Menin’s budget plan is better than Mamdani’s – but – Latest News
Cheers to Speaker Julie Menin for main the City Council into drawing up a fairly accountable budget, one which doesn’t require any tax hikes to fund extreme new spending.
That’s in stark distinction to Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who’s virtually demanding billions from somebody, someplace — and even had the gall to slam the council’s plan as “unrealistic” as a result of it “refuses to address the deeper structural imbalance between the City and the State, or to increase taxes.”
That “imbalance” refers to his delusional perception that Albany ought to bathe more money on Gotham, although town’s wealthier than most of the state, as a result of . . . socialism?
In a $127 billion budget — particularly in New York City, which spends vastly more per-capita than some other US metropolis, and the place spending has grown sooner than each inflation and precise tax receipts — it’s common sense that pinching a little right here and firming issues up a little there would end in important financial savings.
And Menin’s green-eyeshades of us did simply that — combing by way of the sofa cushions for actual, in contrast to the mayor’s video pretend-quest.
This is nothing revolutionary: Rather than cut back bloat, the council plan treats all “services” as “critical,” and so inconceivable to shrink.
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Menin desires Albany to cowl the almost $1 billion-a-year value of compliance with the unfunded, NYC-only class-size mandate (a giveaway to the United Federation of Teachers).
That’s nice so far as it goes, but solely strikes the prices onto state taxpayers; better could be eliminating the absurd law within the first place, or not less than stretching out the schedule.
Elsewhere, Menin notes that 1000’s of budgeted metropolis positions are actually unfilled, and counts the unspent salaries as financial savings.
Fine. But if we’ve been getting alongside with out these new staff, why not get rid of the positions altogether?
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No, says Menin: “The council believes these positions should be filled.”
Still, she’s sure placing the misinform Mamdani’s claims to be “efficient, with every single dollar being put to the best possible use.”
Plus, her quiet-but-firm rejection of his call for a 9%-plus hike in property taxes has led him to stop speaking concerning the concept — although it’s nonetheless in his budget plan.
Bottom line: Menin understands that town can’t afford to kill its golden goose — that Mamdani’s schemes would destroy New York’s tax base.
The mayor’s budget bumbling is simply a ploy; the speaker’s plan exhibits Albany it doesn’t need to fall for his bluff.
New York is very fortunate to have Menin main the council: The final speaker, and most of her predecessors going back many years, wouldn’t dare face down a progressive push for toxic tax hikes.
She understands that budgeting at all times means selecting how to spend restricted assets; that will seem to be “austerity” to nepo-baby Mamdani, but it’s how the taxpayers who really cowl town’s payments should stay.
Time to be taught how precise grownups stay, Mr. Mayor.
