HSC in the News

Report by state Human Services Council shows investment in social programs creates jobs – New York Daily News, January 22, 2012

"A report released last Tuesday by the Human Services Council of New York shows that social programs relied upon by millions of state residents, have been drastically curtailed due to the $800 million in state funding cuts in the last two years. We are talking about such basic services as child care and child welfare, youth and after-school programs, senior services, health programs, employment training and assistance, supportive housing, services for the homeless, and programs for people with disabilities. The list goes on and on..." To read the full article, click here.

Cuomo’s 2012-13 New York State Budget & Reform Plan: Reactions from the 99% – 99% New York, January 17, 2012

"While there are some concerns, HSC appreciates the Governor’s overall recognition of the importance of human services such as child care, a key work support, by increasing state funding by $93 million to offset a reduction in federal funding and the maintenance of other cost-effective human service investments like alternatives to state juvenile justice facility placement and funding for supportive housing..." To read the full article, click here.

HSC Blasts Human Service Cuts as "Lose-Lose Proposition" for State Economy – New York Nonprofit Press, January 17, 2012

"According to "A Lose-Lose Proposition: The Economic Impact of Lost Human Services in New York State", New York State cut a total of $800 million in funding during FY 2009-10 and FY 2010-11 for such vital programs as child care and child welfare, youth and after-school programs, senior services, health programs, employment training and assistance, supportive housing, services for the homeless, and programs for people with disabilities. The impact of these cuts, says HSC, has fallen not only on the people who relied on these services but on the state's overall economy and its citizens as a whole." To read the full article, click here.

Coalition Calls on Governor, Legislature to Close Corporate Tax Loopholes & Level Playing Field for Small Business – 99% New York, January 9, 2012

"A large coalition of community, labor, student, faith and Occupy organizations gathered on Monday to announce their campaign to bring fairness and transparency to New York's corporate tax system. The organizations, who last year worked together on the "Millionaires Tax" and personal income tax reform, are calling on Governor Cuomo and the Legislature to close corporate tax loopholes, raising over $1 billion dollars for this year's state budget." To read the full article, click here.

HSC's Reponse to Governor Cuomo's State of the State Address – New York Nonprofit Press, January 5, 2012

HSC's Executive Director Michael Stoller and Deputy Executive Director Allison Sesso were quoted regarding their response to the Governor's State of the State Address. "We embrace the Governor's sentiments regarding the importance of getting New Yorkers back to work and hope there is a real recognition during the budget negotiation process of the role human services play in removing barriers to work," said Michael Stoller, Executive Director of the Human Services Council. To read the full article, click here.

NYC Youth Alliance Speaks Out Against Cuts – New York Nonprofit Press, January 5, 2012

"Currently, there are 418 Out-of-school Time (OST) (after-school) programs throughout New York City serving roughly 53,000 children and youth. In September of this year, the number of programs will be dramatically reduced to 220- serving roughly 27,000 children and youth." "Out of School Time programs act as job supports for families while also promoting work readiness among young people. We should be investing in these programs during these economically challenging times, not dismantling the system," said Michael Stoller, Executive Director of the Human Services Council. To read the full article, click here.

Who Needs Three French Hens? Get Human Services Instead! – New York Nonprofit Press, December 21, 2011

"The Human Services Council (HSC) has taken the cost estimates of the 12 Days of Christmas gifts published recently by PNC Wealth Management and calculated how many human services could be purchased for the price of items your "true love" gives to you." To read the full article, click here.

HSC Hosts Leadership Awards – New York Nonprofit Press, December 19, 2011

"The Human Services Council (HSC) hosted its annual Leadership Awards Reception on December 14th. Almost 250 people attended this eventand helped HSC meet its goal of raising $110,000 to support HSC’s advocacy efforts to improve human services for New York City." To read the full article, click here.

¿Tendrá usted un hogar para los días feriados? (Will You Have a Home for the Holidays?) - El Diario, December 15, 2011

El Diario la Prensa, New York City's largest and oldest Spanish-language daily newspaper, published an Op-Ed piece by HSC Executive Director Michael Stoller. “Will You Have A Home For The Holidays?” addresses the importance of nonprofit human services to all New Yorkers, including Hispanic families, who currently face both rising poverty and declining funding for health services, housing, child care, elder care, food pantries, and after-school programs.

