Empire State Voices Attends the Great New York State Fair!
Ahead of August 31 Launch Event, Empire State Voices Spoke to Residents of NY-22 About the Economic Issues Most Important to Them
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK — Yesterday, Empire State Voices (ESV) attended the Great New York State Fair, speaking to local residents about the economic issues most impacting their lives. The nonprofit organization is formally launching its advocacy effort in New York’s 22nd Congressional District next Thursday, August 31st, drawing attention to Congressman Brandon Williams’ record of prioritizing corporations and the ultra-wealthy over his own constituents.
The Empire State Voices team arrives at the Great New York State Fair | Credit: ESV
Since taking office in January, Rep. Brandon Williams has continuously failed to fight for the best interests of everyday New Yorkers. His very first vote after taking office was to protect ultra-wealthy and corporate tax cheats. He has since voted to give $6 billion in tax cuts to big oil and gas corporations, voted to make it harder for seniors to access their Medicare and Social Security benefits, and failed to come out in support of raising the federal minimum wage.
Rep. Williams is expected to support an upcoming Republican package of tax bills that is making its way through the House. The GOP Tax Scam does little to help working families, with the vast majority of benefits going to “the richest one percent of Americans and foreign investors.” Empire State Voices recently unveiled a new billboard just outside the State Fair, calling on local residents to contact Rep. Williams and voice their opposition to the legislation.
ESV's billboard along I-690 in Syracuse, just outside the New York State Fair | Credit: ESV
“Brandon Williams made a lot of promises during his campaign, but the past eight months have shown us where his true loyalties lie,” said Prerna Deer, Regional Organizing Director for Empire State Voices. “Rep. Williams has failed to stand up for the best interests of his constituents here in NY-22. He’s spent his time in Washington fighting for big corporations and the richest Americans while the rest of us struggle to make ends meet.”
“[The GOP tax bill] is very typical of what [Republicans] have been trying to do for the past 20 years, which is give all the money back to the rich. ... It’s just another way of fleecing the middle class and the lower class,” said Anne-Marie, a teacher and resident of Liverpool, NY. “New Yorkers, we really need somebody to start fighting for us—the middle class—not the filthy rich.”
“[Members of Congress] should be focused more on small business owners because we’re the ones who build the cities and the local communities,” said Rami, a restaurant and food truck owner and resident of Syracuse. “They should be out with the people, not sipping champagne with the ultra-rich. They don’t know what we’re dealing with on a daily basis like that.”
To learn more about the campaign, 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.
