State Budget Has Historic Increases for Education Funding
April 24, 2008
The 2008-2009 NYS budget continues the commitment to better education for New York’s students, increasing education funding by a record $1.7 billion, with a total investment of $21.4 billion. The spending plan includes a $533 million foundation aid increase for New York City schools, and affirms the Assembly’s deep commitment to education, despite a daunting economic climate.
These increases uphold the tenets of the Campaign for Fiscal Equity statewide and keep us on track to meet the 4-year educational investment plan.
The budget moves toward the full implementation of the school foundation formula, which calls for stable and transparent funding for school districts. It represents a second year of record school aid increases. The budget also increases funding to libraries and expands the number of 4-year-old children attending pre-K to 121,000.
However, more work needs to be done now by the City of New York to make sure that the students of the Upper East Side and the rest of the city receive the education that they need and deserve. I and the rest of my colleagues in the Assembly do not support Mayor Bloomberg’s proposal to cut $324 million from the New York City Department of Education budget for 2008-2009. Therefore, the Assembly in its budget is requiring the mayor and the city to keep the $324 million commitment that they pledged last year to their students.
We cannot afford to compromise the education of this city’s and this state’s next generation of leaders in an attempt to cut corners in spending.
Health Budget: Great News for New Yorkers
April 24, 2008
The new 2008-09 health budget, which has been passed by the legislature and signed by the Governor, includes an impressive list of major health reforms and initiatives. This is the best health budget New York has had in many years.
In a groundbreaking – and long-overdue – change, the new budget begins to shift resources from inpatient hospital care to primary, preventative, and other outpatient care. Medicaid payments will increase for community health centers, physician and dentist care, school health centers, family planning clinics, hospital outpatient clinics, and others.
The budget also expands New York’s Child Health Plus program, raising the eligibility level for Child Health Plus from 250% of the poverty level to 400% - making health care for children affordable to more middle-class New Yorkers. Now thousands more children will get health coverage.
There will also be a new prescription drug discount card for some low-income people who have no drug coverage. The discounts will come from the state using its bargaining clout with drug companies, not from taxpayer dollars.
Additionally, under the new budget, New York will offer to repay new doctors’ medical school loans if they practice for five years in an under-served area in primary care or certain shortage specialties – helping to make access to health care a reality for many more New Yorkers.
Congestion Pricing: The Public Deserved a Vote
April 24, 2008
As a supporter of congestion pricing, I was looking forward to having the opportunity to cast my vote in favor of the plan. I am disappointed that the plan never came to a vote on the Assembly floor.
While there were a number of flaws in earlier versions of the proposal – which I pointed out in my report on the issue – in the end the most serious concerns were addressed. I am particularly proud that three changes I advocated for made it into the final version of the bill: 1. Residential parking permits; 2. Dedication of any and all congestion pricing revenue to funding improvements in our mass transit system; and 3. Exemptions for people with disabilities who have disabled license plates or SVIP placards.
While it is true that there are thousands of bills every year that are not voted on – simply because there isn’t enough support – I believe that congestion pricing was different. After there has been intensive public conversation about a policy issue, the public deserves to see how their elected officials will represent them.
Traffic congestion remains a serious problem in New York City, and I remain committed to finding ways to reduce it and to better fund and improve our regional mass transit systems.
An Outrageous Lack of Accountability: Taking Action to Improve Construction Safety
April 24, 2008
The horrifying death of a young construction worker at 400 East 67th Street comes at a time when problems with construction safety in New York have reached crisis proportions. The building site where the incident occurred had an astounding 38 open ECB violations, of which 36 were Class A – the most serious.
This building site should have been shut down long before the accident happened. No construction should have been allowed until all the serious violations were cured. The New York City Department of Buildings must answer for this appalling failure of oversight. I am outraged by the lack of accountability at this site and at construction sites citywide. The Department of Buildings needs more inspectors, but inspections alone are meaningless without vigorous enforcement. We should not have to wait for more tragedies to occur before this lesson is learned.
This accident, along with the recent crane collapse tragedy on 51st Street, has highlighted the urgent importance of ensuring better oversight of construction sites in New York City. I have joined with Borough President Scott Stringer to help implement Borough Construction Watch, which will work with community leaders around Manhattan to improve accountability from construction firms and city agencies, to help prevent such disasters from occurring again.
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New York, NY 10065
Tel 212-860-4906
Fax 917-432-2983
Email KellnerM@assembly.state.ny.us
