New Budget Adds No Capacity

West Side parents continued to make the case for new school space and additional seats in their stretched-to-capacity district at a Dec. 16 District 3 Community Education Committee meeting. During the meeting, which was focused on capital plan oversight, the Department of Education presented a two-year budget for the district that included no new seats or construction of new capacity. The purpose was to present a preliminary budget and receive community feedback. Read more

Works of Art on a Budget

For many years, I pressed my nose against windows displaying spectacular posters from all eras and countries at the Chisholm Larsson poster gallery, on Eighth Avenue at West 17th Street in the arty heart of Chelsea.

Alas, I believed these beckoning works of art were too pricey. I recently stared at a huge portrait of Arlo Guthrie on a masterpiece of an Italian movie poster for his iconic film Alice’s Restaurant. This poster of Woody Guthrie’s son brings a rush of fond feelings. I tailed Arlo touring Ohio and Pennsylvania when Alice’s Restaurant made him the singing star of the anti-war movement. Read more

NADLER PUSHES TO SAVE P.O.s

Rep. Jerrold Nadler wants to use legislation to save 14 city post offices that are being studied for closure.

Nadler’s two bills would open up any post office closings to public scrutiny. The U.S. Postal Service would have to justify closings of branches, hold public hearings and require a public assessment for need of the closure. To save money, another bill would let the Postal Service tap into the retiree health benefits fund to pay health insurance for retirees.

Nadler stood with Postal Service union representatives and elected officials from the West Side and downtown Manhattan on August 20 to announce his plan.

“I am far from convinced that these…cuts and closures are actually creating real relief from the Postal Service’s massive budget woes,” Nadler said in a statement. “There is no excuse for the Postal Service to give short shrift to customers and cut services that every person and business depends on.”

COMMUNITY BOARDS PROTEST CUTS

On the steps of City Hall, elected officials and community board leaders from throughout the city rallied against Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s cuts to the boards.

In the mayor’s budget, $30,000 was chopped from the $190,000 each board receives. The money goes toward office expenses and the staff that handle day-to-day operations.

Community boards have an advisory vote on land-use issues and certain business licenses. But for residents, the boards provide a venue to voice concern, criticism or praise for development projects and quality of life issues.

Borough President Scott Stringer, who made community board reform a cornerstone of his first term, called the cuts outrageous, noting that 1990 was the last time community boards saw a raise in their budgets.

“The city’s proposed cut to community board budgets threatens the first line of democracy in our city,” Stringer said.

Comptroller William Thompson, Bloomberg’s rival for mayor, said the cut will render community boards ineffective.

“They’re the eyes and ears for our government, and the eyes and ears for our borough presidents,” Thompson said. “The mayor is trying to reduce their voice, cut them to the point where he can turn around and say, let’s get rid of community boards and borough presidents.”

The Council members in attendance promised to restore the cuts, if not increase the budget. Council Member Robert Jackson of Harlem, part of the budget negotiating team, said if Albany passes the city’s revenue package, there will be money for the boards.

Helen Rosenthal, chair of the Upper West Side’s Community Board 7, said that the budget cuts stifle 8 million people from voicing their opinions.

“We need this forum where people can have their say,” Rosenthal said.

TIGHTENING THEIR BELTS

“Doomsday,” “draconian” and “drastic” are a couple of words to describe New York State and City budget proposals. As legislative leaders tussle with executives over onerous cuts, local institutions, nonprofits and museums that rely on government assistance are feeling the hurt.

“Most of these nonprofits get funding from all three levels of government in various degrees,” said Assembly Member Dick Gottfried. “With state and city budget cuts, they’re facing a real difficulty.”
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