA_Majority)


    For some time, a lack of Democratic control in the New York State Senate prevented progressive legislation from becoming law. But even after the chamber flipped from red to blue through the 2018 elections and a long list of Democratic priorities were acted on, some bills that once passed the State Assembly when Republicans held the Senate are now having trouble reaching that chamber’s floor, leading to frustration that multiple insurgent campaigns capitalized on in this year’s primary

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  • Assembly Race Poses Another Test for Queens Machine

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    Catalina Cruz (photo: @CatalinaCruzNY)


    Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Democratic primary victory over Rep. Joe Crowley last month in New York’s 14th congressional district sent shockwaves throughout the country and signalled a monumental shift in Queens politics, where the Crowley-led county party has held significant sway in local elections for many years. The effects of Ocasio-Cortez’s win and Crowley’s loss, both nationally and locally, are still developing, but reverberations are certainly being felt in the already-competitive Democratic primary for New York

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