Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte’s rally in front of her office on Cortelyou Road, yesterday, drew about three dozen supporters, all of which strongly backed her on principle and a few that had differing views than her on the issue of tax credits for supporters of nonpublic schools.
Bichotte strongly opposes any tax credits going to donors of nonpublic schools. She has proposed a bill that will give a $500 tax credit per child with no income limit to parents that send their children to nonpublic schools.
“I’m here to support Rodneyse because she’s only a freshman legislator and is being unfairly targeted,” said Una Clarke, the former city councilwoman and mother of Congresswoman Yvette Clarke.
Clarke was referring to a recent drubbing Bichotte has taken in the mainstream press after referring to opponents of her views as “you guys” on a Jewish radio show and that she had no reason to pay close attention to opponents in her district that don’t support her.
This drew a condemnation in the Daily News and other publications that took her to task about her choice of words and her views on representing the entire district. Two days later, the Daily News, along with multiple Jewish news websites, took thousands of dollars in a ‘Defeat Rodneyse Bichotte’ ad.
The ad was placed through a broker that would not reveal who paid for the ad meaning a good many of Bichotte’s detractors prefer to remain nameless and faceless.
Clarke is among those that feel there should be some kind of compromise between Bichotte’s proposed legislation, and a competing bill that Gov. Cuomo put out that puts a $60,000 income cap for parents to receive the credit, and allows a tax credit to donors that give to scholarship funds at nonpublic schools.
Among those offering compromise proposals, and who appear to have a good grasp on the issue is Newsday that published this editorial.
The organization Alliance for Quality Education (AQE), which is closely aligned with the United Federation of Teacher (UFT) union, were also part of the rally in support of Bichotte. However, they stopped short of supporting Bichotte’s bill to give tax credits to parents whose children are in nonpublic school.
“We haven’t reviewed her (Bichotte’s) bill yet and until we do we have no comment,” said AQE spokesperson Maria Bautista.
