According to Bill Gale, a savings expert at the Brookings Institution, virtually all the net new saving that has occurred through tax incentives has been by less-affluent Americans.

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"I think it's a good proposal because it will cover maybe a million workers, " said Council Member Gale Brewer, the bill's lead sponsor.

WSJ: Quinn Signs On to Paid Sick Leave

City Councilwoman Gale Brewer, the bill's sponsor, said she tallied some 500 conference calls on the issue over the years, not to mention hundreds of news conferences, rallies and meetings.

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Former Comptroller Bill Thompson, who is running for mayor, said, "If there's nothing else that can be done, then maybe Gale" has to force the bill to the floor.

WSJ: Council Members May Bypass Quinn

Councilwoman Gale Brewer, a Manhattan Democrat who sponsored the bill, called the study a "good attempt" to quantify the impact of the bill.

WSJ: Study of New York City Proposal to Mandate Sick Leave Sparks Debate

Comptroller John Liu, a Democratic mayoral candidate, demanded Ms. Quinn allow the vote, but, for the first time, he also publicly called on Council Member Gale Brewer, the lead sponsor, to force the bill to the floor by any means necessary.

WSJ: Council Members May Bypass Quinn

Council Member Gale Brewer, the lead sponsor of the sick-leave bill, said she believes the compromise version is better than the original.

WSJ: Sick-Pay Debate Rages