Testimony - September 2023
Training NYC’s Future Teachers to Integrate Computing EducationIn this testimony before the NYC Council Committees on Technology and Education, CUF Data Researcher Rachel Neches and Policy Director Eli Dvorkin urge the Council to expand training programs for thousands more of the city's future teachers - at all grade levels and in every subject - to integrate the core concepts of computing education into their classrooms.
Testimony - June 2023
Strengthening Immigrant- and Minority-Owned Small Businesses by Expanding Access to CDFIsIn this testimony before the NYC Council Committee on Small Business, CUF Data Researcher Rachel Neches and Policy Director Eli Dvorkin urge the Council to expand the reach of the city's Community Development Financial Institutions to strengthen immigrant- and minority-owned small businesses.
Testimony - December 2022
Reforming NYC’s Broken Capital Construction Process to Build Vital Social InfrastructureIn this testimony before the NYC Council Committee on Parks & Recreation, CUF policy director Eli Dvorkin urges the city to reform the broken capital construction process in order to build and maintain New York’s most vital social, economic, and ecological infrastructure.
Testimony - October 2022
Strengthening CUNY’s Vital Role as a Launchpad into Tech CareersIn this testimony before the NYC Council Committee on Economic Development & Committee on Higher Education, CUF policy director Eli Dvorkin highlights three specific recommendations for the Council to fully harness CUNY as a launchpad into tech careers.
Testimony - September 2022
Expanding employment opportunities for New Yorkers with disabilitiesIn this testimony before the NYC Council Committee on Mental Health, Disabilities and Addiction, CUF researcher and multimedia specialist Melissa Lent outlines four key recommendations for the Council to expand employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
Testimony - March 2022
Expanding and Improving NYC’s Workforce Development SystemIn this testimony before the NYC Council's Committee on Economic Development & Committee on Oversight & Investigations, CUF policy director Eli Dvorkin details four key steps that city government should take to make the city’s workforce development system stronger and more effective.
Testimony - February 2021
Supporting the Governors Island Zoning AmendmentIn this testimony before the City Planning Commission, CUF policy director Eli Dvorkin details his support of the proposed Governors Island zoning amendment, which will help realize the island’s full potential as a vibrant, year-round resource for all New Yorkers.
Testimony - October 2020
Supporting the Recovery of New York State’s Arts and Cultural CommunityIn this testimony before the NY State Senate Standing Committee on Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and Recreation, CUF editorial and policy director Eli Dvorkin outlines what New York State will need to do to lay the groundwork for a long-term recovery for the state’s cultural sector.
Testimony - September 2020
Supporting the Recovery of New York City’s Tourism EconomyIn this testimony before the NYC Council Committee on Economic Development and Cultural Affairs, Libraries and International Intergroup Relations, CUF data researcher Charles Shaviro and policy director Eli Dvorkin outline what the city will need to do to help lay the groundwork for a long-term tourism recovery.
Testimony - September 2020
Why I Support the Industry City RezoningIn this testimony before the NYC Council Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises, CUF executive director Jonathan Bowles details his support for the Industry City rezoning, which can help New York build both a larger and a more inclusive innovation economy.
Testimony - November 2019
Preparing New York City’s Workforce for the Coming Impacts of AutomationIn this testimony before the NYC Council Committee on Civil Service & Labor, CUF editorial and policy director Eli Dvorkin outlines the potential effects of automation on New York City's workforce, and offers policy solutions that can help the city get ahead of these powerful economic forces.
Testimony - November 2019
Fixing NYC Parks Capital Construction Process to Revitalize Aging ParksIn this testimony before the NYC Council Committee on Parks and Recreation, CUF editorial and policy director Eli Dvorkin details the issues facing New York City's aging parks infrastructure and identifies key steps to improve the capital construction process for parks projects.
Testimony - October 2019
The Pivotal Impact of New York City’s Tourism EconomyIn this testimony before the NYC Council Committee on Economic Development, CUF executive director Jonathan Bowles details the growing impact of tourism on the city’s economy and highlights the challenges to sustaining this key economic sector.
Testimony - March 2019
A Call to Increase Support for New York City’s Growing and Diverse Older Adult PopulationIn this testimony before the NYC Council Committee on Aging, Christian González-Rivera, CUF's senior researcher, details the need for more support, matching the City's growing and diverse older adult population.
Testimony - March 2019
INVESTING IN PARKS TO BENEFIT NEW YORKERS FOR DECADES TO COMEIn this testimony before the NYC Council Committee on Parks and Recreation, Eli Dvorkin, CUF’s editorial and policy director, shares new data and findings about the city's aging parks infrastructure and outlines recommendations that urge new investment in parks maintenance and operations while developing additional revenue sources and addressing the broken capital construction process.
Testimony - November 2018
The Future of the Garment CenterIn this testimony before the New York City Council Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises, CUF Executive Director Jonathan Bowles details his support for a more calibrated plan to preserve what’s left of the unique fashion ecosystem in Manhattan’s garment district.
Testimony - June 2018
Protecting NYC Students from Poorly Performing For-Profit CollegesIn this testimony before the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs, Matt Chaban, CUF's policy director, details how many for-profit colleges in the state leave students with a little education and huge debts they struggle to repay because they did not receive the education they were promised.
Testimony - February 2018
Fixing Healthcare Workers Commutes Can Improve Transit for All New YorkersIn this testimony before the MTA's Transit and Bus Committee, CUF policy director, Matt Chaban shares findings from a recent report on how healthcare workers have the worst public transit commutes of any New Yorkers, as well as ways the MTA can not only improve transportation for them but millions of other lower-income New Yorkers, as well.
Testimony - December 2017
New York State’s Excelsior Scholarship ShortcomingsIn this testimony before the New York State Assembly Committee on Higher Education, CUF's Senior Fellow for Economic Opportunity, Tom Hilliard, argues that the Excelsior Scholarship program has shortcomings that threaten to cripple its effectiveness, while offering little to help more college students graduate with a degree.
Testimony - November 2017
JFK’s Air Cargo Industry Provides a Runway to the Middle ClassIn this testimony before the New York City Council Committee on Economic Development, CUF's policy director, Matt Chaban, argues that the city, state, and Port Authority must address the woes of JFK's shrinking air cargo industry. Not just global commerce but thousands of good-paying jobs are at stake.