Stoller reminds us that now is the time, before work on next year's state budget begins, to call or write our State Senators and Assemblymembers and let them know how much we care about human services and that we can't afford any more cuts.

An English-language version of the article is also available.

Nonprofits Claim Campaign Finance Rules Will Muzzle Issue Advocacy – New York Nonprofit Press, October 27, 2011

"Nonprofits are warning New York City Campaign Finance Board (CFB) that their proposed new independent expenditure regulations could have potentially destructive “unintended consequences” for legitimate education and advocacy regarding public policy." To read the full article, click here.

Millionaire's Tax Hot Issue – The Epoch Times, October 17, 2011

"Over the last year, protesters of all sorts rallying for a variety of causes have touted this supplemental tax on wealthy New Yorkers as a sort of panacea..." To read the full article, click here.

Occupy Wall Street Protests Draw Global Attention – The Huffington Post, October 13, 2011

Allison Sesso was quoted in Huffingtonpost regarding the potests at Zuccotti Park. To read the full article, click here.

HSC hosts “ Austerity Breakfast at Tiffany's ” – New York Nonprofit Press, October 13, 2011

Senior lunches, emergency meals for the homeless, and supplies for food pantries were all on the menu at this morning's “ Austerity Breakfast at Tiffany 's ” organized by the Human Services Council. The event was part of a week-long effort to build public awareness of the choices being made by Governor Cuomo and legislative leaders to reduce taxes on the wealthiest New Yorkers while simultaneously slashing services for those most in need. To read full article click here.

Wealthy New Yorkers join protest outside Tiffany's Fifth Ave. store over end of NY millionaires' tax – New York Daily News, October 13, 2011

The Manhattanites joined members of HSC to protest Gov. Cuomo's plans to end the so-called “millionaires tax ” on Dec. 31. To read full article click here.

Executive Compensation Governor Appoints Task Force – New York Nonprofit Press, August 26, 2011

HSC Executive Director, Michael Stoller, is quoted in NYNP regarding executive compensation. “The Governor's call to verify the appropriate use of public funds is correct,” said HSC's Michael Stoller. “The many for-profit companies that derive most of their income from public sources, such as home care agencies and nursing homes, as well as our cultural institutions, public hospitals and universities, for-profit companies that receive tax breaks or government bond money, and government agencies themselves, all need to be examined in this regard to restore public confidence.” To read full article click here.

Budget Deal Mixed Bag for Human Services – New Nork NonProfit Press, July 1, 2011

“The budget results are mixed for human services,” said Allison Sesso, Deputy Executive Director of the Human Services Council of New York. “It could have been worse but it also could have been much better.” To read full article click here.

Local Coalition Urges NY Delegation to Resist Cuts – New York Nonprofit Press, July 13, 2011

A diverse coalition of more than 60 human service,community,senior,labor,economic policy and peace organizations has sent a joint letter to the NYC congressional delegation urging them to provide a strong and clear national voice to protect the country's social contract in the debate over the debt ceiling and the federal budget.
To read the complete article, click here.

The Adopted Budget: Wrap Up and Comments – New York Nonprofit Press, June 30, 2011

The New York Nonprofit Press writes:

“There are approximately $113 million worth of cuts to human service programs in New York City's budget for FY 2011-12 which begins tomorrow, according to the Human Services Council of New York (HSC). The final Adopted Budget was approved by the City Council in a vote yesterday. Originally, Mayor Bloomberg's Executive Budget submission had included an estimated $340 million in proposed cuts to key human services.

“‘We are very pleased to see $227 million (or 67% of proposed cuts) restored to services such as senior services, child are, mental hygiene, domestic violence and other areas,’ says Chris Winward, Senior Policy Analyst at HSC. ‘However, there are still many cuts that will significantly impact providers and clients such as homeless, family and adult literacy, summer youth employment, Beacons and Out of School Time afterschool services. ...’”

To read the complete article, click here.

