March&2018& Dear Governor Cuomo and New York State Legislators, As local officials in New York State, we have witnessed the human and economic devastation that worsening superstorms like Harvey, Maria, Irma, Sandy, Irene, and Lee have brought to Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico, and our state of New York. Our public health, our economy, and our communities are at risk; we cannot wait any longer to act. Since the Federal Government is unwilling to do its job, New York can and must lead. As public servants, it is our duty to craft and execute policies to protect the families that we represent. We urge you to consider the following facts: • This year may become the costliest mainland U.S. hurricane season on record, with already over i $200 billion dollars in estimated damages. ii • Superstorm Sandy alone cost our communities and New York State at least $32.8 billion. • More than $33 billion in public health costs and at least 4,000 deaths annually in New York State iii alone are associated with the burning of fossil fuels. • According to a NYSERDA study, climate damages may cost New Yorkers more than $10 billion annually, including from coastal flooding, agricultural disruption, and higher electricity costs from iv heatwave-driven blackouts. We have seen the human and economic losses to our businesses, farms, and municipalities from extreme weather that damages our infrastructure, disrupts lives, and jeopardizes water and food supplies. Taxpayers in our communities are spending billions to rebuild and prepare. However, the companies that are largely responsible for the climate and fossil fuel pollution crisis are not paying for the damages their activities cause. We call for strengthening state action to create tens of thousands of good jobs in all regions of our state by building the clean infrastructure we need now, for the benefit of people in every community: • Power New York with 100% clean renewable energy by 2050; • Significantly scale up investment in wind, solar, and other renewable energy resources, which do not include nuclear or natural gas; • Provide rebates and expand the network of public charging stations for electric cars, and invest in more efficient and reliable public transit; • Save families and business owners money by investing in energy efficiency for residential and commercial buildings; • Encourage the shift to air- and ground-source heat pumps for heating and cooling, and away from reliance on fossil fuel combustion; and protect communities most vulnerable to climate disasters by expanding investment in local resiliency and sustainability projects. We call on the State to fund these solutions by instituting a corporate polluter fee on oil, gas, and coal companies, so the companies pay their fair share for their pollution that threatens our health, our communities, and our climate. According to the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, placing a fee on climate pollution in New York starting at $35 per ton could generate over $7 billion March&2018& annually for state clean energy investments and create 145,000 jobs annually for our state, even while rebating 25-50% of revenues directly to New York families.v In 2017, the IRS Office of Tax Analysis found that such proposals are workable, stimulate the economy, and can be structured to protect lower vi income groups. To ensure we protect all New Yorkers, the per-ton fee should be assessed on all greenhouse gases, including methane, using the best available scientific measures of carbon dioxide equivalency. The fee should be levied as close to the source of pollution as possible, such as at the point of extraction for in- state fossil fuel production, on wholesale power purchase agreements, or point of importation of oil, natural gas, or other emissions sources into the state. The fee must be structured to be progressive and not regressive, prioritize investments in working communities to create jobs and bring down energy costs, and protect and support low-income and working families. If fossil fuel companies pay their fair share for the damage being done to our health and our climate, we can fund a green New Deal for New York and supercharge local economies across our state. Therefore, we the undersigned local elected officials from across New York State call on the Governor and the Legislature to dramatically increase investment in clean renewable energy jobs and hold fossil fuel corporations accountable for their pollution, which threatens our health and safety. i Johnson, David. (2017) “Is This the Worst Hurricane Season Ever?”