Capital: Bloomberg presents a balanced budget, with moving parts
By Dana Rubinstein
Advocates say the budget includes some $170 million in cuts to afterschool programs and child care, as well as the elimination of 20 fire companies.
Both before and after the mayor’s budget address, councilmembers protested his proposed cuts to after-school programs and firehouses.
“So, 31 afterschool programs in the Bronx we’ll lose,” said Brooklyn councilwoman Letitia James, before the mayor’s address. “Seventy-two programs in Brooklyn we will lose, 34 programs in Manhattan, 29 programs in Queens, and six in Staten Island.”
The mayor, anticipating such criticism, said, during his remarks, “Keep in mind those reductions are against levels of service that our administration raised to historic highs during a better economic time.”
In the question-and-answer portion of the budget address, the mayor strongly implied that both the firehouse and social-service cuts would be subject to change.
“Well, number one, we work with the City Council between now and June 30, so we’ll see how all of that works out,” said Bloomberg, referring to the social-service cuts.
Read more at: http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/politics/2012/05/5832308/bloomberg-presents-balanced-budget-moving-parts
