Statement by Council Member Annabel Palma:

In Response to Mark Page's Testimony on EarlyLearn

  

   Last fall, my colleagues and I sent a letter to the Administration highlighting a number of concerns related to the EarlyLearn RFP, which at the time had not yet awarded contracts to child care providers.  Among the concerns laid out in this letter were that the RFP would result in a significant decrease in child care capacity and that the reduction in per child rates would place thousands of child care providers at risk of losing their jobs or benefits. 

 

Despite the concerns we expressed in the letter, as well as in subsequent committee hearings and meetings, the Administration is moving forward with only minor changes to the original RFP and the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) awarded contracts to providers this spring. 

 

The release of these contracts has made clear that our concerns were well-founded and our predictions were accurate. EarlyLearn’s impact on the child care system will be devastating for providers, workers and a number of New York City’s children and families.

 

This morning, Office of Budget Management Director Mark Page came before the City Council’s Committee on Finance to present his annual budget testimony and, during this appearance, I took the opportunity to once again highlight the Council’s concerns over EarlyLearn.  While it is clear at this point that the Administration and the Council are at odds over the implementation and consequences of EarlyLearn, Mark Page, as steward of the City’s finances, has an obligation to look beyond ideology and focus on the fiscal impact of these reforms. 

 

Slashing child care services and the jobs they support will place the City’s fiscal health in jeopardy for many years to come.  I hope the Administration will address the Council’s concerns we push to fix this flawed RFP and ensure that we have a system that works for our children and our City.  

*****************************************************

 

LIU STATEMENT ON MAYOR’S EXECUTIVE BUDGET

 

  After City Comptroller John Liu’s budget meeting with Mayor Bloomberg this morning and in response to questions about the Mayor’s FY 2013 Executive Budget, Liu issued the following statement:

“In this challenging economic environment one of the best ways to maintain critical services for New Yorkers like daycare, fire protection, and libraries is to strengthen our fight against the waste of taxpayer funds and wasted subsidies to large corporations.”

Note: New Yorkers who wish to report waste and abuse of taxpayer funds are encouraged to call Comptroller Liu’s 212-NO-WASTE (212-669-2783) hotline. All calls are confidential. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Statement by Council Member Annabel Palma

In Response to the Mayor’s FY13 Executive Budget Proposal

The Executive Budget outlined by Mayor Bloomberg this afternoon is extremely disheartening.  This budget again underfunds vital services and programs that benefit low- and moderate-income New Yorkers and includes the loss of child care and after-school services for approximately 47,000 children.  This is simply unacceptable.

Of particular concern, are the continued drastic cuts to child care and after-school programs, which are slated to lose approximately $170 million combined.  The Executive Budget proposes just 26,000 child care slots, down from over 53,000 in FY09.  The Executive Budget also offers only 27,000 after-school slots through the City’s OST program, down from approximately 85,000 in FY09.  These programs offer critical early childhood educational opportunities that have been proven to enhance students’ academic futures.  Moreover, they provide safe and affordable care that allow parents to stay in the workforce and stay off of public assistance.  At this point, far too few working people have access to these critical services and this budget will only continue to bleed the system.

Another area of serious concern is the approximately $6.2 million in cuts to the HIV/AIDS Services Administration (HASA) that will devastate supportive housing and nutritional programs that literally save lives.  While this may save the City money in the short-term, it will only shift these individuals into programs that are more costly in the long-term.  The City Council has continually restored cuts to these programs over the last couple years, but the Administration has again chosen not to baseline this funding. 

The Mayor has often sought to portray himself as a fiscal conservative who has taken an axe to wasteful spending.  However, the reality is that the programs slated for cuts in this year’s budget are programs that invest in low- and moderate-income people and serve as key tools for promoting economic growth.  Once again, it will fall on the shoulders of the City Council to engage the Administration in negotiating a responsible budget that will make necessary investments in our City’s future.  

 

****************************************************