. TIME. Available: http://time.com/4952628/hurricane-season-harvey- irma-jose-maria/ ii “Hurricane Sandy Fast Facts”. (2017) CNN. Available: http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/13/world/americas/hurricane-sandy- fast- facts/index.html iii Mark Z. Jacobson et al, “Examining the feasibility of converting New York State’s all-purpose energy infrastructure to one using wind, water, and sunlight,” Energy Policy 57 (2013), 585-601, Available: https://web.stanford.edu/group/efmh/jacobson/Articles/I/NewYorkWWSEnPolicy.pdf iv Rosenzweig, C., W. Solecki, A. DeGaetano, M. O'Grady, S. Hassol, P. Grabhorn (Eds.). (2011) “Responding to Climate Change in New York State: The ClimAID Integrated Assessment for Effective Climate Change Adaptation.” Technical Report. New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), Albany, New York. Available: https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/climaid v Pollin, Bob et al. (2017) “Clean Energy Investments in New York State: An Economic Framework for Promoting Climate Stabilization and Expanding Good Job Opportunities.” Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. vi Horowitz, John et al. (2017) “Methodology for Analyzing a Carbon Tax.” IRS Office of Tax Analysis Working Paper 115. Available: https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/tax-policy/tax-analysis/Documents/WP-115.pdf ! * = former local elected official, Samuel I. Fein Terry Nelson at time of signature County Legislator, District 6 City Council, Ward 1 Albany County Beacon David Kellogg Town Supervisor Doug Bullock Maureen Cunningham Adams County Legislator, District 7 Town Board Albany County Bethlehem Fion MacCrea Town Council Lynne Lekakis Conrad Taylor Alfred County Legislator, District 8 City Council, District 4 Albany County Binghamton Corey Ellis President, Common Council Raymond F. Joyce Robin Wilt Albany County Legislator, District 13 Town Board Albany County Brighton Richard S. Conti President Pro Tempore; Paul Miller Eric L. Adams Common Council, Ward 6 County Legislator, District 32 Borough President Albany Albany County Brooklyn, New York City Dorcey Applyrs William Reinhardt Mary Kaminsky Common Council, Ward 1 County Legislator, District 33 County Legislator, District 14 Albany Albany County Broome County Joyce Love Richard N. Touchette David Rivera Common Council, Ward 3 County Legislator, District 37 Majority Leader, Common Albany Albany County Council, Niagara District Buffalo *Ronald Bailey Victoria Plotsky Common Council, Ward 3 County Legislator, District 38 Joel Feroleto Albany Albany County Common Council, Delaware District Kelly Kimbrough Vickie Smith Buffalo Common Council, Ward 4 Secretary, Albany School Board Albany Albany County Klaus Proemm Village Trustee Judy Doesschate, R. Dale Cole Canton Common Council, Ward 9 Town Council Albany Andes Mark Witmer Town Supervisor Owusu Anane Christopher Cannon Caroline Common Council, Ward 10 Town Council Albany Arkwright Brian Nowak Town Council Alfredo Balarin Tom Tkachuk Cheektowaga Common Council, Ward 11 Town Council Albany Ava Shawn Morse Mayor Merton Simpson Jacqueline Gordon Cohoes County Legislator, District 2 Town Council Albany County Babylon (LI) Jeff Katz Mayor Cooperstown Ellen Tillapaugh Hollie Kennedy *Michael O’Hara Deputy Mayor Town Board Common Council Cooperstown East Greenbush Hudson Bruce Maxson Peter Van Scoyoc Tiffany Garriga Trustee Supervisor Common Council, 2nd Ward Cooperstown East Hampton (LI) Hudson Cynthia Falk Jeffrey Bragman Joan Cergol Trustee Town Council Town Council Cooperstown East Hampton (LI) Huntington (LI) L.W. Allstadt Frederick Ricci Mark Cuthbertson Trustee Mayor/Supervisor Town Council Cooperstown East Rochester Huntington (LI) James Dean Debra Stapleton Anthony Del Plato Trustee Town Clerk Trustee Cooperstown Elbridge Village of Interlaken Michael Reynolds Kenneth Walter Ducson Nguyen Town Supervisor Mayor Common Council, Ward 2 Covert Fort Johnson City of Ithaca Brian Pugh David Fogel William Goodman Mayor Mayor Town Supervisor Croton On Hudson Freeville Ithaca Rebecca Brenner Paul Feiner Robert Blais Deputy Supervisor Town Supervisor Mayor Danby Greenburgh Lake George Hannah Black Judith Beville Anthony Eramo County Legislator, District 4 Town Clerk President, City Council Dutchess County Greenburgh Long Beach, Nassau County Francena I. Amparo Garrett Duquesne Mimi Pierre Johnson County Legislator, District 14 Commissioner, Dept. of Elmont Public Library Board of (Wappingers Falls) Conservation Trustees Dutchess County Greenburgh Long Island Joel Tyner Thomas Delehanty Tammie Williams County Legislator, District 11 Town Clerk Elmont Public Library Board of Dutchess County Hardenburgh Trustees Long Island Ross Whitford Dorothy L. Goosby Town Council Senior Councilwoman, Town Mark Muoio Eaton Council County Legislator, District 21 Hempstead (LI) (Rochester) Raymond Byrnes Monroe County Trustee Sylvia Cabana East Aurora Town Clerk Hempstead (LI) James Sheppard Antonio