Schneiderman: Streamlining Non-Profit Regulations – Capital Tonight, June 27, 2011

Nick Reisman Writes:

“Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced today he is forming a panel that will consider a host of reforms for monitoring non-profit organization, saying the current regulations are often burdensome and redundant.

‘For too long, New York's regulatory framework has placed unnecessary burdens on nonprofits, which are simply untenable during these challenging financial times,’ Schneiderman said in a statment. ‘We must modernize the rules of the road so the nonprofit sector can thrive. We can be tougher on policing fraud without imposing needless burdens and costs on this vital sector of New York’s economy.’

The committee is formed after former NARAL Pro-Choice New York Executive Director Kell Conlin pleaded guilty to filing false documents. Conlin, a supporter of Schneiderman's during his successful 2010 campaign, was accused of using her position to use the non-profit’s money to pay for meals, child care costs, car service expenses, and clothing purchases.

Schneiderman's 29-member leadership committee will look at auditing and reporting requirements and how the regulations can be streamlined.

At the same time, Schneiderman plans to have the committee propose measure that would strengthen reporting and training for non-profit employees.”

For the rest of the article and a full list of committee members, including HSC Executive Director Michael Stoller, click here.

City Budget Deal Mixed Bag for Human Services – New York Nonprofit Press, June 27, 2011

The New York Nonprofit Press writes:

“After months of public protests and private negotiations, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Council Speaker Christine Quinn announced a deal on New York City's budget for FY2011-12 which begins on Friday. The agreement, which was announced late on Friday, avoids teacher layoffs and firehouse closings. It also avoids many, but certainly not all, cuts to human service programs.
‘The budget results are mixed for human services,’ said Allison Sesso, Deputy Executive Director of the Human Services Council of New York. ‘It could have been worse but it also could have been much better.’”

To read the rest of the article, click here.

Coalition Proposes “People's Budget” Alternative to Bloomberg's Cuts – New York Nonprofit Press, June 22, 2011

The New York Nonprofit Press writes:

“A growing coalition of nearly 20 City Council Members and leaders from the City’s largest unions and social service advocacy groups joined together at City Hall yesterday to announce the “People’s Budget” plan —a third-way plan to balance the budget and reduce proposed cuts by ending what they described as "failed subsidies to the largest banks", reducing non-human services related city contracts, adopting recommendations by the City’s Independent Budget Office, and enacting a fairer tax code. (...)

‘There is a choice to cutting $285 million in critical human services that help the poor and middle class in NYC to work, care for their families, and become self-sufficient,’ said Michael Stoller, Executive Director of the Human Services Council of NYC. ‘Revenue and alternative savings proposals have to be part of the budget debate, nonprofits and the clients they serve have paid much more than their fair share for long enough.’”

To read more, click here.

HSC Puts Mayor’s Cuts on the Map – New York Nonprofit Press, June 14, 2011

The New York Nonprofit Press writes:

“Where are the budget cuts? They are everywhere, based on an interactive map of Mayor Michael Bloomberg's proposed $400 million in budget cuts to human service programs which has been prepared by the Human Services Council of New York.

To illustrate the extent and impact of the proposed budget reductions, HSC has created an easy-to-use online map that details cuts in each district of the city’s five boroughs. The map can be found at the “Who Cares? I Do” campaign website(...)”

To read more, click here

The “Budget Dance”: It's Time to Change the Steps, June 7, 2011

Allison Sesso, Deputy Executive Director of HSC, writes:

“This time each year, our mayor and city council go through a process insiders call the ‘budget dance.’ Many of us have never learned the dips and spins New York City's budget takes before an after-school program or a senior center are closed for good.

“First step? Baselining. When a program in our city's budget is ‘baselined,’ it becomes part of the core budget, even in hard times.

“Think of your household budget. Bills you must pay each month — like your rent or mortgage — are your baseline. A medical expense, while essential, may not be.

“Next step? Any programs our city council restores to our city's annual budget get funds for one year only and are not baselined. That means they're automatically off the table at the start of next year's ‘budget dance.’ That's no random misstep. It's a deliberate strategy to keep spending in check. If the same programs must be repeatedly restored, there's almost no room to consider new needs, especially in tough times.

