| Mayor’s FY2011 Preliminary Budget Offers Outline of Cuts |
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| Sunday, 28 February 2010 21:45 |
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Mayor Michael Bloomberg offered his budgetary vision for FY2010 yesterday and then quickly flashed an image of how much worse it could get – and very well might – if Governor Paterson’s proposed state budget is passed without changes. The Mayor seemed justifiably proud of his own preliminary $63 billion budget plan which proposes to close a $4.9 million deficit with just $1.6 billion in agency cuts and no broad based tax increases. The balance of the gap is managed through the use of $2 billion in prior year surpluses, revenue growth beyond the administration’s admittedly cautious projections, and the hope of winning wage and/or productivity concessions from City employee unions. “Because of the early steps we took to diversify our economy and keep our fiscal house in order, we’ve avoided the very worst-case scenario,” said Bloomberg. While acknowledging that his budget plans still required “very difficult decisions”, the Mayor downplayed the service impacts of $1.6 billion in agency budget cuts. “We will confront the challenge head-on by taking the same approach we have used to successfully overcome past fiscal crises: doing more with less by finding new efficiencies and developing innovative new ways to attack old problems,” he said. “Through this approach, we’ve proven that the city’s quality of life doesn’t have to plummet when the economy does - and in fact, the city is safer and cleaner today than ever before.” For many providers and advocates, however, their first look at the detail of cuts originally ordered last November was far from encouraging. In many instances, they felt, the City would simply be doing less with less. The Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) will eliminate 33 School Year Only Out of School Time program serving 4,110 children and 30 summer programs serving another 1,940 for $1.9 million in savings this year and $7.5 million next year. Funding for Beacon contracts will be cut 6% this year and 7% next year. NYCHA’s almost brand new Cornerstone programs in NYCHA centers will lose $980,000 through 8% cuts and 45 Adult Literacy Programs will take a 10% cut. “Mayor Bloomberg’s proposed elimination of after school program and summer camp slots, 662 summer jobs, and a cut of $2.7 million to Beacon schools places an unfair burden on children and working families struggling in this recession,” said Susan Stamler, Director of Policy and Advocacy for United Neighborhood Houses (UNH). The Administration for Children’s Services will consolidate 15 child care sites for an annualized savings of $16 million. Child welfare providers will absorb a $7 million loss through delayed implementation of new foster boarding home rates and preventive services programs will take a $3.6 million cut. The Human Resources Administration (HRA) will begin reducing HIV/AIDS services case management staff for an annualized savings of $8.4 million. The Teen Relationship Abuse Prevention Program (TeenRAPP) will be eliminated for a $3 million savings. The Department of Homeless Services (DHS) will close its 24-hour Drop In Center in Manhattan for a $2.4 million savings. A Rapid Rehousing Initiative will seek $7.6 million in savings through expedited housing placements via HomeBase programs. DHS will also eliminate 40 Safe Haven beds and 50 Stabilization beds for street homeless single adults, at a projected savings of almost $1 million. A five percent reduction in shelter rates paid to providers serving homeless adult couples is also proposed. In the Department for the Aging (DFTA), homecare service capacity for non-Medicaid eligible seniors will be reduced following a shift of eligible clients to Medicaid-funded services. The $10.3 million annualized cut represents an estimated 33% of the City’s funding for the program. It’s the State, Stupid! The Mayor was quick to remind everyone that these cuts are nothing compared to what will happen if Governor Paterson’s recently proposed Executive Budget – which reportedly would slash State funding for the City by another $1.3 billion -- passes as proposed. “We have a problem… and the statcan make it a lot worse,” said Bloomberg. “I think it is an unfair budget that cuts New York City more than upstate and Long Island.” For example, he noted that while the Governor’s proposal cuts revenue sharing to all other counties by a range of 2-5%, it cuts those same state funds to New York City by 100%.” What would the loss of this additional $1.3 billion mean? In addition to cutting 8,500 teachers, 3,150 cops, 1,050 fire fighters and 978 correction officers, there are likely to be some cuts to human services. Among just a few examples offered by the Mayor were: • A 30% reduction in ACS preventive services capacity – 2,584 slots – for a $9.2 million budget reduction; • A 25% reduction in the number of day care vouchers provided to low income families for a $35.6 million savings; • Elimination of funding for 500 soup kitchens and food pantries for a $10.2 million cut • Closing of 15 senior centers for a $3.5 million cut. The Missing $85 Million While Bloomberg was pointing to the State budget, advocates were also seeing another $85 million in potential cuts to funding for existing human services programs. “These are programs which only received funding for one year from the City Council in last year’s adopted budget,” said UNH’s Stamler. On the list is $13 million for children’s services; $26 million for youth services, $6.5 million for immigrant programs and $4.6 million for housing and homelessness prevention. In the area of senior services, a whopping $37.5 million in funding for current year contracts is not renewed in the Mayor’s financial plan. “Right now, the City Council is providing one out of every five City dollars that goes to the Department for the Aging,” says Bobbie Sackman, Director of Public Policy at the Council of Senior Centers and Services (CSCS). “And, while we are grateful the huge lift they make every year, this is not the right way for the City to be building a solid infrastructure of services for our rapidly growing population of seniors.”
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