FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PR- 115-07 April 19, 2007 MAYOR BLOOMBERG UNVEILS 2007 NEW YORK CITY CARD Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Democratic Leadership Council Chair Harold Ford Jr. Participate in Panel Discussion Moderated By Charlie Rose Card Provides Political Donors With City's Top Federal and State Issues To Ensure They Know Whether Politicians Support New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today released the second New York City Card, a credit-card-sized guide for New York's political donors from both parties to advance the City's State and federal priorities. This year's card lists six of the City's top federal and State agenda items, including State legislation to support the City's 2030 plan and federal funding for 9/11 worker health programs. Two of the five priorities listed on last year's card were accomplished, in part due to lobbying from the organizations and leaders who are New York City Card-members: the State raised the cap on charter schools, and eminent domain legislation that would have crippled the City's economic development and affordable housing programs was blocked in the Senate. The Mayor released the cards at a luncheon that also included a panel discussion with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Representative Harold Ford Jr., moderated by Charlie Rose. "The City Card is not about conservative or liberal, Republican or Democrat - it is about being right for New York City," said Mayor Bloomberg. "The City's donor community pumps millions of dollars into political campaigns each year, and the card helps donors understand which politicians support the interests of the City - and which do not." In addition to the card, the City will send card-members legislative alerts and background issue sheets that include which legislators to contact on the City's top issues. Last year, many card-members responded to the alerts by contacting key members of the State Legislature and Congress, which in part contributed to the success of the City's efforts to raise the State's charter school cap and block federal eminent domain legislation. The card was created last year to provide donors with easy-to-reference talking points to ask of political candidates calling them for contributions. New York is the perennial leader in political contributions each year, and with the 2008 presidential cycle already in full swing, it is more important than ever to ensure that New York gets the most out of its political donations. Already in the 2008 presidential race, the 10021 zip code leads all zip codes in the country with more than $2.3 million in donations to candidates of both parties. Despite the amount of money New York gives to political candidates, the City consistently sends more tax money to Albany and Washington than it receives in services. The City pays approximately $11.1 billion more in State taxes than it receives in State funding, and $10.9 billion more in Federal taxes than it receives in federal funding. The six priorities listed on this year's New York City Card are:
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