“That means the budget dance sidelines many human services. In fact, about $200 million in human services funding falls victim to this process every year — from $4.5 million for food at senior centers to $3 million to reduce infant mortality, from $1.2 million for healthcare in adult shelters to $1.25 million for autism awareness and $6 million for runaway and homeless youth. This puts all these programs and many more that save and transform New Yorkers' lives on shaky ground. Anyone who wants to make sure they survive must spend every May and June making the case for why the funds for these vital services should, once again, be put back into our city budget. (...)”

To read the complete article, click here.

Nonprofits Brace for Employment Hit – Crain's New York Business, June 2, 2011

Crain's New York Business writes:

“Gov. Andrew Cuomo was hailed for shaving 2.3% off the state budget. But what was good for Albany may be bad for the city—especially social service organizations, which say the ripple effect could mean the loss of more than 11,000 nonprofit jobs here.

“That estimate comes from the Human Services Council of New York City, an umbrella organization of nonprofits, which calculates that a job is lost for every $35,000 in cuts. The group says Mayor Mike Bloomberg proposes $400 million in social services cuts largely because Albany requires the city to provide certain services but does not always fund them.”

To read the rest of the article, published on crainsnewyork.com, click here. (Note: you must have a subscription to Crain's to view this page)

May 12th Coalition Marches Again – New York Nonprofit Press, June 1, 2011

The New York Nonprofit Press writes:

“They were back yesterday! It might not have been the full 20,000 who turned out for last month's March on Wall Street, but several hundred members of the May 12th Coalition gathered at City Hall yesterday afternoon calling on Mayor Bloomberg and the City Council to restore proposed cuts to education, health and human services. The group, which included students, labor unions, community groups and human service providers, stretched a giant safety net across Broadway and cut it in a symbolic protest against the Mayor&39;s policies.

“The group urged a variety of revenue-raising options that could be used to offset service cuts, including continuation of the ‘Millionaires Tax’ on high income households, closure of tax loopholes for hedge funds, cuts to bank contracts and an end to tax subsidies for major banks. In total, the May12th Coalition estimates that their proposals would generate $1 billion in additional revenues.

“Once again, the Human Services Council of New York (HSC) played an active role in the rally. ‘The Mayor says he has no choice but to cut $400 million in critical human services for the poor and middle class in New York City,’ said Michael Stoller, HSC’s Executive Director. ‘Well, there is a choice to cutting services that help people to work, care for their families and become self-sufficient. Nonprofits and the clients they serve have paid much more than their share for long enough. That&39;s why HSC began the Who Cares? I Do. Campaign and why we support the recommendations of the May 12th Coalition.’”

To read the complete article, click here.

Cutting Schools Doesn't Add up over Long Term – New York Daily News, May 22, 2011

Albor Ruiz writes in the NY Daily News:

“Penny wise, pound foolish. That's what Mayor Bloomberg's decision to cut $44 million from after-school programs really adds up to.

“‘The mayor's budget cuts nearly $50 million in funding to critical youth programs that keep kids safe from crime, engaged in their communities, and improving educational outcomes,’ said Michael Stoller, executive director, Human Services Council and coordinator of the Who Cares? I Do. Campaign.”

To read the complete article, click here.

Advocates Rally and Tweet against Youth Service Cuts – New York Nonprofit Press, May 20, 2011

The New York Nonprofit Press writes:

“It has been a busy week for New Yorkers expressing opposition to Mayor Michael Bloomberg's proposed cuts to youth services in the FY2012 budget which begins July 1st. Yesterday, advocates, providers and participants gathered at City Hall to urge restoration of a variety of cuts to after school programs and youth development programs. A day earlier, the Save After School Campaign mounted its its first ever Twitter Advocacy Day to mobilize supporters on Twitter and to bring the issue to the attention of Mayor Bloomberg (...)

“The event was organized by the Members of New York City Youth Alliance: The After-School Corporation • Citizens' Committee for Children of New York • Coalition for Asian American Children & Families • The Dryfoos Group • Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies • Human Services Council of New York City • Neighborhood Family Services Coalition • The New York Immigration Coalition • Partnership for After School Education • UJA-Federation of New York • United Neighborhood Houses of New York • YMCA of Greater New York.”

To read the complete article, click here.

