On Wednesday, transit officials announced some new details of proposed service cuts, including slashing weekend service and eliminating bus lines, to address its multibillion-dollar budget hole. Source: New York Times
Posts published in “Budgets and Budgeting”
Recreational Marijuana Legalized by New Jersey Voters
Voters approved a constitutional amendment to legalize cannabis in New Jersey, putting pressure on neighboring states like New York. Source: New York Times
6 Are Shot in Brooklyn as N.Y.C.’s Summer of Violence Spills Into Fall
Shootings that plagued the city for most of the summer have not abated, and some city leaders question whether the police have backed off enforcement. Source: New York Times
‘We’re at War’: New York City Faces a Financial Abyss
The pandemic has crippled tourism, retail and the culture sector. The damage could last years, and layoffs, service cuts and added debt are all on the table. Source: New York Times
N.J. Will Borrow $4.5 Billion as Pandemic Pain Hits States
It is one of the first states to take on debt to plug a budget hole created by the impact of the coronavirus. Source: New York Times
NYC Mayor to Furlough 495 Staff Members for a Week, Including Himself
The symbolic move, which would yield $860,000 in anticipated savings, could be a precursor to similar maneuvers to slash the budget. Source: New York Times
Tax the Ultrarich? Cuomo Resists, Even With a $14 Billion Budget Gap
State Democratic lawmakers are pressuring Gov. Andrew Cuomo to approve a tax on the wealthy, fearing that budget cuts will hurt those most in need. Source: New York Times
Is New York’s Arts Diversity Plan Working? It’s Hard to Tell
While the CreateNYC program increased funding for smaller neighborhood arts organizations, it never required institutions to disclose the demographic data that would help measure progress. Source: New York Times
$1,000 ‘Baby Bond’ Proposed in N.J. in Bid to Narrow the Wealth Gap
A plan would set aside money at birth for children in most families, giving them a financial lift when they reach 18 and enter adulthood. Source: New York Times
Ocasio-Cortez Pushes Cuomo to Back Billionaires’ Tax
Progressives want the tax to help New Yorkers hurt by the virus, but the governor says it could drive high earners out of state and damage the tax base. Source: New York Times
Occupy City Hall’s New Life as Homeless Camp: ‘Not Pretty All the Time’
Organizers said they were helping vulnerable people. But nearby residents said the camp had turned into an unruly — and at times violent — shantytown. Source: New York Times
Buried in N.J.’s Budget Cuts: a Break for a Billionaire
A stopgap budget with $4 billion in cuts also includes an opening for private development in state parks, like a long-desired expansion of a golf course into Liberty State Park. Source: New York Times
$1 Billion Is Shifted From NYPD in a Budget That Pleases No One
“We can’t allow folks from outside our community to lecture us about Black lives,” said a City Council member, opposing the police cuts. Source: New York Times
De Blasio and Council, Facing Fiscal Crisis Over Virus, Agree on Budget With Big Cuts
The mayor and City Council pared $1 billion in funding for the Police Department, but nearly half of that would come from budgetary sleight of hand. Source: New York Times
De Blasio Vows for First Time to Cut Funding for the N.Y.P.D.
The mayor made his pledge following 10 nights of mass protests against police violence and mounting demands for an overhaul of the police department. Source: New York Times