Commentary/Op-Ed - June 2020
To help struggling small businesses, the city needs to reconsider its public spacesCUF Executive Director Jonathan Bowles and Winston C. Fisher call on the city to think bigger about opportunities for outdoor commerce. Access to open streets, parks, markets and fairs could make the difference for hundreds if not thousands of New York entrepreneurs who have endured three months of business closures and are desperate for customers.
Commentary/Op-Ed - May 2020
Infrastructure Investment Can Restart the Economy, but Prioritize Fixing What We HaveA bold public works program would help put New Yorkers back to work while strengthening the city's economy for the long term. But New York’s infrastructure needs are different than they were during the 1930s. Today, what the city needs most is a massive campaign to upgrade and maintain the infrastructure it already has.
Commentary/Op-Ed - April 2020
Amid Crisis, Mayors Can Build a Workforce for the Second Machine AgeThe economic fallout of Covid-19 combined with growing automation is poised to transform millions of jobs nationwide. Mayors should start developing plans to create a more adaptable workforce for a rapidly changing economy.
Commentary/Op-Ed - February 2020
NYC tech jobs for all types: Improve education across the boardIn this Daily News op-ed, CUF Executive Director Jonathan Bowles and Tech:NYC Executive Director Julie Samuels call on city leaders to commit to a bold, long-term agenda to expand and improve the tech skills-building ecosystem.
Commentary/Op-Ed - December 2019
Apprenticeships Can Help Expand Access to Tech Careers in NYCNew York City’s thriving tech sector has become a crucial source of middle-class jobs. But too few of those jobs are accessible to New Yorkers without a college degree and work experience, which means thousands are being left out of the boom. To help more residents access these powerful opportunities, New York will have to build much stronger pathways into tech employment—and tech apprenticeship should be part of the solution.
Commentary/Op-Ed - December 2019
Op-Ed: NYC’s Creative Industries are the Future of Middle-wage JobsNYC's creative economy has seen record-setting job growth but gotten only modest support from city officials. In this Crain's op-ed, CUF Executive Director Jonathan Bowles and Winston C. Fisher make the case that the creative industries should play a much larger role in the city's middle class jobs strategy.
Commentary/Op-Ed - October 2019
Op-Ed: Securing the future of New York’s independent workersAcross the state, hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers are now working independently, subcontracting, or earning income in the gig economy. In this Times Union op-ed, CUF Editorial and Policy Director Eli Dvorkin and Winston C. Fisher argue that while the rise of independent work has clear benefits for New Yorkers and New York’s economy, it is also bringing a host of new challenges that could be addressed through a first-of-its-kind system of portable benefits.
Commentary/Op-Ed - September 2019
Op-Ed: NYC, get ready for the robotsOur new op-ed in the Daily News makes the case for a bold new plan to prepare New York City's workforce for the coming wave of automation.
Commentary/Op-Ed - July 2019
Op-Ed: How libraries can help solve NYC’s next big Census problemOur new op-ed in the Gotham Gazette argues that New York City’s public libraries are uniquely positioned to help solve the city’s next big Census problem: the move to a digital Census.
Commentary/Op-Ed - May 2019
NYC parks need more money, here’s how to raise itNew York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and the City Council should commit to increasing the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation budget by $100 million this year. But to make sure this investment is sustainable for the long-term, the city needs to get creative about alternative sources of revenue. In this City and State op-ed, CUF Editorial Director Eli Dvorkin lays out new ideas for generating funding for parks.
Commentary/Op-Ed - April 2019
OP-ED: The Opportunity Ahead for the New CUNY ChancellorNo institution is better positioned than CUNY to help lower-income and first generation students earn a postsecondary credential and get on the path to a successful career. In this Gotham Gazette op-ed, CUF Executive Director Jonathan Bowles and Winston C. Fisher argue that the incoming chancellor can seize this moment and help CUNY realize its potential as a launchpad into the middle class.
Commentary/Op-Ed - April 2019
London Calling: New York Should Take a Cue from London Mayor’s Cultural Infrastructure PlanLast month, the mayor of London released the Cultural Infrastructure Plan, an initiative to address the growing affordability crisis facing the city’s artists and creators. With similar challenges threatening New York City’s artists and venues, city leaders and local officials should consider taking a page from London’s sketchbook.
Commentary/Op-Ed - March 2019
State must prepare for its aging futureThe number of seniors statewide has jumped significantly over the last decade. Governor Cuomo and state lawmakers have proposed an increase in funding for services that help older New Yorkers stay in their homes, but they should take new steps to support this growing population.
Commentary/Op-Ed - January 2019
15 Ideas for Expanding Economic Opportunity in New York in 2019New York's State Legislature has passed major new legislation in the first days of 2019, beginning the year on a high note. Now lawmakers have an opportunity to take similarly bold steps to reduce income inequality statewide to help thousands more New Yorkers build the skills and educational credentials needed to get ahead in today's economy.
Commentary/Op-Ed - January 2019
Op-Ed: Seize the moment to fix NYC’s broken capital construction systemNew York City's capital construction process is plagued by delays and cost overruns—a longstanding challenge that DDC's new reform plan seeks to fix. But for these reforms to stick, every agency with a hand in the process will have to commit to the shared goal of improving project delivery.
Commentary/Op-Ed - January 2019
OP-ED: Support Remedial Education Reforms to Help More Students SucceedTraditional remedial education has become just another stumbling block on the road to a college credential. By investing in comprehensive remedial education reform, New York State can lift up underprepared students and put thousands more on track to a brighter economic future.
Commentary/Op-Ed - September 2018
Op-Ed: Creating Middle Class Jobs By Upgrading NYC’s Aging InfrastructureAn ambitious plan to revitalize public infrastructure can provide New Yorkers with well-paying jobs and lay the foundation for a stronger city.
Commentary/Op-Ed - September 2018
Op-Ed: Getting New York’s Excelsior Scholarship Program RightGovernor Cuomo is right to focus on college affordability, but his Excelsior Scholarship program is only reaching a small number of New Yorkers. With a few tweaks, New York can make Excelsior a powerful engine of educational opportunity.
Commentary/Op-Ed - July 2018
Op-Ed: Getting Ahead of Automation in New YorkAbout 12 percent of New York State's workforce, more than 1.2 million jobs statewide, could be largely automated using technology that exists today. To get New Yorkers ready, policymakers and legislators must double down on a skills-building agenda.
Commentary/Op-Ed - June 2018
Op-Ed: Revitalizing New York’s Aging Parks InfrastructureWith more than 100 million parks visitors each year and the city’s population at a record high, New York’s 1,700 public parks have never been busier. But age and underinvestment in basic maintenance in has taken a toll. By investing wisely in parks' revitalization, these essential open spaces can continue to thrive into the next century and beyond.