Save After School Twitter Advocacy Day Brings Out Stars and Students –, New York Nonprofit Press, May 20, 2011

The New York Nonprofit Press writes:

“On Wednesday, May 18th, the Save After School campaign, advocating for OST (Out-of-School Time) after school programs, held its first ever Twitter Advocacy Day and mobilized an extraordinary range of supporters -- including numerous celebrities who tweeted their views -- to highlight their concerns and bring them to the attention of Mayor Bloomberg (...)

“Some notable organizations that tweeted over the course of the day included:

The Educational Alliance
The 14th Street Y
The After School Corporation (TASC)
After School Alliance
Boys and Girls Clubs of America
Boys and Girls Club of Newark
UJA Federation of New York
Henry Street Settlement
University Settlement and The Door
Big Brothers Big Sisters NYC
CAMBA
Children’s Aid Society
Food Bank for NYC
JCCA and JCCA New York
Partnership for After School Education (PASE)
Learning thru Expanded Arts Program (LEAP)
New Jersey After 3
The Samuel Field Y
Queens Community House
National Afterschool Association
JCC West Hempstead
America’s Promise Alliance
Massachusetts Alliances of Boys & Girls Clubs
Boys and Girls Club of Baton Rouge, LA
New Haven Citywide Youth Coalition
Human Services Council of NY
Who Cares? I Do Campaign
Citizen Action of NY
Boys & Girls Club of Sonoma Valley
Staff members from Millennium Development
Staff members from Sunnyside Community Services”

To read the complete article, click here.

It's May 12th: Human Service Community Joins March on Wall Street – New York Nonprofit Press, May 12, 2011

The New York Nonprofit Press writes:

“After weeks of planning and days of smaller, preliminary activity, the human services community will join with a broad coalition of community, labor and progressive groups in a ‘March to Wall Street’ today at 4:00 p.m. Organizers are expecting that over 10,000 individuals will gather at eight different assembly points representing their particular area of concern. From there, they will march to Wall Street for a ‘Teach In’ and Rally. The overriding message of the event is ‘Make the Big Banks and Millionaires Pay Their Fair Share’. The rally comes in response to budget policies at the City, State and Federal level which have rejected progressive tax increases on corporations and high-income households in favor of major cuts to services for low- and middle-income New Yorkers.

“The Human Services Council of New York, one of the participating groups for today's rally, is urging providers, advocates and anyone else who supports the continued provision of essential human services to gather at 20 Fulton Street at South Street Seaport at 4:00.”

To read the complete article, click here.

Human Services Community Prepares for March on Wall Street – New York Nonprofit Press, May 11, 2011

The New York Nonprofit Press writes:

“Human service providers and advocates are preparing to join with a broad coalition of community, labor and progressive groups in a ‘March to Wall Street’ tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. Organizers of the ‘May 12th Coalition’ are calling on New Yorkers from all walks of life to gather at one of eight different assembly points representing their particular area of concern. From there, they will march to Wall Street for a ‘Teach In’ and Rally. They anticipate that over 10,000 individuals will gather to send a basic message to their elected officials: ‘Make the Big Banks and Millionaires Pay Their Fair Share’. The rally comes in response to budget policies which have rejected progressive tax increases on corporations and high-income households in favor of major cuts to services for low- and middle-income New Yorkers.

“‘The Mayor says he has no choice but to make over $400 million in cuts to critical human services funding to those in need in NYC,’ said Michael Stoller, Executive Director of the Human Services Council of New York. ‘Well there is a choice to cutting the services that help people to work, care for their families, and become self-sufficient - the banking industry and wealthy can pay their fair share too. Nonprofits and the clients they serve have paid much more than their share for long enough. That's why the human services sector will be there On May 12th.’”

To read the complete article, click here.

Thousands Plan to Rally on Wall Street Against Big Banks – AM New York, May 11, 2011

Erik Ortiz wrote in AM New York:

“(...) Participants of the ‘On May 12’ rally will meet at 4 p.m. at eight assembly spots, including City Hall and Bowling Green Park. From there, they'll march to Wall and Water streets, before ending in Battery Park after 5:30 p.m.

