Long Islanders Gather in Hempstead to Discuss the Potential Harm of Trump’s ‘Billionaire-First’ Economic Plan
“We Know a Lot About Tariffs, and They’re Wildly Ineffective.” - Dr. Matthew Record
HEMPSTEAD, NEW YORK — Yesterday, Empire State Voices, Long Island Progressive Coalition, and The Corridor Counts held a community forum in the Kennedy Park Meeting Room in Hempstead to discuss the threat posed by President Trump’s economic agenda of sweeping tariffs and tax cuts for the wealthy.
The evening featured a moderated panel discussion led by Empire State Voices Regional Organizing Director Dylan Wheeler. The discussion focused on Donald Trump’s proposed economic agenda for his second term and the threat it poses to working families across New York and Long Island. Guest panelists included Joe Sackman, Executive Director of the Long Island Progressive Coalition; Mimi Pierre Johnson, President and Founder of the Elmont Cultural Center; and Dr. Matthew Record, Professor of History and Political Science at Molloy University.
From left to right: Dylan Wheeler, Mimi Pierre Johnson, Dr. Matthew Record, and Joe Sackman | Credit: Empire State Voices
President Donald Trump originally announced plans to impose 25% tariffs on all goods imported from Canada and Mexico, as well as a 10% tariff on all Chinese goods, beginning on day one of his presidency. Though he has since kicked the can down the road to February 1st, Trump’s plan still poses a massive threat to the cost of living for millions of New Yorkers. If implemented, these tariffs would likely raise costs on everything from groceries and gas to clothing, electronics, and prescription drugs, putting even more strain on American families already struggling under high prices.
“There’s a lot in this world we haven’t studied to a great extent. There’s a lot in this world that is difficult to study. Tariffs are the thing that have maybe been studied more than anything in economics,” said Dr. Matthew Record, Professor of History and Political Science at Molloy University. “We know a lot about tariffs, and they’re wildly ineffective… They make trade less likely to occur, they make it more likely that people are going to lose their jobs, they make it more likely that innovation is not going to happen, that companies that don’t do a good job are going to stay in business anyway because they’re being protected by the government, and by far the most important thing is they make everything more expensive.”
“We know a lot about tariffs, and they’re wildly ineffective.” -Dr. Matthew Record | Credit: Empire State Voices
“I have the privilege of talking to families and hearing what they are going through as they try to pay for everyday necessities,” said Mimi Pierre Johnson, President and Founder of the Elmont Cultural Center. “Whether it's for food, housing, or healthcare, families on Long Island are struggling to get by. I can't imagine how devastating it will be when the Trump tariffs start to hit our goods and services. Not everyone understands that when other countries pay higher tariffs, they pass those costs along, and we are the consumers who will pay a higher price.”
Trump’s tariffs are all in an effort to pay for additional tax cuts for billionaires and corporations. His signature piece of legislation from his first term, the 2017 Republican Tax Law, gives the richest Americans a tax break 120 times larger than that for middle-income families. By imposing tariffs on imported goods and raising prices on working people, Trump hopes to raise enough money to give the ultra-wealthy even more.
“I can't imagine how devastating it will be when the Trump tariffs start to hit our goods and services.” -Mimi Pierre Johnson | Credit: Empire State Voices
“Just this week, we saw the Trump Administration attempt to cut off funding for all programs and services across the country that rely on federal money,” said Dylan Wheeler, NY-04 Regional Organizing Director for Empire State Voices, “This blanket shutoff would have affected everything from Medicaid and Section 8 housing to SNAP and WIC food assistance, veterans’ services, and Head Start programs. If this is the Trump agenda for his second term, we need to stay vigilant and fight to protect our neighbors and communities here on Long Island—because this administration clearly won’t.”
“Donald Trump’s willingness and recent actions to undermine our economy, government, and the financial and social stability of the working families of this nation is a clear sign he cares more for his fellow oligarchs and their corporations than the welfare of this nation,” said Joe Sackman, Executive Director of the Long Island Progressive Coalition.
“[Donald Trump’s recent actions] are a clear sign he cares more for his fellow oligarchs and their corporations than the welfare of this nation” -Joe Sackman | Credit: Empire State Voices
To learn more about Empire State Voices, please reach out to press@empirestatevoices.org
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About Empire State Voices
Empire State Voices (ESV) is a multi-year campaign dedicated to amplifying the voices of everyday working New Yorkers. ESV is fighting for economic policies that make life more affordable for constituents and holding members of Congress across the state accountable when they fail to do the same.
About Long Island Progressive Coalition
The Long Island Progressive Coalition fights for structural change at the local, state, and national levels to attain racial justice, build community wealth, and realize a just transition to a 100% renewable energy future.
About The Corridor Counts
The Corridor Counts, Inc. is a dynamic coalition of community advocates, educators, laborers, public servants, youth leaders, anti-violence activists, and professionals from various sectors who are united in their commitment to creating positive change.
