Page 12 - The Indian EYE 071423

COMMUNITY OP-ED JULY 14, 2023 | The Indian Eye 12

NYC’s Budget: Investing in Working

Families and New Yorkers in Need

This budget balances the long-term needs of our city and the everyday needs of our people

lives around. This budget ensures we
can continue to assist New Yorkers in
crisis and get them off the streets and
into long-term care.
We are providing wage increas-
es for hundreds of thousands of city
employees, putting more money into
the pockets of working families across
the city. We are also raising the wages
of those who keep our social services
up and running, like our nonprofit
contractors, childcare centers and
homeless outreach providers, and
those who care for the most vulnera-
ble New Yorkers.
ERIC ADAMS We are making sure we can con-
tinue food delivery programs for old-
er New Yorkers as well as meals at
ur city’s budget reflects our Older Adult Centers.
values, and for my adminis- With the hot days of summer upon us, the NYC mayor wants all children to have access to And because New Yorkers de-
Otration, the needs of every- swimming pools and learn how to swim (File photo) serve clean streets, we are adding
day people come first. This year, we funding to clean commercial corri-
navigated many significant financial in Fiscal Year 2024 reserves will help transit fares to those who are eligible, dors and highways in all five boroughs.
challenges and have reached a budget With the hot days of summer
agreement with our colleagues on the us ensure that New York City remains leaving hard working New Yorkers upon us, we want all our children to
strong regardless of the issues we face.
with more money in their pockets to
City Council—a budget that is smart, Even as we prepare for the future spend on other necessities. have access to swimming pools and
strategic and fiscally responsible, a however, we want New Yorkers to We also know that public educa- learn how to swim. We want to make
budget that advances our administra- sure all our kids are safe this summer
tion’s Working People’s Agenda, and have the resources they need to thrive tion is vital to all New Yorkers, so we and are not at risk of drowning due to
invested in our public schools—and
in the present. That’s why this budget
puts the needs of working New York- them not having access to a neighbor-
ers front and center. protects and builds on our historic will not allow enrollment declines to hood pool for lessons.
investments: in summer youth jobs negatively affect initial school funding Public safety is the prerequisite
and career pathways for students, in levels.
The Fiscal Year 2024 Adopted public safety and trash pickup, in con- And we are helping our students to prosperity, and that means we must
protect our kids while ensuring equity.
Budget comes in at approxi- necting New Yorkers in need to men- get on the pathway to good paying So, we are adding funding to increase
tal health services or stable housing, jobs and careers through college pro-
mately $107 billion and allows and in maintaining the commitment grams and internships like College pool access across the five boroughs
and provide swimming lessons to
us to spend on services and we made last year to fund affordable Now, CUNY Explorers and Career more children than ever before.
housing and NYCHA at historic levels.
Launch. We are ensuring that our
This budget balances the long-
programs that benefit all New Thanks to careful budgeting and young people can continue their edu- term needs of our city and the every-
Yorkers, while continuing to in partnership with the City Council, cation and achieve their dreams. day needs of our people. Not all our
we have been able to restore a total of
As you know I am deeply com-
address the costs created by $36 million dollars in funding for our mitted to improving public safety and investments are big dollar, but they
are strategic, fiscally responsible and
the asylum seeker crisis and city’s libraries. ending gun violence, which destroys they put New Yorkers first.
lives and communities. This budget
When New Yorkers speak, we
I want to thank Speaker Adri-
adding to the $4.7 billion in listen. Parents told us they need pre- provides resources for violence inter- enne Adams, Finance Chair Jus-
school hours that better match their
budget savings that the admin- workdays, so we added $15 million dol- rupters and other services that help tice Brannan, and Budget Director
do this important work for our city.
istration has achieved over Fis- lars in funding to convert nearly 1,900 We are also increasing resources Jacques Jiha and his team for their
hard work making this budget hap-
cal Years 2023 and 2024 since early childhood education seats into for supervised release and support pen. Most of all, I want to thank
extended-day seats starting this fall.
services for justice involved New
last Adoption. Working New Yorkers have told Yorkers. you—my fellow New Yorkers—for all
us that getting to their jobs eats up too When it comes to those expe- you do to make New York the great-
While we can’t predict with cer- much of their paychecks, so we are riencing homelessness and mental est city in the world.
tainty which challenges tomorrow expanding our Fair Fares Program. health issues, we have already made Eric Adams is
will bring, our near-record $8 billion This program provides reduced-price progress in helping people turn their the Mayor of New York City, NY

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