Tax credits to farms for donating produce to local food banks has been vetoed

The legislation, A10584, was supported by interest groups, namely the Hunger Action Network of New York State and the New York Farm Bureau. Farmers filing under the personal income tax or corporation franchise tax would be eligible for a tax credit equal up to 25 percent of the value of food donated to a food bank.

The state Assembly and Senate passed the bill by votes of 139-0 and 62-0, respectively.

“While the bill refers to accepted wholesale prices, the age, quality and quantity of the donated food will vary, as will the market for such food, thus making it extremely difficult to establish an enforceable and verifiable wholesale value in regulation,” Cuomo wrote in his veto message.

“This uncertainty would harm all parties, as the state would have no method to audit a farmer’s valuation and the farmer would have no basis upon […]

February 24th, 2017|Categories: External posts|

People’s State of the State Highlights Issues Needing More Attention from Lawmakers
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People’s State of the State Highlights Issues Needing More Attention from Lawmakers

People’s State of the State Highlights Issues Needing More Attention from Lawmakers

02/20/2017

People’s State of the State Calls Out New York’s Income Inequality

ALBANY, N.Y. — Through song and prayer, the 27th annual People’s State of the State called on lawmakers to remember who activists called New Yorker’s in crisis.

“Nothing is in a silo. If someone’s homeless, they’re probably hungry. If someone’s hungry, they’re probably close to being homeless,” said Susan Zimet, Hunger Action Network of NYS executive director.

The 2017 address, held outside the Capitol Building in Albany, focused on a “Preparedness Checklist” which included housing, healthcare access, a living wage and tax fairness.

“Not only do we have to extend the Millionaires’ Tax and not allow it to expire, but we need to expand the Millionaires’ Tax to ask the wealthy to pay a little bit more,” said activist Ron Deutsch.

The group would like to see all of New York State with a $15 minimum wage. Right now, only New York City is on track for that by the end of 2018.

The group praised Gov. Andrew Cuomo for his free college tuition plan announced Tuesday, but said more funding is needed for New York public schools.

“We want free college for our students but we want them to be college ready when they graduate high school and they can’t be college ready if we don’t fund our schools,” said Jasmine Gripper, Alliance for Quality Education Legislative Director.

Their main message to lawmakers before returning to […]

February 20th, 2017|Categories: External posts, News from HANNYS|

Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s farm-to-food-bank veto slammed by anti-hunger advocates

02/20/2017

Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s farm-to-food-bank veto slammed by anti-hunger advocates

The Democratic governor vetoed the bill this week, the second time in two years the measure has passed the Legislature only to be blocked by Cuomo. This year, the legislation passed the Assembly and Senate unanimously.

“Gov. Cuomo has let down the 2.7 million New Yorkers who rely on emergency food programs to feed themselves and their families and those of us working on the front lines of hunger,” said Susan Zimet, executive director of the Hunger Action Network of New York State, one of 144 anti-hunger groups, environmental organizations and agricultural associations that backed the credit.

Farmers last year donated 12 million pounds of food in New York. Supporters argue that number could go up dramatically if the state gives a credit to farmers to offset the cost of harvesting and transporting surplus crops that otherwise might go to waste. The credit would be capped at $5,000 annually.

February 20th, 2017|Categories: External posts|

On Veterans Day, Hunger Action Network spotlights food insecurity among current and former members of military

02/20/2017

On Veterans Day, Hunger Action Network spotlights food insecurity among current and former members of military

KINGSTON >> Food insecurity is a growing problem among active-duty military families as well as veterans, according to Susan Zimet, executive director of the Hunger Action Network of New York State.

Zimet first became involved in military personnel issues when, as an Ulster County legislator, she spearheaded the effort to create an Ulster County veterans’ cemetery.

Now, in her current post, she is shining a spotlight on military families and veterans who are faced with the inability to put food on the table.

“We actually have our soldiers, active-duty military soldiers, who are going overseas, putting their life on the line, and their families are left back here, in New York state, back in America, having to use food stamps to go shopping in the military commissaries where the food is already relatively cheap, or going someplace else so nobody sees them because they are so embarrassed that their families are literally on food stamps because our soldiers aren’t getting paid enough for their families to be able to pay for food,” said Zimet, who also is a former town of New Paltz supervisor.

Ulster County Executive Michael Hein’s administration took up the issue of veterans’ homelessness and food […]

February 20th, 2017|Categories: News from HANNYS|

The Number Of Hungry And Homeless Students Rises Along With College Costs
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The Number Of Hungry And Homeless Students Rises Along With College Costs

The Number Of Hungry And Homeless Students Rises Along With College Costs

02/08/2017

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin surveyed more than 4,000 undergrads at community colleges across the country. The results? Twenty percent of students reported being hungry, 13 percent homeless.
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February 8th, 2017|Categories: External posts|