Order up for the city
To New York’s parents: Help is on the way
COURIER L 20 IFE, JULY 23-29, 2021
EDITORIAL
OP-ED
More than 16 months ago,
the New York City restaurant
industry suffered
a massive economic
blow due to crowding restrictions
implemented during the
COVID-19 pandemic.
The worst of the pandemic
is (hopefully) behind us, and
many of those restrictions have
gone by the wayside. Diners are
once again enjoying fi ne meals
both inside and outside eateries
across the fi ve boroughs,
but as any restaurateur can
tell you, the road to recovery is
a marathon, not a sprint.
Thousands of restaurants
did not survive the pandemic.
Most of those eateries that did
fell far behind on their rents.
That included some of the fi nest
establishments in the city,
owned by high-profi le chefs
such as Tom Collichio, who
said on July 15 that he owed
$1.2 million in back rent at one
establishment that closed.
Collichio appeared with
New York Senator Kirsten
Gillibrand at a press conference
in which they called for
additional economic relief — to
the tune of $60 billion nationwide
— to help independentlyowned
restaurants get back on
their feet.
The American Rescue Plan,
enacted in April, provided
$28 billion in federal aid to
restaurant owners across the
U.S., but according to Gillibrand,
the demand quickly
exhausted the supply of funding.
She said the additional
$60 billion in relief proposed
would “provide direct aid to
the restaurant owners Congress
initially intended to
assist and help these vital
businesses keep their doors
open.”
New York’s restaurants
can use all the help they can
get. The pandemic was especially
diffi cult in our city,
which prides itself on its culinary
scene. The Independent
Restaurant Coalition
estimates that 31.6% of the
jobs lost in New York were
from the leisure and hospitality
industry — that accounts
for hundreds of thousands of
New Yorkers and their livelihoods.
The health of the New York
economy is greatly dependent
upon small businesses. Congress
must not only see fi t to
provide additional aid to restaurants,
but we as New Yorkers
must also step up to the
plate and continue supporting
our local eateries.
New York Restaurant
Week, which begins on July
19, is an ample opportunity
to show your support for our
culinary scene but also enjoy
great meals at discounts. Visit
nycgo.com/restaurantweek
to fi nd a participating eatery,
and spend some of your cash
with them.
BY SENATOR CHARLES
SCHUMER
New York’s families have
had a tough year. Kids have
missed sports, school, and
birthday parties. Parents have
faced diffi cult choices about
childcare. Families have
struggled to cover the costs of
groceries and rent.
The economic downturn
and childcare crisis caused
by COVID-19 shone a light on
one of the most unacceptable
truths about our society. The
United States is the wealthiest
nation in the history of humankind
and yet 10 million of
our nation’s children live in
poverty.
In New York City alone,
450,000 kids live in poverty. In
America we pride ourselves
on the fundamental promise
of opportunity. The belief that
from anything, you can go anywhere.
But for millions of children
growing up in poverty,
who lack access to quality education,
health care, and nutrition,
the American dream can
be almost impossible.
The painful reality of child
poverty has always outraged
me. So when Senate Democrats
moved forward with the
American Rescue Plan earlier
this year, I fought tirelessly to
include a historic expansion
of the Child Tax Credit to send
help to America’s families. Securing
this expansion is one
of the accomplishments I am
proudest of as a Senator.
Under this law, a vast majority
of parents will begin
receiving $300 every month
per child under six years old;
and $250 every month for each
child aged 6-17. That adds up
to $3,600 for every child under
six, and $3,000 for every child
6 to 17.
The fi rst payments began
on Thursday, July 15. This
week, millions of New York
families are seeing extra
money hit their bank accounts,
the fi rst in a series of monthly
payments that will continue
through the end of this year.
Single parents with incomes
up to $112,500 — and
married couples with incomes
up to $150,000 – are all eligible
for the full benefi t.
Here is what you need to do
in order to receive your payments.
If you have already
fi led your taxes with the IRS
in either of the past two years
or both, you don’t have to lift a
fi nger. You will automatically
receive your monthly check if
you qualify.
If you didn’t fi le taxes in
either 2020 or 2019, there is a
good chance you still qualify
for the child tax credit. Please
go online and register at irs.
gov/childtaxcredit. Spread the
word to your friends, family,
and neighbors. If you have any
questions, please reach out to
my offi ce. We are ready to help.
All told, this policy is expected
to lift more than four
million children out of poverty,
cutting the childhood poverty
rate almost in half. It is the single
largest effort to cut child
poverty in the last half century.
In other words, it’s a really
big deal.
I know families who’ve told
me they’re going to spend the
little extra cash on fi xing their
car, on rent that they’ve fallen
behind on, and on basic medicine
for their kids.
This is about giving American
families the extra lift they
need to recover from the COVID
pandemic. It will be a boon
for middle-class New Yorkers
and families across the country
who still need help making
ends meet.
I am happy to say help is on
the way for the vast majority of
New York’s parents.
Senator Charles Schumer,
a Brooklyn native, represents
New York in the United States
Senate, and serves as Senate
Majority Leader.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer Photo by Dean Moses
/restaurantweek
