Page 14 - The Indian EYE 051625

COMMUNITY OP-ED MAY 16, 2025 | The Indian Eye 14

THE BEST BUDGET EVER:

Investing in Working-Class New Yorkers as

we make our city safer and more affordable

which will create 80,000 new homes
over the next 15 years. We are also in-
vesting more than ever in improving
our infrastructure at $173 billion that
will deliver on generational projects
that were talked about for decades
but never achieved until we came
into office. This includes improving
our roads, bridges, schools, and wa-
ter and sewer facilities, as well as sup-
porting more reliable transportation
systems across the five boroughs.
But all of these big plans and
dreams are only possible if New York-
ERIC ADAMS
ers are safe and feel safe. Public safe-
ty is the foundation on which our city
ast week, I went back to Bay- is built, and we are proud New York
side High School in Queens remains the safest big city in America.
Lto deliver the Fiscal Year 2026 Major crime was down by double dig-
Executive Budget — the Best Budget its over the first quarter of this year,
Ever — in the same place I attended This budget is a testament to our commitment to making New York City safer (Agency file photo) and we are tackling quality-of-life
high school. My message was simple: issues with a new 1,500-member divi-
this budget is not some abstract set of that were facing spending cliffs and Yorkers who need our help the most sion within the NYPD created solely
numbers; it is a statement about what will support all New Yorkers — no and protects services that strengthen for that purpose. This budget helps
we value and how we are investing in matter their means or background. our communities. By carefully man- keep our streets and subways safe
the people of New York City — keep- And about $675 million of those aging our city’s finances, we have and making sure we have enough
ing them safe, making the five bor- programs are baselined — meaning been able to add nearly $840 million men and woman to get the job done
oughs more affordable, protecting that they are a permanent part of our this coming fiscal year alone to pro- as we put the NYPD on track to
quality of life, and making sure this is city’s budget going forward, year af- tect services that were facing bud- 35,000 uniformed officers by next fall.
the best place to raise a family. ter year, forever. This commitment get cliffs — these include Medicaid, We know New Yorkers work
The decisions we made in this means more security and stability for rental assistance, foster care services, hard for their money and that’s why
budget were guided by my own lived our city, especially when it comes to social services for seniors, New York we have remained focused on saving
experience, and the struggles I saw areas like public safety, housing, and City’s cash assistance contribution, taxpayer dollars. Our policies also
my mother go through. She worked our children’s education. and shelters for victims of domestic have set the table for a strong local
three jobs just to put food on the From prioritizing access to child violence. economy. This, along with growth in
table for me and my siblings — and care and launching universal af- This budget additionally locks the national economy, has enabled
she could have used a helping hand. ter-school programming to investing in support for the housing programs us to revise our tax revenue forecast
Put simply, our city once betrayed in permanent funding for libraries, and affordability initiatives that New upward and balance the budget with-
working people but we have not al- CUNY, and public-safety and qual- Yorkers need. We are funding cre- out cutting programs or services, rais-
lowed that to continue under our ity-of-life initiatives, this budget will ation of our “Manhattan Plan” to re- ing taxes on New Yorkers by a single
administration. So this is the budget protect and expand critical programs zone parts of the borough and unlock penny, or laying off hard-working city
she needed, and one million of other that will improve the lives of New an additional 100,000 homes for New employees.
working-class people across this city York families. We are hiring more Yorkers over the next decade. We are This budget is a testament to our
need today. It makes real investments teachers, reducing class sizes, and also investing in our city’s 15/15 Sup- commitment to making New York
in the areas working-class families investing in arts education for our portive Housing Initiative that will City safer, more affordable, and the
care about most, including child care, students. Our new funding will also create and preserve over 5,800 sup- best place to live and raise a family.
‘After-School for All,’ health care, ed- support computer science education, portive homes and provide vulnera- We are doing all of this while main-
ucation, public safety, affordability, tutoring, teacher recruitment, Civics ble New Yorkers with a place to call taining record-high reserves to help
quality of life, and so much more. It for All, and more. And the best part? their own, as well as provide them us face anything that comes our way.
is not a budget that favors the few, it These programs are all baselined. with access to the social services that This is the budget my mom needed,
is a budget for all New Yorkers. They will be there for you and your build on our work tackling homeless- that my family needed, and, with it,
In fact, it is no exaggeration to children in the future, even if those ness and severe mental illness. we’re saying to working families: your
say that our Fiscal Year 2026 Exec- children are still just chasing pigeons All of this builds on the unpar- city has your back.
utive Budget is the Best Budget Ever on the playground. alleled record we have achieved on
— one that adds $1.4 billion next fis- Our Fiscal Year 2026 Executive housing, and our landmark “City of Eric Adams is the Mayor of
cal year to protect critical programs Budget also looks out for the New Yes for Housing Opportunity” plan, New York City, NY

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