NYC Retirees Battle Back with New Bill to Protect Healthcare

“There is evidence that Alan Klinger, the UFT and MLC attorney, stated himself that there is nothing illegal about 1096. Questionable ethics, given that he was counsel in the Albany court case arguing to keep the no cost health benefits of the very judges that ruled against us in our fight to keep ours. And the judges got to keep their health benefits at no cost because they have no access to collective bargaining. Huh, neither do NYC public service retirees.”

“I also like Billy Bragg’s song, “City of Heroes”, another tribute to the people of Minneapolis who refused to back down!”

“I also work at mount Sinai. I know for a fact these nurses are grossly underpaid with the new contract. If management and general public thinks nurses can easily be replaced by ai they can think again when they or their loved ones suffer a stroke, heart attack, cancer or another serious illness and need empathetic human care. This is not how we treat the healthcare heroes of covid19.”

“It’s politically depressing that Mayor Mamdani has chosen to align with Gov. Hochul against Lt. Gov. Delgado. He should be ashamed of himself.

Hochul’s record includes opposing legislation to repeal the Stock Transfer Tax Rebate (STTR) which leading economists and tax experts now say would recoup no less than $40 to $75 billion in extra revenues annually to address the most crucial needs of 20 million New Yorkers. Ending the STTR alone would substantially address the homeless crisis and put the biggest dent in economic poverty effecting millions of New Yorkers for decades to come.

Hochul also opposes legislation to pass the New York Health Act which would provide quality health coverage for all New Yorkers. This aligns with Sen. Bernie Sanders’ efforts to provide single payer health care coverage for all Americans.

According to Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman, Hochul turned her back on 15,000 striking New York nurses after raking in hundreds of thousands of dollars from hospital CEOs and PACs. “She waived nursing license requirements to bring in out-of-state replacements instead of standing with frontline nurses fighting for safe staffing and patient care.”

Hochul chooses a running mate, Adrienne Adams, who for years as City Council speaker prevented justice for home care workers over the issue of grand theft of millions of dollars of their wages, and stymied passage of legislation to prevent Council Member Chris Marte’s “No More 24” bill which this article explains “has never seen the light of day despite widespread support because former City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams consistently opposed it and kept it suppressed.”

Compare Hochul’s and Adams’ record with that of Delgado. He fully supports legislation aimed at ending the STTR and thus restoring the miniscule one-tenth of 1% stock sales tax to advance the wellbeing of all New Yorkers. Likewise he supports passage of the New York Health Act to provide guaranteed quality health care.

He has joined picket lines and made strong statements in support of striking nurses.

An AI search states, “In 2025, New York Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado emerged as a vocal supporter of home health care workers, specifically challenging the Hochul administration over payroll issues within the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP). Delgado has actively supported the labor rights, wages, and working conditions of these workers, often framing it as a contrast to Governor Kathy Hochul’s policies.”