“The nonprofit Human Services Council said the city budget proposal already cuts $400 million in human services for immigrants, youth, child care and other groups.

“‘The mayor has said he has no choice but to cut services for the poor and middle class,’ said Chris Winward, senior policy analyst at the Human Services Council.”

To read the full article, click here.

How to Open 31 Offices in One Year – Huffington Post, May 10, 2011

The Human Services Council of NYC is referred to in this article in the Huffington Post discussing the effectiveness of the “train-the-trainer” model of scaling impact.

Advocates React with Concern to Mayor's Executive Budget – New York Nonprofit Press, May 9, 2011

The New York Nonprofit Press writes:

“Despite Mayor Michael Bloomberg's upbeat presentation highlighting his plans to restore funding for 15,000 child care slots, human service advocates have identified many serious concerns with the Executive Budget proposal for FY2011-12. In fact, advocates are already raising questions over the extent to which the Mayor is restoring child care service capacity, or simply shuffling declining resources from one group of needy New Yorkers to another. And, providers are highlighting what they see as an extensive series of budget cuts in a wide range of other human service programs.

“‘While there were only a few additional cuts proposed to human services in the Mayor&39;s FY12 Executive Budget today, the total budget still proposes to cut about $500 million in essential human services,’ said the Human Services Council of New York (HSC) in an email to members. ‘The cuts initiated in the Preliminary Budget and the loss of FY11 City Council funding, which is not baselined, still stand.’”

To read the complete article click here.

Taking It to “The Street”: May 12th Rally Calls for “Banks & Millionaires to Pay Fair Share” – New York Nonprofit Press, May 4, 2011

The New York Nonprofit Press writes:
“With Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Governor Andrew Cuomo polishing their ‘No New Taxes’ campaign buttons via imposition of billions in budget cuts to vital government programs, human service providers are joining a growing coalition of community, labor, and progressive groups in a call for ‘big banks and millionaires to pay their fair share.’

“The coalition is hoping to draw thousands of New Yorkers from all walks of life for a May 12th ‘March to Wall Street’. The May12 Coalition hopes to highlight the contradictions between what it sees as ‘corporate welfare, property tax giveaways, and seemingly endless local and national tax cuts enjoyed by the financial sector’ and the Mayor’s ‘proposed cuts to childcare, classrooms, public safety, and dozens of other services working New Yorkers rely on.’

“‘Mayor Bloomberg has already proposed to cut $500 million in human services funding for next year and has given every indication that he has no choice but further cuts to services for the poor and middle class in NYC,’ said Michael Stoller, Executive Director of the Human Services Council of New York. ‘Well there is a choice, the banking industry and the wealthy can pay their fair share too by giving back $1.5 billion in subsidies, sweetheart deals and tax loopholes. Nonprofits and the clients they serve have paid more than their share for long enough.’”

To read the complete article, click here.

New York Set to Balance Budget on the Backs of Women and Families – Change.org, May 2, 2011

Shelby Knox writes:

“The good news: domestic violence arrests were up by 7% in New York City between 2009 and 2010, while indictments were up by 36% over the same period.

“Unfortunately, while more batterers being held accountable is undoubtedly a good thing, advocates say the higher rate of arrest corresponds with an increase in the overall occurrence of domestic violence. That's bad news. According to Ruth Villonga, spokeswoman for the Mayor's Office to Combat Domestic Violence, the New York Family Justice Center currently sees a hundred more people a week seeking domestic violence services compared to last year.

“Even worse news is that the domestic violence resources New York women rely on to escape abusive relationships and rebuild their lives are on the chopping block. According to Allison Sesso, Deputy Director of the Human Services Council, Governor Andrew Cuomo's budget included a $1 million cut to non-residential domestic violence services that will impact thirteen programs in New York, including the one program that serves domestic violence survivors with disabilities.

“The Human Services Council has started a campaign called ‘Who Cares? I Do’ to protest the sweeping cuts to vital human services in the state budget. The campaign has launched a petition on change.org asking state and city officials to protect New York's women and families from bearing the brunt of cost-cutting measures.”

To read the complete article, click here.

