Bloomberg said on top of the budget that lays off 4,666 teachers and 1,500 city workers, closes 105 senior centers and shutters 20 fire houses, city agencies will have to cut an additional $600 million from their budgets.
The notice for these cuts go out next week.
The chutzpah of this guy, given all the garbage he WASTES money on as detailed in the audits by Comptroller John Liu (CityTime, outside contracts that balloon to 10 or 20 times their original costs, etc.)
But again, until this arrogant little man is made to pay a POLITICAL and SOCIAL PRICE for his policies that reward his cronies and natural Wall Street constituency and punish everybody else, he's going to continue doing this stuff.
I bet because Bloomberg himself has billions, politicians that would ordinarily take this guy on are afraid because he can use some of those billions to punish them through his media empire or his "philanthropy."
This is what is wrong with a country that gives so much power into the hands of oligarchs like Bloomberg, Bill Gates, Eli Broad, et al.
Two items; The first one: for a pick-me-up (and a must-see) go online to the Daily Show with Jon Stewart (March 3 episode)
ReplyDeleteStewart stands up for teachers (after showing a clip of Walker of Wisconsin attacking teachers. He lambastes Wall Street and Fox News.Ravitch is the guest in the final segment. She does mention Gates,Broad and corporate money.
http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes/thu-march-3-2011-diane-ravitch
Second item: there has been more in the papers in the last couple of days on John Liu questioning the costs of the 911 system and financial wrongdoings on the city's agency for economic development with construction contracts. Why aren't people taking these things more seriously and why do people take Bloomberg seriously when he's crying poverty as an excuse to make cuts affecting teachers and seniors, etc.?
@8:30 - I'm glad Stewart finally said something publicly in support of teachers. About a year ago he was singing a different tune - and don't forget he welcomes with open arms the likes of Bill Gates. Some time in the last two years, Stewart said to a guest something to the effect that it would be better to sweep out a few good teachers with all of the bad ones and that the resulting collateral damage would be worth it if it meant keeping the best teachers. I'd be interested in knowing exact how and when he changed his tune. He's the type of interviewer that always seems to be appeasing the guest, then after the interview is over he says something snide to his audience as an aside when the guest is gone. Don't get me wrong, I like Stewart - it's just that he could have come out in favor in teachers much sooner than he has.
ReplyDeleteBloomberg has turned into the fiscal version of Charlie Sheen - out of control.
ReplyDeleteAll this while his "porn star" NYC editorial boards back him at every corrupt turn.