Thursday, January 14, 2016

Cuomo Cuts $485 Million From CUNY Budget

He can characterize this any way he wants - they're budget cuts:

ALBANY — Gov. Andrew Cuomo pushed back against news coverage that said his budget proposal hurts New York City, saying that it would be “absurd” to expect increases in funding to address homelessness and expand infrastructure without an offset elsewhere.

Cuomo's proposed $145.3 billion plan includes billions for these capital outlays, but was balanced by $485 million in contributions that Cuomo wants Mayor Bill de Blasio to direct toward CUNY as well as $180 million this fiscal year and $476 million next year in additional Medicaid costs.

“It's an absurd premise that they're making,” Cuomo told Brian Lehrer on WNYC. “You can't say to the state, always pay more for everything. That's an absurd position.”

Let's see, the state provides $485 million toward CUNY, but starting with this budget, the state will no longer do that.

That's not a "cut"?

Not according to Cuomo:

Hours after New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio pledged to push back against budget proposals that could hurt the city’s bottom line, Gov. Andrew Cuomo in an interview said he wasn’t trying to cut spending, but find “efficiencies.”

Speaking on NY1 on Thursday afternoon, Cuomo was reacting to growing concerns among city officials that his proposed $145 billion budget would force the city to come up with as much as $1 billion in funds for CUNY and Medicaid.

...

Cuomo’s own budget memorandum calls for the city to assume $485 million in costs for CUNY by July 1.

“CUNY, like any institution like the Medicaid management, like the housing authorities—we have to constantly work to streamline,” he said. 

Streamline?  Efficiencies?

Sure - $485 million of them.

It's good to see Cuomo on the defensive for this abomination he calls a budget.

That he needed to defend this on NY1 this morning is a result of 24 hours of negative news coverage about the harm he's doing to NYC - the only place in the state where he's got a decent approval rating.

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