Keeping Human Services Alive in New York City – Examiner.com, April 28, 2011

Jessica Guberman of examiner.com wrote:
“Never before has the sector needed a grassroots campaign more than it does now to advocate for re-allocations of funding to human services to help the most vulnerable populations of people in New York City. ‘To counter this cold climate, HSC is launching a new, proactive campaign that will be targeted in a way HSC has never done before. HSC is seeking to raise public awareness about the need for human services and to work with elected officials to protect and restore critical funding,’ says Michael Stoller, executive director of the Human Services Council.”

To read the full article, click here.

New York Plans Charity Law Reform to Cut Red Tape – Reuters, April 26, 2011

Less than a week after HSC's Executive Committee met with Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, he publicly came out in support of reforms that have been on our agenda for quite some time. We are pleased to share the below article from Reuter's (in which HSC is quoted) highlighting the speech he gave yesterday morning to the Association for a Better New York. HSC is working cooperatively with hiss office on next steps.

To read the full article, click here.

Cuts or Taxes? HSC Wants to Know What You Think – New York Nonprofit Press, April 22, 2011

New York Nonprofit Press helped HSC circulate this poll asking the question: In balancing the budget should NYC consider revenue options, such as fees & taxes, before enacting cuts to human service programs like child care, senior services, food pantries & HIV/AIDS programs? Click here to read the article.

Child Care Cuts a Body Blow to New York's Working Parents – Huffington Post, April 21, 2011

Daniel Collins of the Huffington Post wrote:
“Without the subsidized child care program, some families will struggle along, their lives more chaotic but otherwise unchanged. A great many others, especially the single moms, will leave their children with neighbors or relatives and spend their working days worrying about what's happening back home. Others will give up the fight.

‘Most of these parents are low-income working women,’ said Allison Sesso of the Human Services Council: ‘At some point, economically, it doesn't make sense for them to go to work. And even if they can scrape together the money for child care, it's going to mean serious cuts in other parts of their limited budgets.’”

To read the full article, click here.

500 Turn Out for Demonstration – Brooklyn Daily Eagle, April 19, 2011

The Brooklyn Daily Eagle wrote:
“More than 500 New Yorkers, including advocates, providers, elected officials and individuals who rely on human services, turned out in a pouring rain last week to answer the question "Who Cares?"

The rally was the latest in a series of “Who Cares? I Do!” events organized by Human Services Council of New York (HSC) to highlight the importance of human services in the lives of all New Yorkers and raise awareness of the substantial threats that budget decisions at the city and state level are posing to those vital programs.”

To read the rest of the article, click here. To read more about the Who Cares? I Do. campaign, visit our website at www.whocares-ido.org.

A Case for Tax and Spend – Crain's New York Business.com, April 17, 2011

The following letter by Michael Stoller was published in Crain's New York Business on April 18. (You can click here to view the article online, but you must have a subscription to Crain's to view the article, which is also available in print).

"Supporting the decision to let the income tax surcharge on high earners expire at year-end, Alair Townsend in her March 28 column neglects an essential point: Eliminating the surcharge is bad for New York's economy.

"An extension would have brought in $1 billion in revenue this year and $5 billion next year. Instead, to help close the $10 billion budget deficit, the state is cutting hundreds of millions from human services.

"Nonprofits employ about 1.2 million people, or 17% of the state's work force. Cuts to human services providers mean fewer jobs and less spending in struggling communities. Our ability to assist seniors, run day-care and after-school programs, and help people find employment will be severely compromised."

-Michael Stoller
Executive director
Human Services Council of New York

Aging Service Advocates Protest Case Management Cut – New York Nonprofit Press, April 15, 2011

New York Nonprofit Press wrote:
“A coalition of aging service advocates lead by the Council of Senior Centers and Services (CSCS), Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies (FPWA), United Neighborhood Houses (UNH), City Meals on Wheels, the Human Services Council, and UJA-Federation assembled on the Steps of City-Hall to inform the public and to speak out against the proposed cuts 6.6 million dollar cut to case management. The protest was the latest in a series of City Hall events highlighting a range of cuts to human services proposed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg.”

To read the full article, click here.

