The governor:
We in government need the courage to balance our budget as well as our priorities. We need the courage to sacrifice for the future, but this must be a shared sacrifice.
Which resulted in draconian budget cuts:
The legislature passed a 6 percent reduction in services, including $141 million in cuts to health care. This includes a reduction to Medicaid funding, which services the health needs of poor people, by $127 million.
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There will also be a $97 million cut in aid to local governments for various health services, such as nutritional programs. The annual inflation-based increases for Medicare, the health care program for the elderly, have been capped, and this is expected to reduce spending by about $170 million[...]
There will also be a 7 percent reduction to the New York City university system, totaling $51 million, and cuts to various projects in the legislators’ districts, totaling $50 million.
The Mayor:
Michael Bloomberg, sent a letter to all city agencies ordering them to cut 3 percent of their budgets for this fiscal year, which began in July. This was on top of a 2.7 percent cut imposed during last fiscal year and a 4.4 percent budgetary reduction that was projected for the current year. This last cut included a special $324 million reduction to the Department of Education.
and
The 2.5 percent reduction that the mayor is seeking this year would translate into cuts of $11.9 million from the Department of Transportation, $7.8 million from the Department of Homeless Services and $6.7 million from the parks department. The mayor has also ordered the Fire Department to cut $33.8 million, which could force some firehouses to close, mayoral aides said.
All lies. There is no budget problem! There's a surplus!
How do we know?
Because
The Yankees and Mets have received approval for $342 million in tax-free bonds for their new stadiums.
[...] the two new ballparks were costing the city, state and federal governments about $1.2 billion through a variety of tax breaks and subsidies
You only do that if you have a surplus. Bloomberg would be against it otherwise, having stated:
"At the moment, everybody understands that given that the lack of housing, given the lack of school space, given the deficit in the operating budget, it is just not practical this year to go and build stadiums," Mr. Bloomberg said.
"You have to set priorities, and the priorities this year do not allow for the construction of sporting stadiums."
But that was before he was mayor. Now it must be a good deal, like when there's a surplus.
And look at all the things the Yankees are getting!
What is the team going to spend the new $370 million on?
Here are some items on the submission filed with the city’s Industrial Development Agency: $10.5 million for "suite level upgrades," and $5 million more for "public washroom upgrades," and $1.1 million to "upgrade suite seats, field seats" and areas where disabled fans will sit.
For a better sound and television system in the building, new mounts and screens, a video system and scoreboard, they want $34 million. And $3.9 million for "extensive cabling necessary to accommodate multiple, domestic and international broadcasters."
The city's getting something back too, of course. Would that financial genius who overruled term-limits so he could run again to use the business knowledge apparently only he has could get the city back on track.
Only, it's not really for the whole city- but for his own staff:
Members of Mr. Bloomberg’s administration fought like tigers to get a free luxury suite with 12 seats for the use of city officials, haggling so that chicken wings were included. In exchange, the team demanded, and got, 250 additional parking spots and the income from three highway billboards.
What are the additional $390 million being used for?
Upgrades to their scoreboard:
Randy Levine, the Yankees’ president, said that without the additional tax-exempt financing (the development agency issued $942.5 million in 2006), completing the stadium "would be difficult and challenging, but not impossible." He did not give details of what would not be finished, or built, if the Yankees did not get the financing.
He said that requests from the police and other emergency services to upgrade security, and from broadcasters to enclose the press box, raised the construction estimate; so did lawsuits that delayed construction and the discovery that the scoreboard and sound system the team ordered did not "measure up."
It didn't measure up! Why should the Yankees have to pay for their own scoreboard when Bloomberg has taxpayers pay for it?
Bloomberg allocated $942 million in tax-free financing for the stadium.
For months, city officials refused to even discuss the specifics of this new subsidy deal. Now that the details are out, we understand their reluctance: It is the same scoreboard swindle all over again, at 2009 prices. Among the reasons the Yankees want the extra dough is to pay for $14.3 million worth of "new scoreboard, scoreboard structures, and video replay modifications." Another $10.7 million is needed for a "video board and ribbon board" to carry the latest sports news around and around the new $1.3 billion ballpark. Another $14.6 million is required to enhance broadcast and television displays.
The team has also decided that it needs another $10.5 million to enhance the 56 luxury suites that were a big reason for the new stadium in the first place. These suites will hold up to 12 fans apiece, and sell for $600,000 to $850,000 per season. The added bond revenue, Yankees officials explain in their application to the city's Industrial Development Agency, which must approve the bonds, will go for "suite level upgrades, a suite level corridor, air conditioning, carpet, and concourse ceilings." Said ceilings, the officials state, "were added to conceal bulk exposed piping." Naturally.
Ever mindful of media needs, another $1.6 million will go for "enclosure of the press suite," with an extra $1.4 million for added space for "offense & defense training & employee dining room revisions."
And that's why the elected officials of New York are liars. How could their possibly be a budget crisis.
So this whole firehouse closing thing is probably just misreported.
The overnight shifts for four firehouses in New York City will end and the firefighters at those houses will be reassigned in the city. The FDNY plans to cut $60M in spending.
With all these funds going to the Yankees and Mets (only $83 million for them) (suckers!) there can't be a budget deficit!
The Yankees were granted another $259 million in tax-exempt bonds and $111 million in taxable bonds, on top of $940 million in tax-exempt bonds and $25 million in taxable bonds already granted for its $1.5 billion new Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.
The Mets got an additional $83 million, after the $615 million already approved for $800 million Citi Field.
As the governor suggested, there should be a shared sacrifice. But that's also a lie. Only the taxpayers are doing the sharing.