Commentary/Op-Ed - January 2024
Job training sector needs funding to help asylum seekers prepare for workforceIn this Times Union op-ed, Jonathan Bowles argues that to prepare asylum seekers for independence, more investments in English classes, job training programs, and immigrant-serving workforce development providers will help these newcomers prepare to enter the workforce and become productive New Yorkers.
Commentary/Op-Ed - January 2024
To build a stronger middle class, boost paid internships for CUNY studentsIn this Crain’s New York Business op-ed, Jonathan Bowles and Winston Fisher urge New York City leaders to harness CUNY as an engine of economic mobility by ensuring that far more CUNY students have access to paid internships during their college careers.
Commentary/Op-Ed - October 2023
To Get STEM Education to Every Student, Train All New Teachers in Computing EducationIn this The 74 op-ed, Council Member Rita Joseph and CUF's Eli Dvorkin argue that while the city has dramatically expanded the CS4All initiative, only a fraction of schools are meeting the program's participation and equity goals. They call for the city to invest in teacher training in computing education.
Commentary/Op-Ed - October 2023
To build a more vibrant economy across New York State, start with the artsIn this Democrat and Chronicle op-ed, CUF's Eli Dvorkin and Rochester Area Community Foundation's Simeon Banister lay out the opportunity for New York State to double down on supporting the arts, while making equitable arts investment a cornerstone of the state’s economic development strategy.
Commentary/Op-Ed - October 2023
The city should provide free MetroCards to CUNY studentsIn this amNewYork op-ed, CUF's Jonathan Bowles and Fisher Brothers' and Area15's Winston Fisher make the case to the mayor and the City Council that, to ensure a lot more New Yorkers can advance into the middle class, one of the most effective actions they can take is to give every CUNY community college student a free MetroCard.
Commentary/Op-Ed - August 2023
Prioritize skills to fill city jobs: NYC should drop the need for a college degree for some postsIn this NY Daily News op-ed, CUF's Jonathan Bowles urges elected officials and Mayor Adams to take the lead in embracing a skills-first approach by removing degree requirements for hundreds or even thousands of city government jobs to open up well-paying public sector jobs to New Yorkers that have been shut out of these opportunities.
Commentary/Op-Ed - June 2023
To Create a More Equitable Economy, Invest in CUNYIn this Gotham Gazette op-ed, CUF's Jonathan Bowles and Eli Dvorkin make the case for why policymakers should prioritize fully funding CUNY. Despite the essential role CUNY plays in creating economic opportunity for low-income New Yorkers of color, it stands to see a net budget cut of $140.9 million in FY 2024. Now is the time to invest in CUNY’s effectiveness, not limit its potential.
Commentary/Op-Ed - June 2023
Expanding Micromobility Across All Five BoroughsTo make further headway in reducing NYC's carbon footprint, much more progress is needed to lower emissions from transportation—New York's second-largest source after buildings. A faster citywide expansion of green micromobility options can help achieve the city's ambitious climate goals while meeting the changing transit needs of the postpandemic city.
Commentary/Op-Ed - April 2023
To boost economic mobility, help CUNY ACE growIn this amNewYork op-ed, CUF's Eli Dvorkin and Robin Hood's Deborah McCoy urge city and state leaders to commit to scaling the highly promising but small-scale CUNY Accelerate, Complete, and Engage (ACE) program over the next five years to ensure that more New Yorkers from lower-income backgrounds can earn a college degree.
Commentary/Op-Ed - March 2023
Retooling SYEP for New York City’s Changing EconomyIn this new commentary, CUF Fellow David Fischer credits city officials for expanding NYC's Summer Youth Employment Program but argues that SYEP could be doing much more to prepare the mostly low-income youth it serves for a labor market utterly transformed from when the program began.
Commentary/Op-Ed - March 2023
We must pass legislation to make capital construction more efficientThis new op-ed in Crain’s New York Business by CUF’s Jonathan Bowles and Trust for Public Land’s Carter Strickland urges Governor Hochul and the Legislature to pass a set of bills that would lead to a measurable improvement in the speed at which New York City builds parks, resilience projects, libraries, and other critical infrastructure.
Commentary/Op-Ed - February 2023
How to help New Yorkers by reducing red tape for nonprofitsIn this NY Nonprofit Media op-ed, CUF's Jonathan Bowles and Brooklyn Community Foundation's Jocelynne Rainey urge city and state policymakers to help strengthen and stabilize the financially vulnerable nonprofit sector by reducing the unnecessary administrative burdens that government agencies impose on nonprofits.
Commentary/Op-Ed - December 2022
Let’s swiftly implement ‘New’ New York blueprintIn this Crain’s New York Business op-ed, CUF's Jonathan Bowles and Fisher Brothers' and Area15's Winston Fisher urges city and state leaders to re-imagine economic development to focus more on transit, open space, cultural vibrancy, housing, sanitation, and safety, which in today's talent-driven economy are as vital to the city’s future economic competitiveness as any tax incentive or sectoral strategy.
Commentary/Op-Ed - September 2022
Building the fairer city we all deserveIn this Daily News op-ed, CUF's Jonathan Bowles and Fisher Brothers' and Area15's Winston Fisher outline six immediate actions the Adams administration should prioritize to make progress toward a more equitable New York City.
Commentary/Op-Ed - September 2022
Boost NYC’s Tech Sector to Ensure a Full Jobs Recovery and Stronger Future for New YorkersIn this Gotham Gazette op-ed, CUF’s Jonathan Bowles and Tech:NYC Executive Director Jason Myles Clark lay out the opportunity for Mayor Adams to invest in the city's tech sector to spark a more complete jobs recovery and get many more New Yorkers into well-paying tech jobs.
Commentary/Op-Ed - August 2022
Let’s overhaul the city’s capital process for the sake of our parks, playgrounds and librariesIn this Crain’s New York Business op-ed, CUF’s Jonathan Bowles and New Yorkers for Parks Executive Director Adam Ganser urge the Adams administration to reform the city’s notoriously costly and time-consuming capital process for parks, libraries, and other vital social infrastructure.
Commentary/Op-Ed - August 2022
Mayor Adams, it’s time to level up K-12 computing education across NYCIn this City & State NY op-ed, CUF Editorial & Policy Director Eli Dvorkin and Robin Hood Learning + Technology Fund Director Amber Oliver urge Mayor Adams to strengthen and grow computing education in the city’s schools to expand access to well-paying tech careers and ensure that New Yorkers of color and women are fully represented.
Commentary/Op-Ed - June 2022
Strengthening pathways to entrepreneurship for formerly incarcerated New YorkersIn this Daily News op-ed, CUF Executive Director Jonathan Bowles and Vice President of Global Philanthropy for JPMorgan Chase Jeanique Druses make the case for why city and state leaders should embrace the opportunity to strengthen pathways to entrepreneurship for formerly incarcerated New Yorkers.
Commentary/Op-Ed - April 2022
Make New York City a national leader in employment for people with disabilitiesIn this op-ed for City Limits, CUF Researcher and Multimedia Specialist Melissa Lent and Editorial and Policy Director Eli Dvorkin lay out the opportunity for the mayor and City Council to make New York City a national leader in employment for people with disabilities.
Commentary/Op-Ed - March 2022
Boost equity with TAP access for part-time studentsIn this op-ed for Times Union, CUF's Jonathan Bowles urges the State Legislature to support Gov. Hochul's proposal to expand the state's Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) to the nearly 200,000 SUNY and CUNY students who are enrolled on a part-time basis.