Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) delivers remarks on the proposed shuttering of the Department of Education.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Mike's a little fired up today, wouldn't you say?
00:05Well that's the kind of fire in the belly we need to take on the fights that are facing
00:09us all the way from Washington, am I right about that?
00:12We have the leader that this moment calls for.
00:16So I thank him for everything he has done for us, extraordinary.
00:20And not just caring about the people he represents in the city of New York, what I have seen
00:24Mike Mulgrew do is take his vision all across the state.
00:30And what he has done even in a place called Central New York, Syracuse, trying to focus
00:35on making sure that this Micron opportunity, the tens of thousands of good paying jobs
00:41that are coming, that he makes sure that our teachers are prepared to teach our children
00:46for those opportunities.
00:47So Mike, I thank you for your focus on that and workforce development, all the other initiatives
00:51you've taken on, because we need a fighter.
00:55Thank you Mike.
00:57Melinda Person, oh you want her on your side too.
01:01She is amazing, she is a pit bull when she gets an idea and she wants to get it done.
01:06And that's why we will have a cell phone ban, a bell to bell ban, so you can finally teach
01:12your kids without the distractions, you'll finally create that bond that's been neglected
01:18for years.
01:19And we will make them emerge better as fully functioning adults because they won't be so
01:23used to staring at their hand instead of talking to the students and getting relationships
01:27with their teachers.
01:28So Melinda, let's give you a round of applause as well.
01:32Head of our United Teachers, Comptroller Tom DiNapoli is here, Tom DiNapoli, thank you
01:38for all you've done for us and our teachers in particular, we're grateful.
01:43And our elected officers, I see John Liu and Shelley Mayer here as well, you'll be hearing
01:47from them I believe.
01:48But let me just give you a couple top lines, because you have to get out there and work.
01:52You didn't come here to just have breakfast and hang out and have a nice gathering, right?
01:56You're here to work.
01:57Right?
01:58Okay, okay.
02:00So when you're done here, I heard Mike tell you, you're going to congressional offices
02:04too, right?
02:05Because that's where the biggest fight is right now, because I have supported you.
02:09You don't need to lobby me.
02:11I'm surrounded by teachers in my own household, I mean you should see Christmas dinner at
02:15my house.
02:16I've heard everything about the teachers, from all my family members, and I so believe
02:20in what you do.
02:21And when you think about it, you're the gatekeepers, the guardians to the future for all of our
02:26kids.
02:28You show them the path, you give them confidence, and also you teach them to be fighters and
02:34stand up for themselves in this time.
02:36We need all of our parents, our teachers, and indeed our students to start showing up.
02:41Let them understand about civic engagement, means you do go to these offices, that you
02:45do participate in rallies, and the more children we see out there, the bigger difference I
02:49believe you'll have.
02:50Because how do you say no to a child with disabilities?
02:55How do you say no to a child who needs Title I money because they're growing up in a poor
02:59area whether it's rural or urban?
03:01How do you say no to someone who needs a Pell Grant because they want that ticket to a better
03:05opportunity just like all my family members benefit?
03:08How do you say no to that?
03:09How do you cut the Department of Education and say our kids don't matter?
03:13You cannot say that here and get away with it in the state of New York.
03:17So we're going to take it to the streets, we're going to take it to Congressional offices,
03:21and make them look in the eyes of our kids and tell them they're going to go back to
03:25Washington and vote against them.
03:26I dare them that they cannot do it, and you're going to hold them accountable.
03:30So that's the fight we're in, right Mike?
03:32So that's Washington.
03:33Let's talk about something better, New York.
03:35Right?
03:36Right?
03:37Aren't you glad you're a New Yorker these days?
03:41Right?
03:42You know, there's a famous football coach in the Buffalo Bills, anybody Buffalo Bills
03:46fans?
03:47Alright, alright.
03:48Or converts, okay?
03:49We still love the Giants and the Jets.
03:52Marv Levy used to say, where would you rather be than right here, right now?
03:56And I feel the same thing about New York State.
03:58This is the epicenter of these fights, and we'll take them on with Washington, but here,
04:03we're showing how we lead.
04:04We make investments.
04:06We unleashed years of stagnation and inaction when it came to foundation aid, because we
04:12need to get that money out to our schools and our kids.
04:15We got it done.
04:16We also got the Tier 1 reforms that they talked about for years, and no one was able to say,
04:21I value our teachers, I want them to have better benefits and better opportunities,
04:25so we changed Tier 1.
04:27We also said this, I want to make sure that you are respected, that people understand
04:33the value of your profession.
04:35So I stand up and defend this profession every day of the week, and I'm proud to do so.
04:39We also said, you know what, there's kids in parts of our state who are coming to school
04:45with their tummies growling, right?
04:48And you hear it.
04:49And some of you are bringing in food yourselves, you're taking care of these babies and little
04:53kids, and I said, no more.
04:56This is a great state, and we're not going to let that interfere with our children's
04:59ability to learn.
05:00We're a more compassionate state than that.
05:02That's why in this year's budget, I am saying that the state of New York will pick up the
05:07cost of every single child's school breakfast and lunch so they can start to learn, and
05:13it gives their parents a break.
05:17$1,600 less a year per child that a parent has to spend on either packing up the lunches
05:24every day, and mine did that for years.
05:26I'm New York's first mom governor.
05:27I'd be so happy not to worry about breakfast or lunch for my kids.
05:31We're giving time back to busy parents as well.
05:34But also it's part of our affordability agenda.
05:37We're putting money back in families' pockets so they can afford to live here and have the
05:42quality of life they deserve.
05:43I'm talking about nearly $5,000 back in the pockets of all of you as well.
05:48If you have kids under the age of four, it's $1,000.
05:52School-age kids, it's $500.
05:55Inflation rebate.
05:56We collected $3 billion more in sales tax because all of you and everyone in the state
06:02had to pay more because of inflation.
06:04Now that's not going to be here next year or the year after, so you can't get long-term
06:07expenditures, but I'm saying put it back in people's pockets, right?
06:12That's where it came out of.
06:13$500 means something to a family.
06:17And then we'll have a middle-class tax cut and we just keep rolling.
06:20Up to $5,000 per family we can get this through, so I need your support too.
06:25Your support for our budget, because you're not just teachers, you're also New York residents.
06:30You're homeowners, you're property owners, you're supporters of your communities, you
06:33live in apartments, you're trying to pay your own bills, right?
06:36It's not that easy.
06:38It's not that easy.
06:39So this is for all of you as well.
06:41So you can count on me.
06:42I'll be your partner.
06:43I have to tell you, I like nothing more than a fight.
06:46Mike and I are Irish, it's kind of in our blood, right?
06:49It's what we do.
06:51So I am here to fight for you, to fight for the children that are looking to you as their
06:55leaders, their moral mottos, their inspiration, and thank every one of you from the bottom
07:00of my heart for what you do every single day.
07:02Thank you very much, teachers!