"Caring in the Rain": 500 Rally with HSC to Protest Service Cuts – New York Nonprofit Press, April 13, 2011

Tuesday's Who Cares? I Do. rally was a huge success! Five hundred people came out in the rain to show their support for the human services sector. The Comptroller of the City of New York and six members of the City Council spoke as well as clients of HSC's member agencies. To read the article, click here. For more information, and to show your support of the human services sector, visit the campaign website at www.whocares-ido.org.

Back to Work: Budget Cuts Imperil Brooklyn's Booming Health Care Business – The BrooklynInk, April 8, 2011

Allison Sesso, deputy executive director of HSC was quoted in this article in The BrooklynInk, the second in an ongoing series about jobs in Brooklyn. Click here to read the article.

State Budget Agreement Leaves Advocates Dismayed and Disappointed – New York Nonprofit Press, March 29, 2011

Allison Sesso is quoted in this article about the State Budget Cuts. Click here to read.

Keeping Human Services Alive in New York City – examiner.com™ New York, March 28, 2011

examiner.com™ published an article about HSC and the Who Cares? I Do. campaign. Click here to read. You can also go to the campaign website, www.whocares-ido.org, to learn more.

Council Members, De Blasio, Others Rally Against Social Service Cuts – Brooklyn Eagle, March 28, 2011

The Brooklyn Eagle ran an article about an HSC organized rally against human service cuts. Click here to read. You can also get involved by visiting HSC's campaign website www.whocares-ido.org.

Elected Officials Join Advocates in Opposing Budget Cuts – New York Nonprofit Press, March 24, 2011

Michael Stoller, Executive Director of the Human Services Council is quoted in this NYNP article about the budget cuts.

Advocates Urge Personal Income Tax Surcharge as Alternative to Cuts – New York Nonprofit Press, March 22, 2011

Michael Stoller is quoted in this NYNP article about increasing the personal income tax instead of cutting the budgets for necessary programs.

Spending Cuts Could Threaten Women's Progress – Gotham Gazette, March, 2011

Michael Stoller and Allison Sesso wrote this article published in the Gotham Gazette about how the budget cuts will affect women particularly hard. Allison also gave an interview on the subject on WBAI, (listed under the Radio section above), which you can listen to here. The interview starts at minute 32:26 and ends at minute 60:28.

More Help than Harm: Extend The Personal Income Tax Surcharge – Brooklyn Eagle, March 11, 2011

Michael Stoller's Editorial Viewpoint was published in the Brooklyn Eagle. You can read it here.

Who Cares in Albany? – New York Nonprofit Press, March 8, 2011

HSC's Who Cares? I Do. campaign was the subject of this article in the NYNP.

Savino Unions Need to Work More Closely with Non-Profits – Capitol Confidential, March 8, 2011

HSC's Who Cares? I Do. campaign was mentioned in this blog post.

New York City NonProfits Face Cuts Despite Mayor's Optimism – Chronicle of Philanthropy, March 2, 2011

Allison Sesso is quoted in this Chronicle of Philanthropy article.

Triple Threat Federal, State, City Budgets Slash Human Service Funding – New York Nonprofit Press, February 28, 2011

HSC's Who Cares? I Do. campaign is mentioned in this NYNP article about the budget cuts.

New York Nonprofits Rally Taxpayers to Protest Proposed Cuts – Chronicle of Philanthropy, February 24, 2011

Allison Sesso is quoted in this Chronicle of Philanthropy article about the Who Cares? I Do. campaign.

Who Cares? You Do! HSC Launches Advocacy Campaign – New York Nonprofit Press, February 14, 2011

Michael Stoller is quoted in this NYNP article about HSC's new Who Cares? I Do. campaign. Read more about the campaign at www.WhoCares-IDo.org.

While Albany Slashes the Budget, They Suffer – Metro NY, February 13, 2011

The Human Services Council's Who Cares? I Do. campaign is mentioned in this Metro NY article.

Governor Proposes $9 Billion in Budget Cuts – New York Nonprofit Press, February 1, 2011

Allison Sesso is quoted in this NYNP article along with other Advocates and Providers commenting on the state budget cuts.

Rough Road Ahead for City Budget – Gotham Gazette, January 7, 2011

HSC Executive Director, Michael Stoller, is quoted in this Gotham Gazette article about the City's mid-year budget plan.

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