The
preliminary budget proposed by Mayor Bloomberg this morning focuses way
too heavily on cuts when there are clear opportunities to recover
revenue. However, it is on the mayor to realize those opportunities by
coming to the table with unions and the city council.
As
it stands, Mayor Bloomberg's refusal to sit down with the UFT to
develop a plan that works for all parties will end up costing the city
$724 million in state aid over the next two years and $1 billion in the
out years. This means we will immediately lose 2,500 teachers from our
classrooms; vital hours of school aides and substitute teachers; 700,000
hours of after school programs, crucial for struggling students; key
services for bullying prevention, conflict resolution, professional
development and technology in the classrooms; and countless supplies
such as textbooks and basic classroom necessities.
Additionally,
because of his refusal to meet with council members to develop a new
home taxi plan for the outer boroughs the city projects to lose $190
million in revenues. But the city is capable of securing the full $790
million in taxi medallion sales, currently in jeopardy in the courts,
should the mayor decide to come to the table and work out a plan with
council members.
Mayor
Bloomberg's decision to act unilaterally on these issues will cost the
city close to $1 billion in revenue over this year and the next, which
will now be cut from our children's education, the most important aspect
of our city's future.
I
ask the mayor to come together with the respective parties to secure
this much needed revenue. Collectively we can come up with new and
creative revenue streams that will ensure the budget is not balanced on
the backs of the middle and lower class families and our city's
children.
Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez.
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