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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PR- 148-10
April 8, 2010

MAYOR BLOOMBERG ANNOUNCES 50,000 'NEW YORK CITY CARDS' OUTLINING TOP PRIORITIES IN WASHINGTON AND ALBANY ARE NOW HEADED TO MAILBOXES OF EVERY LARGE POLITICAL DONOR IN NEW YORK CITY

New Non-Profit Group Sending Personalized Cards to the 50,000 New Yorkers Who Gave $200 or More in any Federal Race - and Are Now the Top Targets for State and Federal Lawmakers Seeking Campaign Cash

Card Provides Political Donors With City's Top Federal and State Issues To Hold Candidates and Elected Officials Accountable For New York City's Needs

Luncheon Featured Dialogue between with former RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman and former Chief of Staff to President Clinton John Podesta moderated by Charlie Rose

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today released the fifth annual New York City Card, a credit card sized guide for New York's political donor community outlining the City's Federal and State priorities, and announced that personalized versions of this new NYC Card have already been mailed to more than 50,000 New Yorkers who donate to political campaigns. The mailing has been sent by a new a non-profit organization called the NYC Card Project, on which Mayor Bloomberg will serve as Honorary Chairman. The New York City Card, first created in 2006, provides donors with easy-to-reference issues when political candidates are calling for contributions. This year's card lists five of the City's top Federal and State agenda items, including the enacting State reforms such as lifting the cap on charter schools to better position New York for Race to the Top funds, urging Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform and close the Gunshow Loophole to prevent criminals from buying guns without background checks. These issues are detailed on a new website created for the NYC Card www.nyccard.org, which can be found on the City's website www.nyc.gov.  The Card was distributed at a luncheon hosted by Herbert Allen, President of Allen and Company; Donald Marron, CEO and Founder of Lightyear Capital; Joshua Steiner, Managing Principal of the Quadrangle Group; and George Walker, CEO of Neuberger Berman. The luncheon brings together major contributors from both political parties reinforcing Mayor Bloomberg's continuing efforts to bridge traditional political divisions and build a broad coalition in support of the City. The luncheon featured a discussion with Ken Mehlman, former chairman of the Republican National Committee and John Podesta, president and CEO of the Center for American progress and former White House Chief of Staff to President William J. Clinton, and television host Charlie Rose.

"The average New Yorker gives two and a half times more money to federal candidates than other Americans - and yet, too often, candidates take the money and run," said Mayor Bloomberg. "The 2008 election saw a stronger reliance on a smaller donor base, so we are reaching out to 50,000 politically active donors in our City to encourage more New Yorkers to stand up for what our city needs. Now when politicians tell you what they need to get elected - you can tell them what we need to keep New York City moving forward."

To reach more New York City political donors, the NYC Card Project, a 501c4 nonprofit organization was created to send a card to the more than 50,000 New Yorkers who have given $200 or more to a federal campaign since the 2004 election cycle.  New Yorkers contribute an average of 2.5 times more to political campaigns than anywhere else in the country - more than $400 million in recent election cycles.  During the 2008 election cycle, the top seven zip codes in the country making campaign contributions were in New York City and accounted for $92.3 million in donations. The personalized cards that political donors will be receiving in the mail are a reminder to hold candidates and elected officials accountable for supporting New York City's priorities. A more detailed look at the City's top priorities can now be found on a new website, www.nyccard.org, which can be accessed through the City's website www.nyc.gov. On the website, anyone - campaign contributor or not - can learn about New York City's priorities and urge Albany and Washington to move on them.

A number of priorities listed on the card in previous years have been accomplished, thanks to the assistance of card-members. Examples from the 2009 NYC Card include the elimination the Unincorporated Business Tax for 17,000 small businesses and freelancers - saving small businesses and freelancers an average of $3,400 a year; successful reforms to the Tiahrt Amendments and their restrictions on access to crime gun trace data - giving local and state police departments greater access to crime gun trace data; and the renewal of mayoral control of schools - ensuring that the historic reforms of our public school system will continue.

The five priorities listed on the 2010 New York City Card are:

  • Education: Urge the State to enact reforms that put New York in the best position to compete for federal Race to the Top funds, including lifting the cap on charter schools.

  • Financial Reform: Ensure that efforts in Congress to reform the financial industry do not include punitive measures that will undermine an industry that is a cornerstone of the city's and the nation's economy.

  • Illegal Guns: Urge the State to require microstamping technology in new handguns to help police identify shooting suspects, and urge Congress to close the Gun Show Loophole to prevent criminals from buying guns without background checks.

  • Immigration: Urge Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform that honors our history, secures our borders, and improves our economic competitiveness.

  • 9/11 Health: Urge Congress to fund a long-term WTC health care program for responders, workers and survivors.






MEDIA CONTACT:


Stu Loeser/Evelyn Erskine   (212) 788-2958




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