The New York League of Conservation Voters and the mass transit advocate group Riders Alliance on Wednesday dropped their participation in a pro-business campaign that opposes tax hikes on the wealthy. 

The Campaign for New York's Future, formally announced a day ago, is being led by former Gov. David Paterson and meant to promote a boost the state's economy following the financial devasation of the coronavirus pandemic.   

The campaign subsequently in a statement released the groups from their commitments, but also decried the "bullying" of advocates on social media. It pledged to move forward undeterred on its effort.

"Our mission is to build a more just and equitable New York by holding officials accountable for safe, reliable, and affordable transit," said Betsy Plum, the executive director of the Riders Alliance. "To that end, we have supported major new progressive revenue sources including a millionaires tax and mansion tax. Accordingly, we no longer see a place for our work and values within this group."

News of the groups pulling its support was first reported by NY1's Zack Fink. 

The campaign, backed by business and civic organizations, is opposed to increasing taxes on the rich. But that is an issue the New York League of Conservation Voters did not want to weigh in on.

"NYLCV originally joined the Campaign for New York's Future to continue our advocacy for expanded mobility and open space by reimagining the city's streetscape." said Julie Tighe, the group's president.

"However, given that the coalition's priorities are broader than our mission to improve our environment and fight for open space, we reevaluated our role and decided to step away. As always, NYLCV will continue to advocate for investments and policies that support working class New Yorkers - whether we're urging Congress to fund the MTA or fighting for congestion pricing."