Image by Getty Images via @daylifeNew York governor's dilemma - look after the rich or the deprived...
Gov. Andrew Cuomo is facing a choice: Throw thousands of homeless kids into the streets of New York -- or give tax breaks to millionaires.
You heard that right. Gov. Cuomo may approve a budget this week that includes drastic cuts for homeless youth services -- cuts that will slash funding to state homeless shelters by more than half, forcing thousands of kids out of shelter beds and onto the streets of New York.
That includes lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) young adults, who make up nearly one-third of New York City’s homeless youth population. These kids already have too few places to turn to for help. Many have been rejected by their families, forced to flee homophobic foster homes, or have experienced institutionalized homophobia from social service providers.
But there is a way for Gov. Cuomo to prevent these brutal cuts. As the New York Times editorial board wrote last week, he can try to extend the “high earner surcharge” on the top 2.8% of New York taxpayers, which is set to expire at the end of the year.
With the state budget due April 1, time is running out for Gov. Cuomo to reinstate funding for youth homeless services. Click here to join more than 17,000 Change.org members in signing an urgent petition telling Gov. Cuomo not to balance New York’s budget on the backs of homeless kids.
As our friends at the Ali Forney Center, a homeless shelter for LGBT young adults in New York City, have told the Cuomo administration, the impact of these budget cuts could be devastating for homeless LGBT kids. LGBT homeless youth are at profound risk of harm if left on the streets, experiencing increased rates of drug use, depression, risk of violence, and a high possibility of being exposed to STDs, including HIV.
Indeed, more than 60 percent of all homeless youth report considering or attempting suicide because they feel like they have no place to go, and no one who supports them.
Please sign the urgent petition below and send the Cuomo administration the message that cutting youth shelter beds is no way to solve a budget problem.
http://www.change.org/petitions/tell-gov-cuomo-dont-abandon-lgbt-homeless-youth?alert_id=SWJnrOHxWJ_VAyXVrBGjD&me=aa
Your support right now could make a big difference to these kids. Thanks for taking action and telling Gov. Cuomo to do the right thing.
- Acknowledgements: Eden and the Change.org team
http://change.org
http://huttriver.blog.co.uk
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