New York Democrat Jessica Ramos raises money for minimum wage ads

A left-wing New York Democrat is trying to raise campaign funds through his bid to raise the minimum wage.

State Senator Jessica Ramos (D-Queens) raised her eyebrows and drew criticism by sending out a 2-to-1 email linking campaign money to her favorite cause just after Gov. Kathy Hochul released her 227 budget plan. billion dollars.

“Can you donate $5, $3, or whatever you want to help me get the most out of this important negotiation? This is a defining moment,” Ramos said in a speech to supporters on Wednesday.

“Your donations will help me stand my ground and show the Governor that you support the needs of working people in this state. I will keep you updated throughout the budget process. I am so grateful for your support and encouragement,” Ramos said.

Under the new state law, Ramos will be eligible to receive thousands of dollars in taxpayer-matched funds for her small dollar donations to the campaign.

Ramos has proposed legislation to raise the current $15 minimum wage to $21.25 an hour in New York and its suburbs and $20 an hour upstate by 2026.

Hochul proposed indexing the minimum wage to the living wage, but did not say what the hourly wage should be.

State Conservative Party chairman Jerry Kassar said it was advantageous for Ramos to use the minimum wage issue as a ploy to get donors — and taxpayers — to donate to the campaign.

“She is raising funds from the minimum wage to get support for her political campaign. It is also ironic that she is trying to use taxpayers to support her campaign,” Kassar said.

Kassar also said that Ramos’s proposal to drastically raise the minimum wage is counterproductive “because it drives jobs and businesses out of the state.”

The senator is also pushing for an “Unemployment Program” to help unemployed undocumented immigrants, freelancers and union workers who are not currently eligible for unemployment benefits.

Ramos’ senior adviser Astrid Aune said the senator “doesn’t respond to nameless ‘critics’ who cowardly hide behind anonymity.”

“We are going to continue to inform voters about our victories and fight for working families every day,” Aune said.

She said the increase in the minimum wage would help the working class and poor New Yorkers, whose incomes have been squeezed by record inflation.

“We all know that inflation is off the charts, but so are corporate profits,” Ramos, chairman of the labor committee, told the top leader after a rally on the issue in November. “What’s wrong, even though the roof is our salary.”