Governor Patterson included a 10% raise in the NYS public assistance grant each year for the next three years. In announcing the raise, he noted that this is a [b]moral [/ issue. That language was echoed earlier by Dennis Whalen, Director of State Operations, when representatives from IINYS, Hunger Action Network, Reform Jewish Voice, NYS Council of Churches and the NYS Catholic Conference met in the Executive Chamber with him and Joe Baker, Deputy Secretary for Health and Human Services. We have been insisting for the past two years that an increase in the welfare grant, which has not been raised in 18 years, is an urgent moral issue. It'd good to hear that language resonate in the Executive Chamber.

Robb Smith
Executive Director, IINYS